TEW Design Studio

06/16/2026

We don't usually let people in this early. But this one felt worth documenting from the start.

Swansboro Lane is a full renovation in progress: an unfinished third-floor attic, a dining room that couldn't keep up with how our clients entertain, and a breakfast nook that needed a serious rethink. Design is approved. Construction will begin soon. And we're documenting everything, the decisions, the pivots, the moments that don't make it to the final reveal photos.

We'll be answering questions like: what does a designer actually do? How long does a project like this really take? And what actually happens between hiring a designer and the finished room? And what about general contractors?

Part 1 of our behind-the-scenes series is live on the blog now. Linked here: https://tewdesignstudio.com/behind-the-design-swansboro-lane-part-1/

06/10/2026

This guest bath in a downtown Raleigh condo on Fayetteville Street was a local love letter. Our client loved the downtown Raleigh pillar, James Beard-winning chef Ashley Christensen's Poole'side Pies, which sadly closed in 2023 and where the bathrooms were famously swimming pool themed. Since the home's biggest selling point is its downtown location, we wanted to give it a sense of place and a fun story.

We recreated a similar swimming pool aesthetic through cool blue tile and sparkling chrome finishes. We stuck with a pedestal sink for that retro feel and to save space, and switched out a single shelf for a wall cabinet to create more storage opportunity in limited space.

This was a low-light room with no windows. There is a difference between a dark space that feels neglected and a dark space that feels like a decision. The Fayetteville Street guest bath feels like a decision. Sometimes the most beautiful thing you can do with a dark space is let it be dark on purpose.

To learn more about this project, read the full blog post here: https://tewdesignstudio.com/designing-dark-spaces-how-we-brought-light-into-a-downtown-raleigh-condo-with-no-natural-light/

06/04/2026

“Inclusive design, when done well, is simply good design”. TEW founder Rima Nasser explores what it means to design with neurodivergence and mental health in mind in her latest Kitchen & Bath Business feature. Let’s talk about how these seemingly small considerations can change your home, making it work better for you. Read the full article linked here: https://kbbonline.com/type-projects/design-considerations-for-neurodivergent-clients/169058/

05/18/2026

Small spaces are often the biggest missed opportunity in a home! At Dixon Avenue, the bones were wonderful, but the home had started to feel overstuffed and impractical. With kids getting older and clutter accumulating, our clients needed breathing room. Wallpaper, thoughtful storage, and even the removal of things that don’t serve the space completely changed how this home feels. Swipe to see the before pics!

Photos by Allie Mullin Photography

05/14/2026

The most effective way to elevate a space without starting over is to identify what’s working, edit what isn’t, and layer in what’s missing. Our clients had pieces they loved. They just weren’t working in their new home yet. We started by identifying the things we could reuse, then sourced things that played well with the existing color pallet. We revamped by accessorizing, creating storage and decluttering, and adding color through art! Swipe to see how it all came together...

Photos by Allie Mullin Photography

05/12/2026

What our clients needed wasn’t reinvention, it was intention. A trained eye applied to what they already had, which is the kind of work we love to do. Thoughtfully curated pieces are what make a home feel genuinely yours. In our Dixon Avenue project, that was exactly what we were aiming to achieve. Check out our blog to learn more about how we refreshed this space.

Photos by Mullin Photography

05/10/2026

05/07/2026

The Bannerman Lane project is a home that finally caught up to its owners. With our full-service design package, we completed this project step by step: from planning and contractor coordination, to procurement and design, to construction support and troubleshooting. Swipe to see how this renovation came to life.

Photo by Cat Nguyen Photography

05/06/2026

At Bannerman Lane, our clients were a family of four who appreciate color, especially with an established artist as the matriarch. Their space needed direction and cohesion to tie all their rooms together. Two bathrooms and a fireplace later, we're getting somewhere.

Most renovations without design leadership have a certain feeling to them. Not bad materials or wrong decisions, but disconnection. Each space gets solved in isolation and doesn't connect as a whole house. That is what a full-service designer is actually for. Not just picking tile, but holding the whole direction at once so that every decision in every space is a part of the same conversation. We are with you every step of the process, keeping the vision in mind. Check out our blog to learn more about how we created a cohesive space in this phased out renovation.

Photos by Cat Nguyen Photography

05/05/2026

Day 3 of sharing content that lives rent free in my camera roll. Cannot believe I have been keeping this one to myself 😅

A complete first floor renovation in Cary, NC where we opened up the kitchen and made it more accessible for this busy family. Better lighting, better storage, better flow. An entry that catches the chaos before it spreads. And a laundry room so good it almost makes rotating that load feel like a treat.

Almost.

What else has been hiding in the archives? Come back to find out 🫶