This was my first experience hiring a designer, and making the initial call to Tammy was terrifying. How much would it cost? Would I like the result? Am I in over my head? I needed help with an awkward shaped, challenging living room in an old 1860's house. I also needed some finishing touches in our renovated kitchen/dining space.
I simply can't say enough wonderful, positive things about my experience with Tammy Irwin and Designing Durham.
Tammy spent a lot of time chatting with my husband and me about our likes and dislikes. She has such a confident and knowledgeable, yet reassuring manner that you quickly feel like you are working with a trusted friend. Throughout the entire process, I was continually amazed at how well she understood me, from my style and budget, to my need to slow down the process from time to time.
It's been over a year since completion, and my husband and I still comment regularly on how perfect our space is, as do our family and friends, and how much it suits us perfectly. Thank you Tammy!
Brenda and John Williams
We hired Tammy to help us in renovating the entire floor of a ranch bungalow. A new kitchen layout, flooring, lighting and furniture was all part of the project as well as the final design details. Tammy was amazing at working closely with us and taking the time to understand what our vision was in this project. Thanks Tammy...outstanding results!!
Sue Simeson
We moved into our new house in Port Perry last summer and began a series of renovations that have been ongoing since then. We met Tammy early in this process and asked her to work with us to provide guidance and creative ideas as we began our project.
I am very pleased to say that throughout this process, Tammy provided us very valuable design ideas when it came to restructuring and repurposing spaces in our home. She has a great eye for colour and guided us well in making excellent choices for wall colours and wood floor stain choices. She was relentless in sourcing a custom motorized window blind for a difficult to fit window. She was very eager to learn about our design preferences and to introduce us to new ideas and choices by doing a walk through some model homes with us which we found to be a very valuable experience.
Tammy is very polished and professional in her approach and was always very quick to respond when we needed assistance or guidance. She was also very practical in her approach to working with the pieces that we had and helped us make down to earth decisions regarding new purchases. She was very supportive and reassuring when I was nervous of the outcome, and I am happy to say that she was right in the end... All of our choices worked out very well!
We are thankful to Tammy for helping us to create a home which feels warm and welcoming and feels like a true reflection of us!
I would highly recommend her wether you need just a little advice or someone to spearhead an entire project.
Client
Upon moving into our dream home we were overwhelmed on where to start. Tammy Irwin of Designing Durham came into our lives and made our house a beautiful home! Not only was Tammy fantastic to work with by taking the time to understand our preferences; taste and style, she is also an amazing and thoughtful person who made our experience a comfortable experience. From design, room layout, colour selection, furniture, draperies, and accessories, her expertise and creativity transformed each room beautifully with perfection and attention to detail. We could not have done it without her! Tammy is exceptional and we recommended her impeccable design services to others. Thank you Tammy and we look forward to working with you on our future projects!
The Boychyn Family
Tammy Irwin of Designing Durham is an exceptional designer and wonderful to work with. Her dedication, creativity, responsiveness and ability to understand my style needs and preferences were terrific. She always exceeded my expectations by finding the perfect pieces to complete each room. Thank you Tammy for transforming my condo from dated to fabulous. I just love it.
Client
We found Tammy and her team on Houzz and couldn't be more happy with the work they have done on our home. We purchased an outdated home in the country and Tammy has helped us transform the space. We have used Tammy for everything from design (paint colours, flooring selection, furniture and accessory choices) to construction (raising a floor, re-facing the fireplace and removing a wall). What we really like is that Tammy and her team take the time to get to know us, listen to what is important to us and questions ideas we throw out if they don't relate back to the vision we have of how we will use the space. We have also been very impressed with the team's professionalism when on the job, respecting our children's space and our home.
Client
Our project was a little unusual. Four women came together, sold their own homes and then bought a new home together. A century old house was stripped to the bones, renovated and given a new addition. Tammy worked with us through every phase. She was our liaison with the builder, our guide on selection of finishes, our interior designer and our mother hen.
It was difficult to bring four households together especially as we were at varying stages of downsizing. Tammy kept us on track and was unbelievably patient and generous with her time. We are enormously happy with the end result.
I recommend Designing Durham without any reservations at all. We couldn't have managed this project without her. Thank you Tammy!
lbardswich
We were starting a renovation at our house and I felt unprepared for all that we had planned. I initially met with Tammy and she had great ideas from her first view of the house. My husband and I would recommend Tammy and her staff. She was easy to work with and the result was excellent.
Jackie Worboy
We recently had the pleasure of working with Tammy to redecorate our Family Room and Dining areas.
Shopping trips with Tammy always proved to be productive - whether it be lighting fixtures, furniture or accent items. Tammy always knew exactly where to find just the right pieces.
Tammy was very responsive to any and all of our requests. We knew that we could count on her to get back to us on a timely basis with pictures and recommendations on where to find any given item, or if need be to have a conversation on Skype or Facetime if she wasn't physically available. Being in another location was never an issue.
