Picking up on passion, Tamara Cuthbert Daley brings art and architecture to interior design
Published:Saturday | August 27, 2022 | 12:06 AMKrysta Anderson - Staff Reporter
Tamara Cuthbert Daley picked up a passion for painting at the tender age of five years old. Drawing on that unique creativity, she grew fascinated by home and garden programmes via television and social media. It’s no wonder she went on to become an interior designer.
“I would watch so many videos of home makeovers on repeat and it slowly cultivated a desire to do more than just watch,” she recalled to Saturday Living of her beginnings. Unofficially, the interior designer has been in the industry for five years, stepping into the field professionally three years ago.
Breathing life into familiar and new spaces, Cuthbert Daley has already carved out a niche for herself by bringing technical artistry, architecture, and technology to her work. “There aren’t a lot of interior designers in Jamaica who work from the drawing or illustrating aspect of the game; they focus more on décor and styling. I actually design technically as in, computer design from space planning to three-dimensional rendering. That’s my experience. I design a space you can walk through virtually; a little bit more like architecture,” she shared.
With that being said, it’s safe to say that her work of art is so much more than just decor.
When asked about the obstacles encountered along the way, the interior designer confessed that she likes to refer to her experience as growth factors. The pandemic brought along with it a few hiccups. For instance, during her course, she had to work with and evaluate a client who was redesigning a space. Due to the Covid-19 climate, she was unable to visit in person and had to rely on her virtual knowledge. “Thankfully, a lot of well-known designers were also broadening their skills at this time so I rushed online for ideas. That idea has given me most of my clients to date,” she added.
Inspired by posts on Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram bingeing, she leaves the rest up to the discretion of her clients, as far as the colour palette and design style are concerned. Usually, she is given creative freedom to wow them with her plans.
“My favourite clients to date are the Plummer family in Ontario, Canada. They wanted their bathroom to be like a main event. The toilet was in an enclosed area designed like a powder room, there was a walk-in glass shower, huge double basin vanity and then there was an elevated area for a tub which seemed quite separate from the rest of the bathroom. Most of my clients tend to get their designs in three dimensions before construction happens,” she highlighted, adding that she rarely does makeovers.
The notion that interior designers are solely decorators continues to be an age-old misconception among the public. While the area of expertise includes aspects of decor, there is far more to it than what meets the eye. From floor plans to mood boards to 3D renderings, product search to budget aides, and sourcing labourers, she declared that the field is far more technical and construction based.
Aside from financial gains, the ultimate goal is to garner a lot of satisfied clients who love and appreciate her work and take her skillset worldwide. Outside of interior design, this consummate professional is a brand strategist, author, and illustrator. Her advice to budding interior designers is to think smart to work smart.
“Don’t think you need to start big and don’t think you know everything. Whatever you think you know, is just the surface, so be open-minded. Get some help, ask questions, and get some formal education on it too, that helps a lot. It does not need to be a diploma or degree but the right short course online or otherwise could do wonders. My diploma is from The Interior Design Institute, Canada. It is a self-paced, online course. There are local options you can explore as well.”
In true interior design fashion, Cuthbert Daley provided some tips for others to renovate their homes:
1. Bold colours are accent colours for a reason. Unless this is your chosen strategy for a whimsical feel, be careful not to use too much of the same colour in one room because it may become overbearing and lose its effect on the design.
2. Sample your paint. Don’t just choose and use; it may look different in your space than it does at the paint shop or online.
3. Start with lighter colours first when you decorate then build up with texture and patterns.
4. Lighting is important. Decide what kind of mood you need the space to have, think about the natural light and think about the artificial light placement to enhance it. If you don’t mind a dim moody room, choose less artificial lighting and vice versa.
5. Make sure items have common characteristics. It is much easier to be harmonious when similar characters are there. In no way does this mean everything should match in colour or style: just tie everything together with basic similarities like silver or black hardware throughout a bathroom or kitchen.
6. Some trends are still alive, like minimalism, raw stone and wood designs on the inside, warm neutrals, unique lighting fixtures, textured layers plus modern and traditional design mixes. So, choose the design that speaks to you no matter what is trending or not. At the end of the day, you come first.
7. Ensure that the bedroom aligns with your personality and style, If this is a shared space between roommates or love partners, the rooms either offer neutral tones so as not to clash or balance with colours from both parties. A painting with both colours and theme, a patterned rug with both colours in this case, even the curtains. One
8. For the bathroom, invest in some floating shelves. Add a décor piece like a photo frame on the shelf. Yes, you can put your photos in your bathroom. Add flowers or other plant pieces. Update your bathroom rugs to something that makes you feel good when you step out of the shower. Get an open shelving unit with baskets for your tissues, extra towels, and cosmetics. Getting all your hardware to match is a small but effective strategy. And fresheners are a must: sprays, candles, reed diffusers, you name it just go for it.