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Categories
Interior Design
Services & Specialties
Interior designs of elegant simplicity and warmth
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RECOMMENDATION
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4.5]
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WORK QUALITY
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COST EVALUATION
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VALUE ANALYSIS
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ADD YOUR REVIEW
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FR Review:
Thomas Callaway accomplishes what many others attempt: creating homes of inherent strength of character and grace. While he's best known for his elegant Spanish colonial designs, clients report that Callaway is equally adept at gabled Nantucket shingle, French Provençal, Moorish Alhambra, and 1940s contemporary retro. Regardless of the style, Callaway takes an exacting approach to make the work look inexact, as if it evolved over time. He fastidiously focuses on the architecture and details of the period first, then adapts his designs for comfortable living. Formal touches lie calmly beside the practical and utilitarian, all with thoughtful restraint. The outside is considered as important as the inside, with hedges and exterior courtyards creating private havens.
After receiving a bachelor's in architecture and fine art, and doing post-grad work in painting and printmaking, Callaway spent 25 years as an actor. Called upon to do family and friends' homes from coast to coast, Callaway officially launched his LA-based interior design career in 1988 after his own Spanish bungalow was widely published. Early clients included actors Peter Horton and Michelle Pfeiffer, and he has been swamped ever since. More recent patrons include Miami Heat coach Pat Riley, Seinfeld creator Larry David, CAA head Richard Lovett, Warner Brothers' Peter Roth and many more from the entertainment industry.
Callaway is said to proceed like a "general in a war campaign." He has twelve in his camp, including several experienced project managers. The firm has about fifteen projects in process, ten of which are major. Callaway (noted as "very hands-on") or a project manager visits local job sites daily. Budgets are extensive and may be highly detailed up front or evolve over time. In renovations, architectural changes are usual, as Callaway is said to insist on getting the structure right first. Using unusual and smaller sources, Callaway finds better pricing than most on many pieces, saving the budget for a few really good items. The firm charges a standard product markup and a percentage on any structural changes. Many returning clients feel that no one else will do. HB Top Designers.
Representative Client Comments:
"As a peer of Tom's, I find his work inspiring." "Tom made our boathouse the most romantic place in the world. It is just magic." "Even his storyboards are like little jewels." "Each one of the three homes Tom has done for us has a completely different flavor." "My husband has very strong opinions and Tom managed around that with flexibility and confidence." "Tom only presented stuff he knew we could afford." "The bills are all clear, but he only works at the highest quality level." "Everyone's mouths drop open when they see how beautiful our living room is." "He was good about using our furnishings and renewing." "He pushes in areas only where he knows he is clearly correct, and he is." "Tom is excellent at returning calls, and he has a really competent back office." "As a top dealer in LA, I can vouch that Tom is very fair, even if the client is impossible." "At the end of the project I told Tom that is was so much more than I ever imagined. He retorted ‘Well, it is exactly as I imagined it.' What more can you say?" "He is operating at the highest levels."
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