Tammy always ensures that she is keeping with your style and design requirements. We are delighted with our new look and would highly recommend Tammy and do plan to work with her again.
Client
We hired Tammy to help us update and improve the curb appeal of our home. She worked with us to choose new colours for our shutters, doors, paneling and eavestrough. She also guided us through the purchase of new exterior lights and suggested shingles for an upcoming project. The house looks great! We are very pleased with the finished project and really appreciate Tammy's professional advice. She was a pleasure to work with and I would recommend her to anyone who is looking for design assistance.
D. Howsam
We moved into our new house in Port Perry last summer and began a series of renovations that have been ongoing since then. We met Tammy early in this process and asked her to work with us to provide guidance and creative ideas as we began our project.
I am very pleased to say that throughout this process, Tammy provided us very valuable design ideas when it came to restructuring and repurposing spaces in our home. She has a great eye for colour and guided us well in making excellent choices for wall colours and wood floor stain choices. She was relentless in sourcing a custom motorized window blind for a difficult to fit window. She was very eager to learn about our design preferences and to introduce us to new ideas and choices by doing a walk through some model homes with us which we found to be a very valuable experience.
Tammy is very polished and professional in her approach and was always very quick to respond when we needed assistance or guidance. She was also very practical in her approach to working with the pieces that we had and helped us make down to earth decisions regarding new purchases. She was very supportive and reassuring when I was nervous of the outcome, and I am happy to say that she was right in the end… All of our choices worked out very well!
We are thankful to Tammy for helping us to create a home which feels warm and welcoming and feels like a true reflection of us!
I would highly recommend her whether you need just a little advice or someone to spearhead an entire project.
Client
Tammy, many thanks to you and your team for your direct hands on service in helping to update our 1969 back split home. Your ongoing support has been excellent and what a delight it is to find a company where it does not take days to respond to my questions.
Designing Durham stood out to me because of their friendly attitude, patience, willingness to listen and work with me to find my “true style”. Tammy was willing to start with my home as it was and work to improve it. She was able to provide me invaluable suggestions and resources for everything I needed to research my ideas. Designing Durham also saved me a lot of headaches in identifying reliable contractors; painters, electricians, dry-wallers, etc. Tammy’s team truly cares about providing quality work and will stop and listen to all your concerns. Tammy’s diligent monitoring of the project kept everything on track.
Tammy, I would like to say “Thank you” to you, Gar, and the rest of the team for your commitment of time and effort. You have made such a valuable impact on my home. Your creative talents are to be commended. Designing Durham gave me the “wow” factor I was looking for.
I recommend Tammy and the Designing Durham team. It has been a pleasure doing business with them and I look forward to our future relationship as we move on to the next level of the house.
Skjl Taylor
Tammy provided an interior design consultation in our home, we were very pleased with her and her ideas. She was very patient and helped us develop a theme that tied all our rooms together very nicely. She offered many alternative cost effective solutions that helped us staying within budget. I appreciated her offering and taking us on shopping sprees and exchanging pictures and emails well after the consultation was finished.
I have also had the chance to work with Tammy on a few projects since then: she is very creative, intuitive and easy to work with. I’m looking forward to work with her on many more projects in the future.
Pro S (Projet De Style), Window Covering Professionals
This was first experience using a designer to assist me with paint colours. Tammy not only confirmed some of my colour chooses but came up with a colour scheme for my bungalow that I am extremely happy with. Tammy also came back after the painting was done and transformed my home with her knowledge and skill using my existing pieces of art and making them work with stunning results. Tammy made the experience fun and exciting. I would not hesitate to hire her again or recommend her.
Sharon MacDonald, Homeowner
Tammy Irwin is such a joy to work with. I gave her my wish list and in no time, she had the designs. She is teeming with ideas but is very flexible. She had from time to time tweak her designs here and there to adjust to my budget. I like the fact that she listens and is willing to work with the pieces I want to use. While I like my project to have the designer stamp, I want it to echo my personality, too.
She is a true blue professional – returns calls, addresses my concerns and always mindful of her timeline. She coordinates with my contractor regularly, making sure that what we agreed upon is executed right. She paid close attention to small details which a layman like me normally overlooks. I have always felt that I am in good hands.Will I work with her again? Yes! Will I recommend her to friends? DEFINITELY.
esterbermudez
I have been working with Tammy for about the last year helping her and her clients with furniture selection and purchases.Tammy is such a pleasure to work with and seeing her completed projects on Houzz.com and in “Our Homes – Durham” Magazine with some of our furniture in them is so rewarding because she makes it look so good.
Doug Armstrong Furniture Sales Associate
Sears Home Store, Whitby, Ontario
905-579-4048
I had recently bought a 22 year old home and although the price was great, | had my work cut out for me to say the least. It seemed that the previous owners hadn’t changed or updated a thing since the early 90’s and if they did, it was updated in the worst way possible. Feeling overwhelmed, I started looking for help and wound up on this site skimming through Tammy’s gallery and loving her taste so I made the call.
