Meet Carol
Carol A. Tanzi, ASID, also known as the Goddess of Garbage, is an award winning interior designer whose very life and work epitomizes her mission statement: “To educate, inform and show the world how recycling becomes second nature using items headed for the bin into creative, functional design for interiors.”
With an impressive interior design background, Tanzi , who just turned an amazing, energetic 80 years of age, is determined to continue to make a difference for the healthy future of our planet and how people think about incorporating smart, functional design with discards in their home and work environments. She has been living and teaching her own personal passion as a pioneer in using recycling in interior design before people even knew how or what to recycle.
Fueled by that passion, Carol has put her creative talents to work creating “Design It Yourself” projects. She can take any array of items for garbage and old stuff around the house and magically transform them into interesting, functional and elegant elements to any home or office interior. “All it takes is a little imagination using existing pieces to re-purpose and incorporate into any design which saves money and helps the environment. Upcycled items can be integrated into any room design whether it is a simple remodel, entirely new look, or as a complement to existing décor.”
With a quick wit and infectious zeal for her work, Carol has received national recognition and has appeared on numerous television and radio shows including many local appearances in the San Francisco Bay Area media. She has been a guest on the Rosie O’Donnell Show, a CNN feature on using recycling in interior design, HGTV and Howie Mandell. She was most recently a guest on the Mark at the Mic podcast in Burlingame, CA.
Carol’s clever creations along with her message about the importance of recycling in design has been featured in many prestigious publications including House Beautiful; Sunset Magazine; Designers West Magazine; The San Francisco Chronicle; The San Jose Mercury News and 1001 Home Ideas. She also hosted her own television talk show in the Bay Area, ISSUES AND TOPICS, about sustainable living before it was even a thing.
Carol still serves an eclectic client base of former clients who repeatedly call on her to update their interiors and new clients including The Skyway Center Complex where she was involved in exterior and interior design adding functional office furniture and other details to complement the overall design. She also offers her design talents and expertise for senior clients transitioning to smaller living spaces.
Always giving of her time and talents, Carol has received many accolades including induction into the San Mateo County Women’s Hall of Fame for her outstanding achievement and contributions and Congressional Recognition for Outstanding and Invaluable Service to her community with Outstanding Performance Awards for five consecutive years. Carol has also been lauded for her work on women’s issues and environmental causes.
Carol Tanzi is a California State Certified Interior Designer, holding a BA in Interior Design from the University of San Jose and a California Teaching credential in Interior Design. She is a San Francisco native and currently resides in Northern California.
As President of Carol A. Tanzi, ASID & Associates, she has received the ASID Presidential Citation for distinguished service to the society and profession of interior design for three consecutive years. She was also named one of the top ten “Superior Designers of the San Francisco Bay Area.”