Personal Style, Defined: Tobi Fairley

Not only is Tobi Fairley an extraordinarily talented interior designer, she is also an incredibly gracious person. Her style is both fresh and classic and always includes an unexpected touch. I am so glad that she took the time out of her busy schedule to participate in the Personal Style, Defined series. Tobi's work has been published in magazines such as Traditional Home and she has been a speaker at many important events. I hope that you'll enjoy my interview with Tobi about her personal style and design approach.

LDV: What is your decorating approach?

TF: Clean, classic lines with great attention to scale. Bold use of color and pattern but used in a simple way so that the outcome is both sophisticated.

LDV: What was the starting point for your design scheme in this room?

TF: This room was in a show house so I was assigned a wall color to begin with. The ironic thing is that I usually pick the paint as one of my very last steps and my first step is typically pulling inspirational fabrics to set the tone. Aside from the Pearl Gray paint color, my first step was to go back to my routine and select these gorgeous and feminine fabrics.

LDV: How does this room exemplify your personal style?

TF: My personal style in my wardrobe is classic, feminine, timeless, but with a fresh twist. When dressing, I sometimes tone down the color palette by starting with neutrals or black as a base and pop a bit of color in. I also often take a monochromatic approach to my attire because it is more simple and sophisticated. I think this room is the epitome of all these elements. I love to keep my clothing simple and let accessories or splurge items be my “wow” factor like a great pair of colorful shoes, or a fabulous bracelet. I think this room also exemplifies this idea by letting just a few items really bring in the wow factor, like the white lacquered gracefully curved chest.

LDV: What is the overall feeling you were trying to achieve?

TF: The overall feeling is feminine, serene, relaxing, graceful…I wanted it to be a retreat.

LDV: What is your favorite item in the room?

TF: I am crazy about the series of soicher-marin solarized seaweed prints and the plaster moulding that I had my faux finisher create to highlight the artwork and add architectural interest to the room.