By Donna Heiderstadt

Kristin Tabor once dreamed of wearing a sparkly hard hat as she visited the many condominium and commercial construction projects overseen by her father during her childhood in Charlotte, NC. Today, as Owner, Founder and Principal Designer of Tampa Bay, FL-based TABOR Design, she loves seeing the sparkle in her clients’ eyes when she shows them detailed photorealistic renderings of custom interior and exterior designs that will bring their vision of the ideal home to life.

“I realized that designing someone’s perfect home is like putting blank puzzle pieces together without the final image,” she said. “Once you’re finished, you’ve added color and soul to a previously blank canvas, and people get to spend all their time within your creation. I simply can’t imagine spending my days doing anything else.” 

A graduate of the University of Alabama and a member of NKBA’s Central Florida Chapter, Kristin fulfilled her dream of opening her own design firm in 2020 when she founded TABOR Design. Since then, she has helped more than 75 families create their perfect space. As for her own ideal design style, Kristin dubs it Classic Contemporary. “It’s a touch of Midcentury, a nod to the timeless traditional style, mixed with modern materials and organic elements,” she noted. “I love to see warm wood tones, beautiful dimensional textures, stylish art pieces and a place that makes you feel at home in whatever room you’re in.”

Kristin, who recently turned 30, is supported in her design aspirations by her fiancé, Tyler, who is a business owner himself. “It’s because of him that I see resiliency, tenacity and a positive attitude are what it takes to be successful,” she said. But it’s not that Kristin herself lacks entrepreneurial spirit — she’s had a can-do attitude since she was 10 years old and strove to be the top seller during her school’s annual fundraiser. She also admits to having had a folder full of money-making “business ideas,” such as taking family pet portraits. These days, her own portrait would include her two cats, a tuxedo named Sir Duke and a Bengal named Ella Fitz.

Next on Kristin’s agenda is rolling out TABOR: The Studio, which offers curated, professionally designed bath kits that allow homeowners to remodel without the expense of hiring a designer. Topping her career bucket list is an even more ambitious goal. “I aim to design forward-thinking residential and hospitality-based communities worldwide under the brand Hotel TABOR,” she said.