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Thanksgiving vignette

Great Holiday Rooms

Tis’ the season for great holiday design! There’s no need to let the kids have all the fun when decorating your Lenexa home. Whether your partial to the sparkle and glitz, or much prefer the soft and peaceful holiday scene, these holiday rooms are great inspiration  for a home filled with holiday cheer.

 

Thanksgiving dining room

Photo Credit: traditionalhome.com

 

Christmas table with wings on chair backs

Photo Credit: Laura Moss via countryliving.com

 

New Years Dining Room

Photo via blog.loulousdecor.com

 

Thanksgiving vignette

Photo Credit: sweetpickinsfurniture.com

 

Green and White Christmas living room

Photo via pinterest.com

 

Have a Happy Thanksgiving Day!

4 Great Gift Guides Featuring Décor and More!

If you’re looking for gift ideas for your stylish friends and family, you’re in luck. We’ve seen numerous gift guides all over the web lately, and we thought it would be nice to bring together our favorite four so you can find all the best goodies this year. Check these out to find something for everyone on your shopping list!

Are you interested in even more ideas for getting you in the holiday spirit? Check out our posts on “Beautiful Table Decorating Ideas for Entertaining” and “Decorating for Christmas: Ideas and Inspiration.” And to continue seeing all our updates on interior design tips, style, projects and more, simply subscribe to the Decorative Touch blog!

Image: Naito8 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Stunning Chevron Floors

We’re the first to admit the chevron pattern isn’t a new trend per se, but at the rate we’re still seeing it, we think it’s here to stay. As a matter of fact, chevron stripes have been spotted all over the web, and we’re especially floored by… well, chevron floors. Here, we’ve gathered a few of the most stunning examples from around the design blogosphere:

Is this rustic chevron wood floor not to-die for? We love the simple look of the finish.

This lovely chevron floor appeared in the 2011 Princess Margaret Oakville Showhome.

And this bedroom features another wood floor boasting the chevron pattern.

But chevron isn’t reserved for wood floors alone. We’ve also seen many a chevron rug that added that finishing touch to a space.

What do you think about chevron floors? If you could’t tell, we’re smitten!

Photos: 1 Mires Paris via Greige; 2 via Verdigris Vie; 3 B&B Italia via House & Home; 4 by Angus Fergusson via House & Home

Home Decorating Magazines Go International

Although the U.S. decorating-magazine industry has been rocky in the last couple years as favorite titles such as House & Garden and Domino have folded, shelter magazines are actually booming internationally. The Los Angeles Times did a great article on this phenomenon recently, explaining the main catalyst for these publications’ success:  The middle classes in countries including China, Russia and Brazil are becoming wealthier, thus purchasing new homes that need to be decorated.

The renowned Architectural Digest has launched Architectural Digest China, and an India edition is predicted to come out next year. Interior design blog The Editor at Large also reported on a new Middle East edition of Good Housekeeping, which is set to come out in November. But in addition to these American spin-offs, many other shelter magazines are springing up as “home-grown publications,” according to the L.A. Times.

Interestingly, a number of these titles are getting design ideas and publishing projects by American designers. What do you think about the success of décor magazines around the world? What’s your favorite shelter magazine, here or abroad?

Image via lanecrawford.com

Take Note! 3 Great Products from NYIGF

The New York International Gift Fair took place Aug. 13-18, and the biannual show featured thousands of exhibitors displaying their home and lifestyle goodies. We’ve been keeping up with coverage of the event from around the blogosphere, and compiled a few of our favorite product finds. Check these out:

Tord Boontje’s lighting was featured on the Oh So Beautiful Paper blog, and the globe lights with garlands inside are full of beautiful, intricate detailing. The metallic sheen adds to their charm.

Heather Clawson of Habitually Chic highlighted Lance Wovens’ leather products, and we think they’re great, too. These orange throw pillows are perfect for fall.

Speaking of orange, Habitually Chic also did a post on the orange trend at the August NYIGF, and this bedding from Peacock Alley also caught our eyes.

We are a huge fan of adding great throw pillows to change the look of your sofa or bedding as the seasons change, or just because your need a lift! One of our bedding lines has just added a great collection of pillows that are very affordable. If you need a pop of color and want a great resource, try peaking at the Villa Home Collection. We can order you new pillows for fall that will change the way your feel about your tired old sofa!

Happy Inspiration!

Photos: 1 via Oh So Beautiful Paper; 2-3 Heather Clawson for Habitually Chic

Design Inspiration from Keri Russell’s Home

Keri Russell and Family inside their Brooklyn home

In an article featured in Elle Decor, actress Keri Russell’s brownstone in Brooklyn was spotlighted. We thought we’d share just a few photos of her beautiful home with our readers. If you’re redecorating your home and would like to add a stylish touch to your decor, perhaps these gorgeous photos will serve as inspiration for you!

