UH: Furniture is only one aspect of Thom Filicia Home. You’re also designing fabrics, rugs, artwork, bedding, have I left anything out? Thom: We’re finalizing our lighting vendor now. We seek design partners that make sense for what we’re trying to build in terms of price point, quality and design. My entire line of fabrics from Kravet is only available to the design industry, but 30% of the fabrics are also sold at Calico Corners. My artwork is available from Soicher Marin, bedding from Eastern Accents, and a line of commercial carpets from Shaw. UH: The Charlotte market has in the past been very traditional but is becoming more modern. What is the secret to incorporating
modern pieces into traditional settings? Thom: What was traditional 30 to 40 years ago is very different than what’s traditional today. So while you might say Charlotte is becoming more modern, I would actually argue that traditional is just becoming cleaner. It’s not that people are changing; what’s traditional is changing. If you think about fashion and what a traditional gal wore 30 years ago, she would look at a girl today that’s very classic and think she was racy. What is traditional today is much cleaner. What is modern today I think tends to be a bit warmer. What was modern 30 or 40 years ago was very severe. UH: What can you tell us about modern classicism and how you design? Thom: I see design as a total balancing act. If you have a very traditional home, a very classic home, I always encourage people to try and incorporate things that are a little bit cleaner and crisper in their environment to balance it out. And if you’re living in a glass box I think it’s really important that you incorporate a lot of natural elements even if you do it in a modern way so you actually get the warmth and the texture and the non-machine aspect of the modernity. I think today people are more and more attracted to balance in design. Years ago men used to sleep in rooms that were floral and very girly. Today couples tend to live in environments that reflect both of
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