Well, well, well. Let’s see what the cat dragged in... Hello, it’s me, I’m Brittanya, that’s me.
Who am I, you ask? Well, I figured since I was born in May, this is the perfect month to tell you. So, take a seat, put on your readers because this is my life in a nutshell.
My 3 most commonly asked questions
How’d you get your name?
Why Interior Design?
What brought you to Charleston?
Chapter 1:
“Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts.”
Family:
I come from an amazing family of 5, and I’m the lucky older sister of 2 brothers. In my opinion, I filled that role perfectly. Sugar and spice, and everything nice, that is what I am made of. And since I am the one writing this post, I can’t imagine anyone would disagree. We were fortunate enough to have our Mom home with us while we were young, so saying the words “I’m bored” was never the right thing to say, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. We were always told to be creative. I mean we did grow up in the 90's. No cell phones, barely any video games, a much simpler time. If you didn’t go outside and play, or create something, you’d end up walking around the house with a vacuum in your hands. So, I’d say, we basically had no choice but to either pick up a pen and pencil, paint brush, or piece of chalk! I have one brother that is a fantastic artist and can draw anything and one that can’t draw a darn thing. It’s ok, he knows it, we know it, so reading this reality won’t be a shock to him and that’s ok, because his creativity shines through comedy and boy, he would truly make a great comic.
Creativity:
I’d like to think our mom started the creative household trend by creating all of our Halloween costumes from scratch. We’ve got a couple of cowboys, pumpkins, lady bugs and a sailor. I did go as Shirley Temple a few times, for obvious reasons - I know what you’re thinking, it’s because I was just so darn cute! Although, I’m sure my curly hair had something to do with it, too. We always used what we had, and that always made for the best costumes. We pretty much carried those Halloween costume techniques throughout every Fall season.
The Origin of my Name:
Let’s say it’s destiny because my name is by far the most creative in our family. My brothers (Luke and Jake) don’t have to explain or spell their name quite as much as I do. I’ve told my parents to come up with a better story behind my name, but it really comes down to Mom wanted Britt, Dad wanted something longer, Mom didn’t want Brittany (not that there’s anything wrong with that), so they came up with Brit-ton-ya, but spelt it Brittanya. Ta-Da! That’s our story and we’re stickin’ to it!
The Merrell’s & Sports:
We are definitely a big sports family. Our Dad was certainly the largest advocate for getting all of us into sports. I’ve played t-ball, basketball, tennis, and soccer. Both brothers played football, soccer, and basketball. Being A Merrell, sports is a huge part of our background. We were never allowed to quit a team, not without completing the season first. We were taught to stick to our commitments. Work hard to strengthen our weaknesses. “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again”. I learned how to identify my strengths and weaknesses, pretty quickly! I’ve also learned it’s ok to not be the best at everything. Who knew! I get to choose what I want to succeed in. Playing on a team and playing with a team are two totally different things. People are professionals in their field for a reason, which is why there are SO MANY specialty fields. We can’t all be good at everything! Nor should we want to be, because that just sounds exhausting (in my opinion, of course). I’m an Interior Designer, that doesn’t mean I can’t dabble in Landscape Design, but plants are definitely one of my weaknesses. I haven’t taken the time to learn, which is probably why plants really don’t interest me. There are professionals that specialize in this, which is why they would make for a great team collaboration. My strengths might be their weaknesses and their strengths are definitely my weaknesses. That’s how Teamwork makes the dream work.
I am very fortunate to have such a close, wonderful family. I think I speak for all 3 of us when I say we got very lucky to have such loving & supportive parents. We have you both to thank for everything.
Charleston, SC:
We were born in Ohio, moved briefly to North Carolina and back to Ohio again. One question I always get asked now is, what brought you to Charleston, SC? Well, when I was 10, I had my first Heart Ablation surgery at MUSC in Charleston, SC. We stayed in a circular hotel that overlooked the city. I remember the city looking different than any city you see in movies. Mainly because there are no skyscrapers. The charm and vibe of the city is truly like no other. We would vacation to Charleston as a family and it just validated this is where I had to live. So, that’s exactly what I set out to do. Charleston being Charleston, is what brought me here.
Chapter 18:
“Passion is the difference between having a job or having a career.”
