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Why hire a professional?

As a professional designer, I follow other professionals in the design industry’s blogs and articles on interior design.  One of my favorite writers is Maria Killam.  I follow Maria’s blog, as I respect her and much of what she has done in the design industry.

I feel she is right on target with her latest blog post on “How Do I Know What My Style Is?” I love this question from one of her readers…as it is one that I get from my clients as well.

Her answer is perfect, and well said… (I couldn’t say it better myself.) …there is a reason one hires a professional for advice in every category of their life.

When you are tackling the interior of your home there is no difference.  Mistakes are costly.  I value the experts who have invested in the time, energy and education to become experts in their field of study.  Interior designers are no different, and finding a good one, is a treasure.

Click here to read Maria’s blog post on the subject.

-Janine

Houzz

Houzz Names Decorative Touch “Best of 2013” in Design

best ofDecorative Touch Ltd. of Lenexa, KS has been awarded “Best Of Houzz” 2013 by Houzz, a notable online platform for residential remodeling and design.  The 28-year old interior design firm was chosen by the more than 11 million monthly users that comprise Houzz’ readership.

The Houzz “Best Of Houzz” award for 2013 is given in two categories: Customer Satisfaction and Design. Design award winners’ work was the most popular among the community of  users, also known as “Houzzers,” who saved more than 124 million professional images of home interiors and exteriors to their personal ideabooks via Houzz platforms.

The honor enables Decorative Touch Ltd to place the trademarked Houzz seal on its website and blog.

Houzz features the largest residential design database in the world, articles by design leaders, a community connected by social media tools, and information on more than 1.5 million remodeling and design professionals around the world.

Decorative Touch

3 Inspiring Rooms with Color

The beginning of a new year is a great time to step up the style in your house. Interior design in 2013 is all about using color to brighten up your home. If you’ve shied away from color in the past, now’s the time to step out of your comfort zone and discover how great it feels to have a room pop with color. Here are a few places to start.

  • A billiard room is already fun, so it’s a great place to play with color. Let the centerpiece of the room — the pool table — set the tone for everything from the walls to the carpet. Let the classic burgundy tabletop play stunningly into upholstered walls, stunning club chairs and patterned carpet.
  • When you gather around the table to enjoy a delicious meal, you want the atmosphere to match the occasion. In the dining room, create that warm feeling with rich golds and browns on Parisian chairs, an elegant mirror, a classic chandelier and hard-wood flooring. Balance out the room with a cooler shade of cream on the walls and window panels.
  • Another room where neutrals work well is the den, a room made for relaxation. Boost the subtlety of the color palate by using exciting patterns on the window panels, carpet and throw pillows.

To revamp your home’s style for the new year contact The Decorative Touch .

Source: TraditionalHome.com.

Decorative Touch

4 Things to Consider in the Kitchen

It’s inevitable; whether simply you and your family catching up after a busy day or a large group of friends over for a party, people tend to gather in the kitchen. So why settle for a boring, run-of-the-mill design? Here are some easy ways to step up the look of your kitchen.

Decorative Touch

Image via Pinterest

  • The pantry is often a cluttered, catch-all mess, but by taking a little time to use matching containers and keep things organized, you’ll want to leave the pantry door open to show off this beautiful space.
  • Remove some upper cabinet doors to create showcase space for your beautiful dishes, whether a group of matching antique mugs or stunning modern plates.
  • Get organized by painting over part of your pantry door with chalkboard paint to create a visible and easily accessible spot to keep notes and make grocery lists.
  • Granite countertops are a winner because of their classic look and durability. You can make them fit the style of your kitchen by using different cuts on the edges, like playing to a modern room with a straight edge.
  • Deep, oversized sinks work well in kitchens with limited counter space as you can keep dirty dishes and prep items out of the way until it’s time for cleanup.

For help creating a new interior design in your kitchen call The Decorative Touch  today!

Remodeling Ideas

Great Ideas for Kitchen Lighting

Although it can be an easy element to overlook, lighting sets the mood in a room. While there are many tried and true lighting options, consider taking a step back to consider more unique and impressive lighting options for your home.

Remodeling Ideas

Image via Pinterest

  • Over a kitchen island or large dining room table, nothing quite beats a chandelier. While the style options are endless, make sure to go with one that matches up nicely to the size of the island or table over which it will hang. You don’t want to keep any dinner guests in the dark!
  • Industrial lighting goes well with clean, utilitarian kitchens and really grabs your eye. Mount an industrial sconce on each side of your sink as functional statement pieces.
  • For the ultimate unique lighting experience, go vintage. Elegant and ornate pendants can beautifully highlight any room of the house

While lighting fixtures throughout your house don’t need to — and shouldn’t — all be exactly the same, ensure they work in harmony. If you have an open floorplan or certain rooms that naturally flow together, make sure fixtures line up and have similar styles.