After meeting with Tammy I knew I was in good hands and felt such a sense of relief knowing that this huge task before me would be stress-free and dare I even say fun? She is personable, knowledgeable, and I have to say, born to do this!
My house has not only been updated and decorated beautifully, it looks like an actual show home. When I look back at pictures of what it used to look like before I hired Tammy I am in awe of how far it has come.
Now I am focusing on creating a backyard oasis, get ready Tammy!
Couldn’t be happier…
Lisa
If you value exceptional talent, sensitivity, attentiveness, availability and all round charm in a designer you will find them all in Tammy from Designing Durham. On the recommendation of a friend, I hired Tammy to help plan a new build and I couldn’t be more satisfied. She is not only guiding me through the process, but she also provided a network of services to help from concept to completion. I am deeply grateful for Tammy and her team.
Tilston Hill
Working with Tammy was one of the best decisions we made. We were looking to change our living room style to something more modern and increase seating capacity. My husband and I had different opinions and could not agree. Tammy provided us with great ideas and took us shopping! She made it easy to choose new furniture, fabric, paint colour and accents. She also suggested and helped us to make changes in our kitchen-granite counters and tiled backsplash. Tammy’s expertise saved us considerable money, time and provided the support to complete our renovation in 4 weeks. We love our living room and kitchen.
Karen Zidenberg
My experience working with Tammy was wonderful, Tammy pulled the look of my living room together. I was completely confident in her ability to make the right decisions. She listened and then made recommendations for choices. My living room is gorgeous; my friends compliment the new look!
Lorraine Ward
Tammy has helped us through more design dilemmas than I can even remember – from a full kitchen renovation to picking paint colours, and hanging pictures and lighting at all the right height, she can do it all. Tammy recently helped us with a bathroom renovation and did it all remotely as since we have moved out of town. Her attention to detail and expertise make all the difference – we wouldn’t think of using anyone else.
Carol and Andy King
As a custom home builder, and renovation specialist, time is money. Tammy continues to be influential in our choices of home décor and interior design, working with clients to ensure decisions are made, our clients are happy with the outcome, and in the case of a home renovation and re-sale, the house has been staged and is ready to sell. Because of her attention to detail and her above and beyond level of customer service, she is a pleasure to deal with. I would highly recommend Tammy for any Interior Design or Home Staging projects!
Nick Churchill
All I can say is thank you Tammy!! Thank you for your continuing help and advice that you are giving me for my new small home. The “Hampton” look is what I asked for and that is what you are achieving. Thank you for coming up with alternatives respecting my budget considerations. Enjoying the shopping trips, picking out light fixtures, area rugs, furniture etc. I am so enjoying my new space. Again thank you for going above and beyond.
Deb Boylan
After spending years trying to decide what to do to enhance the exterior of my 1970’s home, I decided to try a designer. I’ve reviewed multiple web sites, driven by hundreds of homes, talked with many home supply stores and was both boggled by choices and disappointed in the lack of support. After spending some time on the Houzz website, I came across Designing Durham as a local designer. It appeared to be geared to interiors but on the off chance, I gave it a shot. After speaking with Tammy, I was surprised how easy it was. Tammy had the resources available to do any kind of design. Her professionalism is outstanding and her willingness to work with my constraints was exemplary. With Tammy’s plan in hand, I have now started my project and look forward to posting the results on Houzz. Thanks Tammy.
Diana Thackary
I hired Tammy to help me with my dining room. It was 1990’s red, and i never felt comfortable in it. Tammy took the time to find out what my concerns were, what the budget was and yes, we stayed within it. As you walk into our home, you see the dining room and gosh, it’s stunning. From the drapes to the rug to the accessories, it all works. The dining room table looks exquisite and inviting. I loved the results so much that I asked Tammy to help me with my living room which I wanted done before a surprise party for my husband. Tammy was a whirlwind. I’m working with her now on the 3rd installment (my basement) and cannot wait to see the results. Tammy worked with what I had, plus adding some new things to finish the look. Her talent for understanding and really listening to what a client wants/needs, is her strength. I am in love with my home all over again, what a great feeling that is!
Julia Rodgers
I had the opportunity to provide window coverings for Tammy Irwin of Designing Durham. The project was a house to be featured in OUR HOMES DURHAM magazine for the summer of 2014. This was the first job I had ever worked with Tammy but it was clear why she has established herself as a leader in the Interior Design industry. Her ability to transform any room into a warm and inviting living area is second to none. I truly enjoyed the experience and certainly hope I get the opportunity to work with her on future projects.
Marlin Muylaert
Made in the Shade Blinds and More Durham
Ten years ago, I hired Tammy to decorate my new home. Her attention to detail and ability to work with me and within my budget was most impressive. Ten years later, Tammy just finished staging my home as I am downsizing and moving on. What an incredible talent – the realtor didn’t even recognize the house when she was finished! I expect to be moving soon – and taking Tammy and her talents and ideas with me to my new home.
Heather I., Homeowner