U of A:
I attended the University of Akron (in Ohio) for a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design and a Minor in Entrepreneurship. College was an absolute blast! Anyone that disagrees probably didn’t do it right! The thing about a degree in a specialty field is you’ll be with that same class of students until graduation. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVED my classmates, but I also like meeting new people, so I joined the business building and minored in entrepreneurship. Aside from becoming an Interior Designer, I’ve always known I wanted to work for myself, and have my own business. I wasn’t sure what it would be or if they would be directly related, but I figured taking some classes wouldn’t hurt. I learned a lot in college, I did. One strong takeaway I didn’t learn in a classroom is that LIFE is too short. “There is no time like the present”. You only get one life, so make the most of how you want to live it. I had one of the best of friends that would truly live life to the fullest. She was also Majoring in Interior Design, so naturally we became instant friends. If there is such thing as a friend soulmate, that was her. She taught me to live in the moment and not to stress about the things out of your control. She passed away our sophomore year. It’s crazy the impact one person can have on you then, and now. I am grateful to have known her. She changed my perspective on life forever.
“I owned every second that this world could give - I saw so many places, the things that I did - With every broken bone I swear I lived.”
Kenzie
Interior Design:
I’ve always been crafty and creative, so coming up with my Major in College was not at all a challenge for me. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. And I knew for m a n y years prior. I’d always loved using my creative juices, whether it was jewelry making in elementary school, scrapbooking in middle school, or painting pottery in high school, I knew my life had to consist of something artistic and challenging. I loved starting from scratch and creating something unique and beautiful, I just didn’t know the career with those specific qualifications. In 6th grade I discovered HGTV, but more specifically Divine Design with Candice Olson (the most fabulous Interior Designer). I was mesmerized, hooked and knew right then, this is it! Interior Design IS a career and will be my first goal in life! I am SO GRATFUL that it is. I have no better validation to my career choice than to thank my wonderful clients for entrusting me with their projects!
Chapter 25:
“Maybe a relationship is just two idiots that don’t know a damn thing except the fact that they’re willing to figure it out together. ”
Photos By: Moving Mountains Photography
So, as a recap, the two nonnegotiable things in my life have always been becoming an Interior Designer and living in Charleston, SC. Check and Check. Now, who will I choose to share this wonderful life with?!
Husband:
My first job after college in 2014 was at La-Z-Boy Furniture. This is where I met my loving husband, Chris. Most love stories start with one person not convinced in starting a relationship with that other person, right?! Well, I took a lot of convincing, and for good reason! Allow me to explain :) Our region of La-Z-Boys had 8 store locations, I worked at one, he worked at the other. I was the designer, he was a salesman. Our two stores were fairly close by - one city over. Now if you’ve never worked in retail or sales, I will try and explain how this became a love story. How do I say this.. He inevitably sold a prospect at his location that I was working for at my location. Now this customer pinned us against each other, so tsk, tsk. BUT, my now husband, knew I was working on this particular project and sold them anyway… So, shame on him, right?! ANYWAY, long story short, in order for me as the designer to still get recognized for the design work involved, I had to have images of the completed room. On delivery day, Chris and I rode to a local Dunkin Donuts to wait for the delivery call (since they work on delivery time windows and not a set time). Chris and I talked about anything and everything, missed the delivery call, and never got the after pictures. We both knew something was there between us. Since we missed our picture opportunity, Chris, My Hero, went to the house later that day and asked to take pictures for me so I could be recognized for the design. Oh, you thought the rest was history?! Not yet, he was/is smooth, I’ll give him that. I denied dinner after dinner request until he finally suggested we go paint your own pottery.. the one thing he KNEW I couldn’t deny. So, that’s what when I finally said yes and NOW the rest is history.
Weve been together for over 8 years, married for 4. We have a beautiful, baby boy, 18lb Chihuahua that is 11 years old. His name is Aloysius Esteban, “Al” for short. And we are the apple of his eye.
SIDE BAR:
In case you might be wondering what paint your own pottery is, it’s a craft store where you can paint your own designs on blank, ready-made pottery pieces, such as, plates, mugs, coasters, trivets, etc. Glazed and Amused is by far my favorite location.
Brittanya Tammearu Interiors:
In 2017 it was officially time to leave Ohio, so Chris, Al and I picked up and moved to Charleston, SC. Jumping now to present day, I have worked for many different furniture companies, so boy do I know furniture. I launched my design business Brittanya tammearu interiors in 2022. BTI is a full service design firm, consisting of new home builds, renovations, small construction revamps and furniture and styling. I am extremely thankful to have the support needed to take this leap from friends, family and clients. I know I’m not alone, so I can’t thank everyone enough for being here and willing to take this journey with me. Welcome aboard!
“Don’t dream your life, but live your dream.”
thank you for being here!
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