“I always like to include … a personal touch in a table setting to encourage remembrances of good times.”
–Danny Taylor, CEO, agent, designer, D.T. & Co.
by Mimi Montgomery
photography by Travis Long
Danny Taylor has a full plate. The CEO of Raleigh’s D.T. & Co. manages his real estate brokerage, development, and design company as well as his design studio and retail shop. He credits his success to a foundation in fashion. A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, Taylor worked at Ann Taylor and other fashion companies before returning home to North Carolina to make one-of-a-kind clothing. But when he began making custom draperies for his friends’ interior design studios, his career veered toward interiors, and soon he was designing homes as well. Along the way, he picked up a real estate license, and his multi-dimensional company was born. “I had no preconceived notion of what it was supposed to be like, and I just worked really hard,” Taylor says. An eye trained for fashion and style “gives me a little edge over other realtors,” he says. “You have to paint a picture when you walk into a house, and I can paint a picture.”
With such a full plate, it’s no surprise Taylor likes to decompress during the holidays. This month, Thanksgiving for Taylor means a late lunch for two. “In my opinion, too many people feel guilty if they don’t spend three days preparing, an hour eating, and two hours cleaning afterwards,” he says. While he may keep his meal preparation at a minimum, his table setting cuts no corners. “The plan is to use my Hermès china, a large silver soup tureen along with other family silver pieces, small white pumpkins and gourds … (and) some magnolia and berries from my friends at Weston Farms,” he says. “Plus I always like to include small (items) in a table setting that bring a personal touch to encourage remembrances of good times.”
715 W Morgan St.; dtandco.com