Here at The Decorative Touch  we have been creating beautiful Kansas City interior design for nearly 30 years. Contact us today to start elevating your home’s style.

For more kitchen lighting tips, visit HouseBeautiful.com.

Olympic Design: Red

Olympic Design: Red

Have you been watching the Games? Have you felt the allure of Phelps? Are you mesmerized by Lochte? Did your heart go out to gymnast Jordyn Weiber? At The Decorative Touch, we’re proud of all our Olympians, and in honor of Team USA, we giving a few design ideas inspired by red, white and blue. In this blog, we’ll make sure to cover rooms that entice you with the color red. And in subsequent blogs, make sure to look out for both white and blue. And course, you can always leave a comment below to tell us how you are celebrating every win for the US.  Or continue the conversation on Facebook to let us know who you are rooting for. Go Team USA!

Olympic Design: Red

Olympic Design: Red

 

 

Olympic Design: Red

Olympic Design: Red

Olympic Design: Red

Olympic Design: Red

Photos via houzz.com

Textures in the Dining Room

In my opinion, the dining room is an ideal place to show off some style and personality. After all, your family and closet friends will be making memories in this room, and they are sure to think on these great meals and holidays for years to come that took place in your dining room. That’s why in this blog I want to encourage you to go beyond the normal and surpass the traditional in order to embrace the textured dining room. Think of mixing and matching patterns, color and types of furniture. Voluminous curtains, flamboyant lights or eye-catching patterns would all be great fits to the dining room to give us lots of fun texture. As always, I don’t just say it. I show it. Check out these dining rooms full of va-va-va-voom for the uspcale room. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think. And if you feel it’s time to redesign your dining room — traditional or modern decor — give me a call. I’m happy to help you and your family create a room the encourages lasting memories. 913-888-1388

Textures in the Dining Room

Textures in the Dining Room

Textures in the Dining Room

Textures in the Dining Room

Textures in the Dining Room

Textures in the Dining Room

Photos via houzz.com

Interior Design Is Inspired by Fashion

Interior Design Is Inspired by Fashion

When it comes to interior design, it’s all about inspiration. As experts, we look for our environments to help us develop ideas and generate looks that we otherwise would never have thought to use. Fashion is a major source of ideas for the decor world. The colors. The patterns. The trends. All of these elements lend themselves to interior design. So for this blog we decided to share a few fashion blogs that we use to stay abreast of fashion news shaping our field every day. Peruse through our suggestions by the designers at The Decorative Touch. To visit the fashion blog, just click the photo. And if you have a few to add of your own, leave a comment below or on our Facebook page. We’d love to know what you read in the blogosphere.  Enjoy. xo

ZsaZsa Bellagio

ZsaZsa Bellagio

Street Pepper

Street Pepper

Cupcakes and Cashmere

Cupcakes and Cashmere

Cotton Candy Magazine

Cotton Candy Magazine

Vogue and Coffee

Vogue and Coffee

Photos via 

The Elephant in the Room

The Elephant in the Room

At The Decorative Touch, we’re not afraid to use animals for our interior design plans. In fact we like to add a little animal flavor whenever it’s appropriate. For this blog, I’d like to address the elephant in the room — literally. Elephants are beautiful symbols and when infused into decor in unique, these animals enhance any room. The pure symbolism of elephants draws us, with them representing strength, honor, stability and good luck in many Eastern cultures.

Have the desire to let the animal out of you? Then get inspired with the photos I’ve included with elephant decor. And don’t forget us to let us know what you think. Just leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you. Enjoy the pics.

The Elephant in the Room

The Elephant in the Room

 

The Elephant in the Room

The Elephant in the Room

The Elephant in the Room

The Elephant in the Room

Photo via elementsofstyleblog.com

 

Kansas' First LEED Platinum-Certified Home

Kansas’ First LEED Platinum-Certified Home

As a Kansas City resident, I have to say that this made me proud. Our city can now boast of its first LEED platinum-certified remodeled home in Arkansas. To me, this shows that sustainability and stylish design can complement each other like never before.

The  home was completely remodeled since the design literally had not been done since 1968, so the home was outdated to say the least. But we’ve got the ‘after pictures’, following nine months of hard work.

The homeowners made sure to buy items made in the US, designed with upholstered pieces with earth-friendly fabrics, and  chose native, drought-tolerant plants. Look at the photos below, and leave a comment below to tell me if you adore the eco-friendly way.

Kansas' First LEED Platinum-Certified Home

Kansas' First LEED Platinum-Certified Home

Kansas' First LEED Platinum-Certified Home

Kansas' First LEED Platinum-Certified Home

Kansas' First LEED Platinum-Certified Home

Kansas' First LEED Platinum-Certified Home

Kansas' First LEED Platinum-Certified Home

Kansas' First LEED Platinum-Certified Home

Photos via athomearkansas.com