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Patience & Inspiration: Worthy Convos with Timmi of The Curated Fort
Timmi Blackshear has two words for anyone looking to enhance their living space:
Be patient.
As the owner of and creative mind behind The Curated Fort, an organization, décor and sourcing business, Blackshear is both an artist and a realist when it comes to her clients. She uses her keen eye to create a “perfectly curated, perfectly you” home, which often involves using existing pieces in a way that feels new. From antique sourcing to finding inspiration, Blackshear happily lives and works in Fort Worth, a city she says has “small-town qualities with big city possibilities.”
We all dream of a ‘curated fort’ to come home to every day, but life (and money) can get in the way. What’s an easy and approachable solution to organization or design?
I have one word, which to be perfectly transparent I struggle with quite a bit personally, but patience! I am a “retired” high school teacher and coach of 11 years, so I totally understand budgets and how life and especially money can get in the way of our “Instagram-worthy dream home”. I am a firm believer in making your home “perfectly you,” but within your budget. I purchased my first home in 2016, and honestly went off how the home made me feel and being able to look past a few cosmetic changes that I would eventually be able to change make it more me. Don’t ever believe that you need to change everything at once to curate your fort. If you are working with a smaller budget, always work on what you can do yourself first, and be brave! There are so many great tutorials on YouTube, TikTok, or Reels these days- be brave and try to learn new skills and do some work yourself like paint, changing out light fixtures (turn off your electricity!) and flooring.
As a professional home organizer my biggest tips for those on a budget are to purge, purge, purge! If you have not used an item or wore an item in the last year then you should donate, sell, or create a guest bathroom collection for guests! Less truly can be more, and less is easier to categorize and keep neat. I have an entire list of 3-word reasons to either purge or hire a professional organizer. This is an area that a lot of people get stuck, and it may be worth investing in some professional help especially when it doesn’t have to be as expensive as you think! I don’t just help people downsize, but I create personalized systems that help each client maintain their life. These systems are not cookie-cutter but customized for each individual client and their needs from the high school graduate moving into a dorm to an overworked mom, to a bachelor/bachelorette, to a senior moving out of their lifelong home to a smaller assisted living facility.
I try and incorporate much of the homeowners already existing belongings or collections for organization which helps keep the cost minimal. Maybe that great souvenir from your travels could also be used to hold your jewelry, ties, or mail. I love to use already collected items in my organization compared to spending money on new items to keep things organized and contained. I love a beautiful, memorable, but functional space, and know that my background in art allows me that vision for your space.
In regard to design, I love the idea of being conscientious and reusing furniture, decor, and especially art. I source home decor items for clients as well as have a small inventory of pieces for purchase. I focus on vintage and new Turkish rugs, vintage pillows, and art, as well as other vintage and antique home decor pieces. As an art history major, I appreciate the value and meaning of original art. Unfortunately, it is not always in everyone’s budget to purchase new original art. However, through my sourcing services and the recommendation to others to always look at estate sales and second hand there is always gorgeous original art available at attainable prices. I think the budget conscious has to get past the idea that everything needs to be “new” and find great groups on Facebook Marketplace or estate sales and nail down their taste and aesthetic and always be on the lookout for that next great piece…again it doesn’t have to happen all at once. Be patient to create the perfectly curated fort.
Where do you find inspiration?
I have an educational background in art, so I feel like I have a natural tendency to really find inspiration in anything from great food, gorgeous new places and locations, family memories, my personal faith and recovery journey, to even the mundane. I love art, nature and being inspired by coffee table books, magazines, and design accounts on Instagram. I just think it’s important to have balance as social media images can become overwhelming and discourage or drown our own creativity and imagination. I also love being inspired by client homes or spaces they ask me to organize and use some of their own personal items and collections in new and functional ways that maybe hadn’t been considered before. People and their personal journey and stories inspire me most.
How do you determine a client’s style?
Ask all the questions. I believe you really have to get to know someone to determine their style, which is what I love about this business. I love the relational aspect of getting to know my client and be trusted with something as special and personal as their home. Home organization or sourcing is not a cookie-cutter solution for every client. I ask a ton of questions to try and get to know them, their habits, lifestyle, needs, expectations, budget, and from that create plans and systems that are beautiful but also functional for the long term. In regard to decor and sourcing, I love asking questions and seeing their current space along with a collection of inspiration photos and design. I also try and give options when sourcing items for clients and am always happy to continue looking until they see “the one”. Regardless of style, I think sourcing and recommending timeless pieces that are classic is always a great way to go as well. I love pieces that could be moved or used in other spaces or in other ways if their style or lifestyle changes. I love sourcing pieces that a client loves and will be part of their curated home story for years to come regardless of their style.
Where do you love to shop in Fort Worth?
I love shopping at The Old Home Supply, and any estate sale put on by Lemons to Lemonade or Cottage Classic Estate Sales for personal home shopping and occasional sourcing. For anything other than vintage and antique home decor, I love stopping in Honeysuckle Vintage, Bliss Lifestyle, Chieffalo Americana, Finestone Jewelry for anything turquoise, Tucker Brown, The Best Hat Store, and [I’m] still saving up for a great pair of boots from City Boots!
What is your connection to incorporating vintage or antique pieces in your designs?
My parents have always been collectors and found ways to reuse pieces in interesting ways, whether it is from a family member or from an auction. I love being able to use pieces in unique ways and design your home, so it looks like you and is uniquely you. Unique to either the story of where you found the piece, how you choose to use it, or even a story of how it reminds you of a great memory, experience, or a great person. I think it’s really special to incorporate old handwritten letters, photos, or mementos from our loved ones into our home. Technology has really changed how we are able to “keep records” of things, but I think it’s important to hold onto those handwritten letters and old photos while we can. These things tell such an intimate portrait of people and their lives. I love hearing the stories of pieces that I source and being able to pass those stories on to those that purchase it. I guess I’m realizing I love hearing stories and then sharing them when a piece is rehomed. Vintage and antique add character and history that new pieces just don’t have the ability to. It truly is a great way to buy one-of-a-kind pieces in a cost effective and practical way.
I love using client pieces in home organization jobs as decor, organizational systems, or containers. I feel like it separates me from other home organizers while allowing my client to use personal pieces in very practical and functional ways. You don’t always need to fill your home with new things or add more to organize a space. More often than not it makes more sense to just rethink how we use what we already have, especially things that mean much to us.
