Take 10 with Shona Taylor

Shona Taylor recently joined Amplified Lifestyles as a Shading System Designer, but her connections to some of her colleagues go back over a decade. Originally from Edinburgh, she moved to the Bay Area as a wee lassie, blending Caledonian charm with California innovation. As a second-generation window covering expert, Shona is adept at finding automated shade solutions for builders, architects, and interior designers. 

AL: Congratulations on joining Amplified Lifestyles as a Shading Systems Designer! How did you get your start in Automated Shading Systems?

ST: In 2004, I was going to college and working as a nanny and a server at a restaurant. One day, my dad (Larry Taylor) called me up and told me he needed help as his shading business was taking off. I started working with him and learned through trial and error, really.

AL: What are the benefits of having automated shades as opposed to manual ones? 

ST: Many of the homes we work in are large, so manually opening and closing all the window coverings could take a considerable amount of time. Walking from room to room and pressing an “all open” button on a keypad or remote is significantly faster than attending to each window individually. With a home automation system, our clients can set custom scenes so that with the touch of a button or an app on their phone, they can completely change their environment within moments. A room can transition from having the shades open and the lights off to having all the shades down, the lights at a perfect level for entertaining, and the stereo playing a carefully curated mix for a game night, all without lifting a finger. 

. AL: At what stage in the project should the automated shading expert be brought in, and why?

ST: There are options for adding shades to an already completed project; we can use battery shades or plug-in transformers if needed. However, if we’re discussing a new build or a complete remodel, it’s best to have a shading expert involved early in the planning process. This allows the architects to account for recessed shades or incorporate side channels into window frames to achieve a complete blackout effect, if necessary. The sooner the shades are discussed on a new project, the more options are available. Once walls start going up, the client has fewer options for shading solutions.

AL: What have been some of your most challenging window solutions?

ST: There was an angled bottom-up roller shade for a primary bathroom that was once a challenge to design a solution for, but it looked fantastic once installed. Another was a large greenhouse with skylight shades made from a very thin and delicate material that I’m fairly certain was never intended for use as a roller shade.

AL: How do you collaborate on a residential project that can include a systems integrator, GC, architect, and interior designer?

ST: Typically, we are brought in to projects by a GC who is already working with a design team and integrator. We usually receive a set of plans and perform a takeoff from them, creating a scope of work. Over the course of months or years, meetings and emails with the design team occur as things change or evolve, and revisions to our scope can be made multiple times before it’s finalized. There’s a lot of back and forth, submittals, and samples being approved before things get buttoned up, but by working together with other experts, we create some fantastic projects. 

AL: You were born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and moved to the East Bay with your family when you were seven. Was that culture shock?

ST: Yes, it certainly was! Arriving at SFO in the late 80s was quite stunning. Huge escalators, giant chandeliers, cars the size of buses, and so many people, I was afraid to get lost in the shuffle. It took some time to acclimate and learn how things worked over here, but it soon felt like home. 

AL: In addition to being a shade expert, you are an accomplished artist and illustrator. What inspires you?

ST: Back in Scotland, we had a bathtub with prints of Alphonse Mucha’s work plastered all over its outside, so I’ve always loved the Art Nouveau style. The lines and shapes in Art Deco also appeal to me. When I was little, I was convinced that the Beatles were a part of my family. I’m not sure if it’s because my granny was from Liverpool or what, but I was pretty sure at some point I was going to get to go on the Yellow Submarine so the work of Peter Max and Heinz Edelmann left a pretty indelible mark on me as did a lot of the album art of my dad’s LP collection and his music books. Whenever I have a particularly strong response to something visually, I can usually trace it back to something that felt familiar, exciting, or intriguing to me as a kid. 

AL: When you are not shading the Bay Area, what do you enjoy doing?

ST: I have a rescue dog named Hannah that keeps me busy. She’s a Husky/Shepard mix who was born blind and lost a hind leg to Valley Fever, but she doesn’t let it keep her down. She’s pretty sassy, loves to play and flirt, and makes friends wherever we go. She’s definitely got more friends than I do. Speaking of friends, I have some truly great ones, so I enjoy spending time with them whenever I can. I also enjoy traveling; in fact, I just returned from a trip to Mexico City a few days ago. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. 

AL: Song you can listen to on repeat?

ST: Always a tough question because music is something I’m obsessive about, a trait that runs in the family. Narrowing it down to just one is hard, so I’ll give you three that I’ve had on repeat for decades now: Ali Farka Toure’s Diaraby, Dvorak’s Tempo di Valse, and Drug Buddy by the Lemonheads. 

AL: What’s your current TV obsession?

ST: My first job was in a comic book shop from the age of 14 to 17, and while working there, I became pretty obsessed with Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman. Netflix recently released season 2 of their adaptation of The Sandman, and I’ve been pretty giddy to see how beautifully some of the characters were portrayed. Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer was a great choice; Kirby Howell-Baptiste really brought the big sister vibes to Death, and Tom Sturridge made a near-perfect Morpheus. The 15-year-old that still lives inside of me is going to be rewatching that show for years to come. Another Neil Gaiman project, written with the late Terry Pratchett, Good Omens, was another favorite read from that era, so I’ve really enjoyed that adaptation as well.