PaperCity Magazine

March 2014 - Dallas

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A R T D I R E C T I O N M I C H E L L E A V I Ñ A . P H O T O G R A P H Y S H A Y N A F O N T A N A . RHAPSODY BOHEMIAN JOSLYN TAYLOR'S LAID–BACK VIBE GETS THE CHAKRAS HUMMING AND THE PRANA BUZZING IN HER 70s SPLIT-LEVEL NORTH DALLAS HOME. PATRICIA MORA GOES ALONG FOR THE RIDE. J oslyn Taylor's father played saxophone in Edgar Winter's White Trash band — and, oddly, this explains a lot. His work as a musician meant that she spent a peripatetic childhood in wildly disparate points in Louisiana and California, including the rapturously gorgeous topography of Big Sur. As she praises the scenery along the sinuous, coast-hugging Highway 1, it becomes clear that Taylor is, indeed, a California girl — albeit one operating splendidly as a transplant to Dallas. Pulling out a lavishly printed album cover featuring sexily sweaty photographs of her father from back in the day, she explains that his life as a musician meant changing residences frequently as his career morphed. "People in both Louisiana and California are very laid-back, very friendly," she says, describing L.A. as a slice of atypical glitzy turf in what is surely the most boho state in all of America. It's clear that she still loves it deeply: Her Cali background is imprinted everywhere in her residential DNA. Her home is approximately 4,000 square feet of utterly tranquil space — more than a bit Zen and the very definition of comfy. A dish of quartz crystals sits on a table adjacent to the living-room sofa; a huge saltwater aquarium sports yellow- and blue-striped fish near an oversized bar area; and, outdoors, a thatch of green bamboo still thrives despite a recent snowy freeze. A backyard pool is overlooked by a cozy area tailor-made for imbibing cocktails on warm afternoons. The entire residence is something a frequent Esalen attendee might cook up. All of this is especially remarkable since Taylor juggles a life with her husband, Bryan; two young daughters, Audrey (10) and Amelia (7), and a full-time job as a principal at Swoon, the Studio. For the uninitiated, Swoon is owned by Samantha Reitmayer Sano, who brings her massive talent to an array of projects including branding, print media, exhibition and retail space and, of course, home design. After Taylor teamed with Sano and took on much of the responsibility (and joy) of a booming company with an A-list clientele, an obvious question comes to mind: Who has time to decorate? Thus, what follows is pertinent information. When her eldest child asks politely if she can play in the snow, not one beat is missed. When the youngest daughter pads by, heading toward her room wherein girly-pink decor collides with doodads resembling tiny gears and car parts, that, too, is deftly handled. It's obvious that the woman possesses a miraculous combo of mommy, executive talent and wildly creative skill sets. In Ginsu- knife vernacular, her bio would read: "But wait! There's more!" The soaring living room in Joslyn Taylor's '70s split-level, California-vibe house is sunken. A stone fireplace, stone columns and tongue-and-groove ash paneling sealed the deal. Club chairs from Crate & Barrel. Chrome-leg cigarette table with stone top from Vieux. Vintage Turkish rug was a find on eBay. Joslyn Taylor's moody blues.

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