Mount Pleasant Magazine Sept/Oct 2013

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Dwelling
Every RoomTells a Story
TCB Design-Interiors
Before i met terri baldwin
of TCB Design-Interiors, I didn’t
think much about the feel of a
room or house. I didn’t try to color
coordinate or draw my guests’ eyes
in a certain direction. Rather, I was
content with family pictures hanging
on my walls, a couple of comfortable couches and a
decent-looking coffee table.
But for Baldwin and her clients,
“every room tells a story.”
Intrigued by this concept, I asked
Baldwin to describe the story behind
one
of her
favorite “trademark” rooms, which
she recently renovated in Jim and
Sharon Scott’s McClellanville home.
Before the Scotts moved into
their new home, it was owned by an
older “eccentric” couple. The house,
as Baldwin put it, was “stuck in
the 70s.” She said it was decorated
with deep purple and mauve, the
mantels were painted black and their
beautiful pine floors were covered by
green carpet.
Baldwin was faced with the
delicate task of bringing the Scott
family’s personality into the room
and implementing the formal feeling
Sharon Scott wanted, while still
creating a place where the family
could spend time.
“I started with the furniture,” said
Baldwin. “These wing-back chairs
are traditional in style, but the chair’s
arm profile brings contemporary
value to the pieces.”
The next step for Baldwin was to
find the perfect color coordination.
“Sharon wanted muted colors,
you know, creams and blues. But the key for me was not
allowing muted to become boring,” she said.
For this room, it was all about finding balance – formal
but not tiresome, contemporary but still traditional.
Baldwin used a sea grass rug to tone down the reserved
nature of the vegetable-dyed Persian. As I was admiring the
space, I noticed how my eyes were drawn to the sunburst
mirror above the shipyard painting, which Baldwin chose
to represent the fishing town of
McClellanville.
“The mirror plays a trick on
us, causing our eyes to notice the
tall ceiling – it’s a visual balance
between vertical and horizontal
space,” said Baldwin.
In addition to balance, Baldwin
used the Scott’s personal décor.
“I knew it was important for
people to be able to recognize
themselves in a room – especially
in a new home,” said Baldwin,
who is currently working on
revitalizing a cottage in Mount
Pleasant’s Old Village.
Above all, Baldwin wants to
dispel the notion that consulting an
interior designer is only for the elite.
In fact, she enjoys budgeted projects,
such as the catchall closet she turned
into beautiful dressing quarters for
Margaret Crouch. Baldwin knows
that working within a budget forces
her to test her creativity to get the
results she wants.
“Margaret’s husband works for
Bird Hardware, so we decided
to use surplus doorknobs for the
curtain tiebacks,” said Baldwin.
To find out more about TCB
Design-Interiors,
net or call (843) 817-0432.
By Cullen Murray-KeMP
Photo by Holger Obenaus.
Top: Terri Baldwin recently renovated a
room in the home of Jim and Sharon Scott
in McClellanville. Bottom: Baldwin helped
turn Margaret Crouch’s closet into beautiful
dressing quarters.
Photo by Christopher Shane.