A Well-Designed Day in Charlotte
Katie and her boyfriend Patrick worked wonders on their Charlotte, North Carolina home that was once a foreclosure. They opened up the kitchen, replaced flooring and added their serene style to the space, creating a beautiful, calming home. Katie manages annual giving at a local private school and, on the side, operates Maiden Flower Crowns with her business partner and friend Allison Purmort. Today, she shares some favorite local businesses in the Charlotte neighborhood she lives in.
Katie Rozycki has lived in Charlotte, North Carolina for seven years. Below, she shares her idea of a great day in her Plaza Midwood neighborhood.
Candace Stamper is my go-to hair guru and the closest embodiment to Stevie Nicks that I know. Which makes her undeniably cool. She was one of the first small business folks I supported when I moved to Plaza Midwood in 2008, and has seen me through many hair iterations. She stays busy, but was happy to accommodate me for a quick trim at 8 a.m. I am a sucker for Charlie Brown, and the Peanuts-inspired front desk at Hair Klaudt never fails to make me smile.
I stopped by Central Coffee around 9 a.m. and ordered my go-to: a red-eye. When I’m feeling feisty, they have the best spicy mocha around. Their focus on efficiency and great ingredients makes them a welcome shop in the neighborhood. It’s a good day if it begins at Central Coffee.
My friends Nathan Tucker and Stephen James run Powder Studio and are staying busy. They have a new product line in the works, and are developing the mugs for Not Just Coffee‘s (another fantastic coffee shop) new location. Around 10, I stopped by the Hart Witzen Annex to review some of their recent imagery and test drive their mug prototypes. I’ll take any excuse to get in the studio and see some really amazing creatives at work.
Stopping in when Catch On Seafood Company first opens around 11 a.m. is always strategic, because they sell out quickly (especially on sunny, warm Carolina days). Their selection is unbeatable, their customer service amazing, and their e-newsletters hilarious. (Seriously, even if you don’t like fish, they’re worth signing up for.)
I didn’t grow up eating fish, so learning to cook it on my own has been a real learning experience. I can always trust these guys to walk me through even the most simplistic of questions. And the end results never fail to be amazing.
I had the good fortune to meet Kathryn at her “Cultivate Creatives” networking brunches, which fosters relationships among female creatives around town. When she conceived of, created and shared how to make a suspended tassel backdrop, my Maiden business partner Allison Purmort and I became immediately enamored. Around 2 p.m., we finally got around to making this DIY, with Kathryn’s patient assistance!
Around 4 p.m., I stopped by the Frock Shop, my go-to clothing source in Plaza Midwood. I have known Caroline Cook-Frers since she started this business by hosting pop-up clothing markets around town. She grew her business and now occupies a beautiful, historic home in the area. With lots of new construction and the tearing down of interesting architecture, this is more than welcome here. Caroline is my style spirit animal and throws one heck of a party to boot — including her “Frock Shop Revivals,” which might be a sartorial nod back to the tent revivals that took place just down the street, and caused many a conversion — including Billy Graham’s.
Meeting Patrice and Amanda was one of the highlights of my 2015. I first discovered Patrice through my endless search for a makeup artist whose end products didn’t look like they were run over by a foundation truck. Around 8 p.m., Patrice and Amanda hosted the most amazing Thai dinner in their home. It became a family affair — Ian made an amazing spicy cocktail and Chuck designed this ridiculously awesome tablescape with Patrice’s vintage linens and glassware and Addison Week’s tableware. Looking around the table, I was speechless (a rare feat). I am so lucky to live here and know these folks. So, so fortunate.
See more of Katie’s style in her Charlotte house tour!
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→ Our “well-designed day” neighborhood guides are a visual tour of what a great day looks like from the perspective of a local.
You’ve loved the peeks inside gorgeous homes from around the world, so we thought we’d ask house tour stars to share their other homes—the neighborhoods and cities they live in. These are the stylish, colorful, bold and fun spaces that these locals would visit if they were designing a great day of stopping at favorite spots (or lounging around at home!). You can follow on our Instagram as we post images from their well-designed day and read more about this series.