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Design Inspiration from Keri Russell’s Home

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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

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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

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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 Add Style to Your Laundry Room

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Are you thinking about sprucing up the decor in your home? Perhaps the rest of your house is beautifully decorated, but your laundry room, as so many laundry rooms often are, has been neglected and left undecorated. Did you know that you can add a little style and beauty to your laundry room, while still maintaining its functionality? Check out these great tips, courtesy of Apartment Therapy, on how to spruce up your plain old laundry room.

  • Decorate the wall of your laundry room with wallpaper. Here’s your chance to put up that funky wallpaper you love and didn’t want to use in the rest of your house!
  • Jazz up your laundry room with a cute light fixture, like a chandelier or some other fixture you wouldn’t normally find in a laundry room.
  • Hanging artwork, like vintage laundry signs, make for a great way to spruce up your laundry room’s walls.
  • Swap out your plain laundry baskets for cute and colorful laundry baskets!

Image courtesy of Apartment Therapy

5 Tips for Making a Lasting Impression with your Foyer

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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.

What Inspires Martyn Lawrence-Bullard?

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We’re sure you’ve heard the name Martyn Lawrence-Bullard before? After all we’ve featured a few of the designs created by the interior designer to the stars. One of the reasons we’ve chosen to highlight Lawrence-Bullard is because of his uncanny ability to effectively convey his clients’ personalities through his designs. I too strive to infuse the interior design of my clients’ homes with their personality, considering that their home is ultimately a reflection of them.

Today we are going to share a few of the spaces Lawrence-Bullard finds the most inspiring. The designs he finds inspiring serve up a wide range of styles from disco glamour, Mediterranean architecture, and dramatic luxury in addition to many others. Take a look at what inspires Martyn Lawrence-Bullard?

Elton John’s Master Bedroom

Kid Rock’s Kitchen

Cheryl Tieg’s Bedroom

Ellen Pompeo’s Living Room

Tamara Mellon’s Media RoomImages from CasaSugar

Which design do you find to be the most inspiring?

Entra: the New, High-End Online Shelter Magazine

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It seems as though every other month there is news of a new online shelter magazine debuting, and once again there is a new kid on the block. However, it is different from the latest crop interior design magazines. Entra, the design + architecture magazine was not created by bloggers as were the most recent others. The staff at Entra is comprised of former print magazine editors and art directors, as well as design history experts from one of our favorite publications Architectural Digest.

It has a much more serious take on design and architecture than its counterparts, focusing on fine photography and high-end spaces that are ahead of the curve. And unlike the many other online magazines Entra will only be available to paid subscribers. To give you a preview of what’s in store the inaugural issue of Entra is free. Visit Entra Magazine to read the issue then come back and let us know what you think!

Images from Entra Magazine

42nd Symphony Designers’ Showhouse Set to Open

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For 42 years the Kansas City Symphony Alliance, a nonprofit volunteer organization which promotes an interest in classical music throughout the Kansas City area, has hosted their annual fundraiser the Symphony Designers’ Showhouse. Known as Kansas City’s biggest home makeover project the showhouse is the place for the latest in interior and landscape design.

This  year the interiors and landscape of the showhouse were designed by 28 professionals located throughout the Kansas City area that include craftsmen, designers, manufacturers, and furniture builders to name a few. Aside from touring the showhouse and viewing the creative designs other events will accompany the tour. Thursday nights will feature live music, food and drinks. If you are in need of design inspiration and entertainment swing by the Symphony Designers’ Showhouse for a taste of both.

As an interior designer myself, and having participate in this event, I know how much work goes into making these rooms look grand enough to be on tour.  I love to walk through these stately homes and see how they have been transformed in a very short time…it is truly magical.
Grab your best friend and have a girls-day-out, it is a treat, and you never know what inspirational message you just might find around the corner!! If you are inspired by the tour just give The Decorative Touch a call and let us help you further develop your ideas!

Trends in New American Style for 2011

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It’s safe to say that the American style of interiors has evolved over the years in an extremely good way. Whether discussing the design in the kitchen or the family gathering room the new American style is much more relaxed, inviting and personal while continuing to exude a simple elegance. A group of designers recently sat down and shared their take on the top trends in new American style for 2011 with House Beautiful and they came up with…

Using bold colors to freshen traditional furniture.

Livable great rooms that are both open and intimate.

Dining alcoves for gatherings that are cozy and dressed-up.

Mixing multiple design styles together in one space.

Modern interiors that also feature the look of a soft design.Images from House Beautiful

Which of the new American Styles would you like to see in your home? To begin designing and planning your new American style interiors call The decorative Touch at 913-888-1388.

Warm Up Your Room with Cable Knit

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It’s winter and cable knit sweaters rule supreme. Who could possibly resist the tightly stitched designs that make you want to curl up and get lost in them on sight? We love the warming look and feel of cable knit sweaters, not to mention the childhood memories they stir up. While looking around for inspiration we found an idea book on houzz that intertwined warm cable knits into interior designs. What a perfect idea for the winter.

You can instantly bring warmth into your room by tossing a cable knit blanket across your bed, or by slipping your pillow into its own personal sweater. We can already imagine being wrapped up in cable knit while watching TV on the bed, or being nice and cozy with a cable knit pillow in front of the fire with a book. Take a look at the designs we found and let us know if you would warm up your room with cable knit.

Images from houzz