Blog & Social

Meet designer Tamara Day, host of HGTV & Magnolia Network’s Bargain Mansions appearing on stage Friday and Saturday where she'll share her expert advice on Home Updates for a Bargain! Until then, she is dishing a few design tips now!

3 Styling Tips for a Room

1. I am a maximalist at heart, and if I love something there is always room for it! It’s easier to start from scratch and take everything out. Start with the books and lamps then move on to accessories and beautiful florals!
2. Don’t forget to keep in mind the color when you’re picking your books as the base. Antique books are a great option next to plants. When they’re next to accessories, it’s all about the color of the cover. I know they say don’t judge the book by its cover, but in this case it’s all about the cover ;)
3. Styling your space is important but the smell tops it. Layer your scents!! I love to add a crisp clean citrus smell layered with a pine scent which so happens to be my Grapefruit Mint and Citrus Pine candle. It just smells so fresh and clean!

Biggest Design No No

Never buy a whole room unless you’re working with a designer. They will help you make it look collected and comfortable without making it look like you bought it all together at a box store! Never say never. If you love it, a good designer will make it work!

Is Shiplap Going Away?

Trim work never goes away, but calling it shiplap totally does! Shiplapping your entire house is a bit out of style, but using it in strategic ways adds great texture and a fantastic look!!

A Design Element Regret?

The design elements I regret are the ones based on price and not the desire of getting it done right away because I always look at those items and think “If I had only spent a little bit more on the pieces that I really love, then I would have never had any regret.” It’s best to invest in saving rather than just getting done right away to get the final look you were going for!

Tamara is in her fourth season of restoring neglected Kansas City homes on Bargain Mansions. When Tamara is not in front of the camera, she is committed to her family, design business, and retail store, Growing Days, Located in Kansas City. Her style, coined "Laid Back Luxe," is synonymous with blending glamor, comfort, and family into the spaces she designs – something she personally prioritizes. As a busy mother of four, Tamara believes homes should be both beautiful and low maintenance because life is stressful enough.

See Tamara on stage Friday at 6pm & Saturday at 12pm!