About

Taylor Sumrall and Lynn Bradakis, Taylor Made Designs

Once upon a time— August 7, 1989 to be exact— Lynn and Matthew Bradakis welcomed into the family a baby they named Taylor. Like all moms, Lynn was very proud of her newborn daughter. One day, while looking at a photograph of baby Taylor in the bathtub, Lynn decided to use her art background to design a custom frame for displaying the prized photograph. When other proud moms saw the picture, they wanted custom frames for their prized photographs too… and Taylor Made Designs was born.

Taylor Made began with custom designed frames, quickly expanded to include original sport pins, then added tailored bracelets and necklaces for marking special occasions. Orders grew because Lynn’s customers wanted to celebrate their children’s lives and they knew Lynn provided uniquely- designed, handmade, quality pieces.

Lynn found herself outgrowing the spare bedroom she was working from, so she built a 600 square foot addition above the garage. After a few years of continued growth, she opened her storefront location on 8th Street in Downtown Opelika, Alabama.

With new space to work from, Lynn added a “design your own” feature for a line of special memories custom made jewelry. This cooperative approach invited clients to contribute to the artistic process while maintaining Lynn’s high standards of craftsmanship. In addition, exclusive offerings, like her Family Tree Pendants, were added and many are still available today.

As Taylor grew, she was welcomed into the store that had been named for her. She worked part-time after school, learning from her mother that handmade quality, great value, and customer service are the cornerstones of Taylor Made Designs.

So here we are a generation later. Taylor has grown into a beautiful young woman with a handsome husband. After graduating from college with a degree in finance and gaining practical work experience in the business world, Taylor is now running the business she originally inspired as a baby. As for Lynn, she is still doing what she loves most—creating artisanal jewelry to mark special moments in the lives of her family and friends, so they can share with their family and friends.