Long Live Handcraft

Our motto, “Long Live Handcraft,” expresses our commitment to creating fine cloth work, made by hand, using old-world techniques and lending a human touch to interiors. After all, our work is destined to sit alongside the finest examples of handcraft from antiquity and pieces by today’s great furniture craftspeople, fine artists and artisans. Our work is wrought using the high quality textiles specified by designers and architects, many of which are hand woven from fibers that in turn were spun by hand. We love that. But we’re not old-fashioned. We also like applying cutting-edge technologies to do things such as making our handcrafted draperies open and close smoothly via your handheld device and we employ the latest in outdoor fabrics so our outdoor upholstery projects last for years, and so that our custom bedding for children’s rooms or hospitality applications can be completely washable. We like creating an environment of craftsmanship amid the hustle and bustle of New York City and we like to think that a little bit of the soul of our craftsmen and women becomes imbued in the cloth work, and adds something unique to its new home. We invite you to spread our enthusiasm, and wherever you see examples of great handcraft, share them using the hashtag #longlivehandcraft.

Ooh La Lounge

We were pleased to create the draped back wall of our Creative Director Michael Tavano’s “ooh la Lounge” vignette for the 10th annual Design on a Dime fundraiser for Housing Works Thrift Shop. The sheers partially concealed a large round micro by Roche Bobois, creating the effect of a sultry moonrise over the space. The pleated drapes in chocolate brown silk had a lead edge of Michael’s accent color – pink. He was far from the only designer at the event to use pink, and we see a trend. Everything in this space other than the draperies is by Roche Bobois, with crystal and stainless steel bar ware by Lenox. The event’s media sponsor was ELLE Decor magazine. Photo: Rick Lew.

Custom Table Linens

Marks & Tavano Workroom loves doing custom table linens of all kinds, like this triple layer table topper, gathered cloth and petaled cloth we made for JAB Anstoetz and Lenox’s “Spring Break Table Escape”. All fabrics by JAB Anstoetz, designed by Michael Tavano. We did the chair upholstery and refinishing as well.

Outdoor

From retractable cabana roofs with wind sensor technology, to good old fashioned beach umbrellas, outdoor seating and cushions, and more, Marks & Tavano Workroom helps designers celebrate the great outdoors and the great outdoor fabrics offered by the world’s top textile houses.

At the ELLE Decor Modern Life Concept House NYC, outdoor cushions in linen and velvets, outdoor draperies and a retractable cabana shade. Fabrics by Perennials and Kravet. Cabana by Designlush. Plantings by Erbology. Design by Michael Tavano Design. Photo: Rick Lew.

Go Bold or Go Home

If you’re thinking of something bold, something embellished, something ruffled or cut-out or appliquéd, you’ve come to the right place.

Wool felt drapery panels with silk satin appliqué and pleated ruffle base, designed by Michael Tavano.
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Triple pinch pleat drapes with solid bottom panel and contrasting tie-backs, custom upholstered double mattress and cushions for a super-cozy “Nap Nook” designed by John Loecke and Jason Oliver Nixon of Madcap Cottage.

The Soul to Your Windows

We like to think that because of the love and care we put into every project that we add something special to interiors, something that will be enjoyed daily by the people who live with them. Our window treatments are elegant, not just in the way they look, but in smooth openings and closings, precise folds and pleats that softly fall into place time and time again, deliciously easy mechanisms both manual and motorized, thoughtful finishing, lining, weighting, draping and detail. Our window treatments are made to last, in the true spirit of old-world handcraft, yet incorporating every advantage offered by modern hardware and digital technology wherever they are helpful and appropriate.

Custom Bedding

One of the many reasons to hire a design professional is to enjoy the wonders of custom beds and bedding. A beautiful, double-width bolster, a downy coverlet or fur throw, cushions and pillows dressed to the nines in silk charmeuse and linen velvet; this is what dreams, and dreamy bedrooms, are made of.

Here are four great reasons why custom beds and bedding rock:

1. It comes in colors and patterns you won’t find at that big box or department store, or even at the fine linen boutique.

2. It can be made using the new and amazing outdoor linens, velvets and other sumptuous fabrics for easy, washable care and unbelievable durability, even (and especially) for children’s rooms.

3. Fur (or faux if you fancy being kind to the fauna) nothing feels better after a long day. Feathers: a little marabou makes just as much sense on your bedding as on your lingerie. Fancies: beading, embroidery, dressmaker trims, it all adds up to a sumptuous experience.

4. The incomparable cocoon-feeling of bed draperies or the finished look of a simple canopy panel like the one below commission by Marks & Frantz, an upholstered (or – ask us about fitted slipcovers) headboard or an entirely custom-upholstered bed.

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Designs this page: Drake Design Associates (bed drapery and upholstered bed), Marks & Frantz Design (monkey print canopy panel, photo by Marco Ricca) and Michael Tavano Design (photos by Rick Lew).

Consulting Services

Sometimes windows pose the most confusing challenges in interior design. Windows can be irregular, arched, off-center, off-kilter, partially obscured, can meet the sun at a particularly punishing angle or be built into a curved or angled wall.  They might be surrounded by impenetrable surfaces such as concrete, which poses challenges for motorization. They can be glorious and double-high as those pictured above, in which case it really matters about both the fabric selection and the way it is sewn, weighted, finished and suspended to achieve a seamless look, fluid drape and effortless movement. In short, windows can be found in any number of conditions that can seem difficult to treat.

Whether we’re the ones fabricating and installing or not, Marks & Tavano can provide technically sound and ingeniously innovative solutions and cutting-edge design strategies to successfully treat windows in virtually any conditions. There’s a reason they call us the experts’ experts. Call us today to inquire about a consultation. An investment of a few hours of Marks & Tavano services at the start of a project can result in huge savings down the road.