Inside the living room of Keri Russell’s home, the rug by Shaw Floors, Ochre light fixture, and linen-upholstered armchairs by Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams work together to create a cozy and welcome living space.

The chic but welcoming kitchen features a light fixture by Rejuvenation, a kitchen island and cabinetry made out of espresso-stained reclaimed fir, a Sub-Zero refrigerator, and Grohe sink fittings.

The luxurious master bathroom inside Keri Russell’s home a Victoria + Albert claw-foot tub that has Samuel Heath fittings; this tub looks perfect for relaxing in!

Inside the master bedroom, there is a sheepskin rug by IKEA adorning the floor and a chandelier found at an antiques fair serving as the bedroom light fixture. The bed features bedding and headboard fabric by Matteo, and the bedside table was created by Shane Deary, Keri’s husband.

Images courtesy of Elle Decor

Decorative Touches that Gwyneth Paltrow Can’t Live Without

Gwyneth Paltrow

Elle Decor featured an article spotlighting a few of Gwyneth Paltrow’s favorite things that she just cannot live without, including decorative touches found inside her beautiful home in London, where she resides with her husband Chris Martin of the band Coldplay and their two children. Check out these photos of just a few of her favorite things for design inspiration inside your home.

A well decorated with gorgeous hand-painted wallpaper. This wallapaper by De Gournay is featured on one wall inside Gwyneth Paltrow’s living room.

Seasonal flowers in single-variety arrangements. Gwyneth Paltrow likes to casually arrange flowers like white lilies, peonies, and hydrangeas and place them around her home.

Beautiful, majestic photography featured as artwork inside the home. Gwyneth Paltrow has photography by Darren Almond (like the photo above) featured inside her home.

Whimsical star lanterns hung from the ceiling. Star lanterns by Charles Edwards, like the one seen here, hang at different levels in Gwyneth Paltrow’s stair hallway, so that Gwyneth and her family can gaze at them on their way up to bed at night.

Great Tips for Decorating and Decluttering Your Kitchen

Are you redecorating your kitchen inside your home? Do you want to add style to your kitchen but also keep it organized and maintain its functionality? This was the charge given to us for the kitchen shown here.

This customer wanted a taste of french country, and yet a classic kitchen.  She and I were delighted with the finished product!  She doubled the size of her kitchen and was able to enjoy the use of this wonderful new island!
When you do a room addition or renovation, you are so happy to complete the project, that clutter and “things” left sitting around will be a thing of the past!
Here are a few tips on helping you stay tidy…

Courtesy of iVillage, check out these excellent tips that are perfect for decorating and decluttering your kitchen.

  • Keep the top of your refrigerator clear of clutter, unless you’d like to feature a modest display of your favorite (and most beautiful) cookbooks. Make sure you add bookends to offset your display.
  • Set up a creative display of your glassware in your kitchen. Feature your pretty glasses on the second shelf in your cabinet, while keeping the glasses you use every day on the bottom shelf, if your cabinets have glass panes.
  • Install a rack underneath your cabinet, and use it to hang and display your beautiful wineglasses.
  • Change up the decorative items (aprons, tea towels, potholders, picture frames, knick knacks, etc) you have inside your kitchen each season. Reflecting the time of year with your decor is a great way to decorate.

Let Janine Terstriep and the staff at The Decorative Touch help you create a kitchen that meets your needs for both style and function.

How to Make Your New Home Look Vintage

Designers like me spend lots of time looking through magazines to get inspired and make sure we are staying up to date!  This particular photo caught my eye, not because it was so trendy, but because it was so vintage and it just gave me a sense of comfort of days gone by.  No matter what your style, there is always a piece of the past that feels good to us.  I like to incorporate a special something of my clients “past” in their decorating whenever possible, even if subtly…photos of grandparents, treasures of old books…it says vintage in your own small way.

Photo credit Southern Living Magazine

5 Tips for Making a Lasting Impression with your Foyer

It has been said that upon meeting someone that the first impression is a lasting impression and the same follows for your home. The first thing someone will notice when walking into your home is your foyer. Being that they are in a new and unfamiliar place they will surely look around and take in everything, and attempt to develop a feel for your personality and the rest of your home. And because your home is a reflection of yourself you want it look its best and represent you well.

Consider these five tips on making a lasting impression with your foyer:

  1. Take into account what is surrounding your front door on the outside.
  2. Incorporate a mixture of light fixtures to create the right layer of lighting.
  3. Add visual interest to the floor with a mosaic flooring design or an intricate rug.
  4. Use pieces of furniture, or accessories that are both functional and decorative.
  5. Personalize, personalize, personalize.

entrywayImage by Stacy Zarin-Goldberg

entrywayImage by Angus McRitchie

entrywayImage by Michael Graydon

entrywayImage from House Beautiful

If you are in the Kansas City area and  would like to redesign your foyer with the help of an experienced interior designer call Janine Terstriep of The Decorative Touch at 913-219-7333.