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What We Do (and don't do) ::
Trudy's Biography
History
Daybreak Designs started in 1990 as a partnership between Trudy Anderson,
an artist, and Jan Lawson, a realtor. Using Jan's knowledge of what kind
of improvements are most likely to add to a house's value and Trudy's
design sense, they worked together for a few years. They named the
company "Daybreak Designs" because, most of the time, the only time their
busy clients had to meet was in the early morning before school and work.
As time went on, Jan's responsibilities as a realtor grew, and she decided
to leave Daybreak Designs completely in Trudy's hands.
Since Daybreak Designs inception, Trudy has worked with many local
homeowners to make their homes more comfortable, and more suited to their
lifestyles.
In 2002, Trudy designed the Home Builders & Remodeler’s Association Gold Award Best Kitchen.
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In 2002, Trudy designed the Home Builders & Remodeler’s Association Gold Award Best Kitchen.
What We Do (and don't do)
We look at how you use your space now, how you would like to use your
space, and then come up with a plan to help you make effective use of your
space.
Although a lot of what we do is concerned with the inside of a home, there is a big difference between what we do and what an interior decorator does. Interior decorators are largely concerned with a room's appearance: wall and flooring color, furniture, artwork, window treatments, etc... We are concerned with the room's functionality: can you use it the way you want to? Is it too small for what you want to do? Is it interfering with the way your family needs to interact?
In the course of a project we will be happy to help guide you with material choices but basically the ultimate choice is in your hands. We recommend what we know to work and look good together.
back to top
Although a lot of what we do is concerned with the inside of a home, there is a big difference between what we do and what an interior decorator does. Interior decorators are largely concerned with a room's appearance: wall and flooring color, furniture, artwork, window treatments, etc... We are concerned with the room's functionality: can you use it the way you want to? Is it too small for what you want to do? Is it interfering with the way your family needs to interact?
In the course of a project we will be happy to help guide you with material choices but basically the ultimate choice is in your hands. We recommend what we know to work and look good together.
Trudy's Biography
Trudy was born at a very early age, and grew up in Schroon Lake, New York, thus qualifying her for "flatlandah" status, even though she probably grew up at a higher altitude than the one she currently lives at. She says there weren't as many people around, either.
She studied art at SUNY New Paltz, honing her skills as a painter and silversmith. When her husband, Sandy, was transferred to the IBM plant in Manassas, Virginia, she worked as a professional silversmith in the DC area.
In 1977, Sandy was transferred again, this time to the plant in Essex Jct. Vermont, causing the assembled menagerie (two people, two big dogs, a cat, and a goat) to move up to Jericho. In Vermont, Trudy taught art, painted miniatures, and -- once her three children arrived -- kept us on the straight and narrow (as much as possible). More and more, she thought about houses and architecture.
Trudy was always thinking about how people use the space they live in, what makes someone feel comfortable in their space, and how one might modify one's surroundings to make it easier or more comfortable to do what one likes to do. She was always giving advice to friends and neighbors about how to arrange furniture to make traffic patterns flow better, or what great advantage you might gain by knocking down a wall or two. Her first real "job" predated Daybreak Designs by a couple of years and was one of her few forays into commercial work. The task was to find a larger ballet studio for the Vermont Conservatory of Ballet. Trudy had been Designing sets lights and costumes for the studio for a number of years so it was a natural progression into supplying this need. The solution was to convert a large furniture store into a building that housed a furniture store, ballet studio, a dance wear shop and a daycare. It was truly a trial by fire by solving so many problems.
The first Daybreak Design job was re-doing a bathroom for a friend who lived in an historic house. Since that first job, she has developed relationships with many good builders and suppliers in the area, and created her own way of working with a client to discover their needs and tastes. back to top
Trudy was born at a very early age, and grew up in Schroon Lake, New York, thus qualifying her for "flatlandah" status, even though she probably grew up at a higher altitude than the one she currently lives at. She says there weren't as many people around, either.
She studied art at SUNY New Paltz, honing her skills as a painter and silversmith. When her husband, Sandy, was transferred to the IBM plant in Manassas, Virginia, she worked as a professional silversmith in the DC area.
In 1977, Sandy was transferred again, this time to the plant in Essex Jct. Vermont, causing the assembled menagerie (two people, two big dogs, a cat, and a goat) to move up to Jericho. In Vermont, Trudy taught art, painted miniatures, and -- once her three children arrived -- kept us on the straight and narrow (as much as possible). More and more, she thought about houses and architecture.
Trudy was always thinking about how people use the space they live in, what makes someone feel comfortable in their space, and how one might modify one's surroundings to make it easier or more comfortable to do what one likes to do. She was always giving advice to friends and neighbors about how to arrange furniture to make traffic patterns flow better, or what great advantage you might gain by knocking down a wall or two. Her first real "job" predated Daybreak Designs by a couple of years and was one of her few forays into commercial work. The task was to find a larger ballet studio for the Vermont Conservatory of Ballet. Trudy had been Designing sets lights and costumes for the studio for a number of years so it was a natural progression into supplying this need. The solution was to convert a large furniture store into a building that housed a furniture store, ballet studio, a dance wear shop and a daycare. It was truly a trial by fire by solving so many problems.
The first Daybreak Design job was re-doing a bathroom for a friend who lived in an historic house. Since that first job, she has developed relationships with many good builders and suppliers in the area, and created her own way of working with a client to discover their needs and tastes. back to top
