Posts

5 Bathroom Trends for 2013

/in , /by

If you are looking to remodel your bathroom and are in the need of some stylish yet functional interior design ideas, then check out the following 5 bathroom trends that are expected to be popular in 2013.

  1. Stripes – Bathrooms tend to be very static, which is why the use of stripes on the wall can help to add a graphic design element. Stripes in particular help to bring pattern and movement to the space without making it seem cluttered.
  2. Hidden Medicine Cabinets – Medicine cabinets have always been a fixture in most bathrooms; however, homeowners are choosing to hide them behind mirrors to make them blend into the bathroom better. This is an excellent example of a design element providing both style and function.
  3. Bathroom Fireplace –You don’t often see a fireplace in the bathroom, which is why it would make such a unique addition. Just imagine taking a bath with a fireplace in the same room. It can’t get much comfortable and inviting than that!
  4. Vintage Dresser – Use a vintage dresser as a master bath vanity. You can even have it fit with drop in sinks.
  5. Pebbled Floors – The use of a pebbled floor gives the bathroom a feel of a spa. The pebbled texture will help give a therapeutic or relaxing feel to your feet.

Any of these five elements that are expected to trend next year will make a fantastic addition to your bathroom, so call The Decorative Touch at 913-888-1388 to begin planning your design.

Image: House Beautiful

Showhouses 3

New Design Books offer Great Home Interior Inspiration

/in /by

Just in time for the holidays (and, by extension, winter home projects and spring remodeling), a big batch of new home design books are just being released. These books are by and large very affordable, and chuck full of great ideas for remodeling your home in the Kansas City area.

American Beauty home design book
First on the list is American Beauty, published by Crown Publishing Group and written by Thom Filicia. This beautiful, artful book is half memoir and half decorating book.  Thomtakes you through every step of remodeling an older American home, and has created rooms that feel classic and modern at the same time.

Showhouses 3Part of an impressive continuing series, “Showhouses 3,” by Jeffrey B. Snyder, features more than two hundred color photos of recent interior designers’ contributions, which were showcased at Decorator Showhouse events around the U.S. The showhouses in this book offer several hundred design ideas, literally.

STUFFFinally we also like “STUFF,” a look inside the lives of passionate collectors. This very interesting read was penned by Carey Maloney, and comes with an interactive digital recognition technology, which lets you read deep into forty different topics, with cyberlinks to great museum collections.

For more information on new design books, visit editoratlarge.com.

Where do you get your home interior design inspiration from?


orange barn doors

Making Bold Color Work in a Traditional Home

/in /by

Many of us are familiar with traditional style because it is familiar to us. Our grandparents were traditional, our parents love traditional, and now we feel as if traditional truly means home. But we do live in the 21st century where we can take the traditional and add an updated twist with a dose of bold color. Now when we say bold, we don’t mean “loud”. Your bold color choice should enhance your traditional spaces, not over power it. Take a look at a few examples below.

Bold wall paper in powder room

Photo credit: Stacy Zarin Goldberg via washingtonlife.com

This bold red wallpaper is fabulous for the powder room. It is perfectly fine to spruce up a small space with a punch of powerful color.

 

orange barn doors

Instead of regular old white bi-fold doors for the laundry center, add a pop of bold color and interest with colored sliding barn doors.

 

red vintage dresser

Photo via blog.houseoffifty.com

If you have old wood furniture pieces that you would like to repurpose in the home, repaint an old dresser or console table a bright, bold color for a colorful vignette.

Do you need an interior designer to help you update your Kansas City home with bold color and exquisite design? Contact The Decorative Touch by calling 913-888-1388.

cottage bathroom 1

Creating a Cozy Cottage Bathroom

/in /by

Cottage design is perfect for a bathroom space because it is intimate, comfortable, and cozy. Those are all great descriptions for a bathroom. And it works perfectly if you don’t have a lot of space. So don’t count your smaller bathrooms out. They too can be just as enjoyable as a sprawling master bath. You simply have to be more strategic in the decor and design. Take a look at a few cottage style bathrooms that are cozy and quite charming.

cottage bathroom 1You can still have a beautiful double vanity in a cottage bathroom. This shallow vanity still has standard size sinks, plenty of storage and style.

 

cottage contemporary bathroomCottage and contemporary? It can happen! The cozy look comes from the cottage style dark-stained, beaded-board vanity. The above the counter vessel sink is a nice contemporary touch.

 

yellow cottage bathroom

By adding a splash of bright yellow with an elegant beaded board, the vintage character was instantaneous in this cottage powder room.

 

Stately cottage bathroom

If you love a big bathtub, this stately period-style tub adds lots of charm but a lot of weight too. So you want to make sure you have the right floor to support its weight. Instead of installed cabinetry, a glass shelved cabinet on wheels provides convenient storage.

If you live in the greater Kansas City area and would like an interior designer’s professional touch to help you remodel your home, contact The Decorative Touch.

 

Photos: www.bhg.com
designer tips

Kate Spade: Staying True to her Roots

/in /by
designer tips

Via LuxQ

Kate Spade is a name recognized all over the world but nowhere more than in Kansas City. Before attending Arizona State and heading to the Big Apple, Kate graduated from St. Theresa’s Academy and attended the University of Kansas. Then it was in 1993 that ever-popular line of Kate Spade Handbags was born, which expanded to include stationary, home décor, shoes, perfume, loungewear and even eyewear.

But Kate has never forgotten her roots. She gets back to Kansas City several times a year and makes visiting her old haunts a priority. In an interview, Kate told the Kansas City Star about her home visits saying, “All I want to do is eat barbecue . . . We often go to Arthur Bryant’s because my dad likes it. I also have to go to Ponak’s—I love the food . . .  And I love going to Winstead’s.”

Kate also admits that a part of her decorating style comes from where and how she grew up. She told the Kansas City Star, “A lot of it comes from my mom. She never let us turn the overhead lights on. Also, I picked up on the salon-style way of hanging wall art because I grew up with it.”

Even though she sold her company five years ago to focus on her family and her seven year old daughter, Kate knows that those days are numbered, “At some point, she’s going to be sick of me and not want me around,” making us wonder what this Midwest designer has planned next.

 

designers

Via Adeline Adeline

vintage desk

Studying in Comfort and Style

/in /by

Fall is right around the corner and so is the beginning of a new school year. Now is the perfect time to evaluate your available study space. Since kitchen counters cannot accommodate computers and printers, it’s important to have a designated school work space with a proper desk. The desk should work to not only create a comfortable and functional work space, but it should complement the rest of your home’s decor, as well.

Of course, you can always purchase a desk from a big name retailer or pricey home furnishings store, but there are also other options. You can achieve a decorative and functional desk that is also inexpensive by thinking a little outside of the box.

Yard sales, thrift stores and even websites like Craigslist can be the perfect place to find a solid wooden desk for less. Keep your eye out for a vintage all-in-one school desk, too. Kids love being able to lift open the tops of the desks to store all of their school supplies right inside. A second-hand desk also opens the door to a little creativity; you can make it your own by adding a new finish or a fresh coat of paint.

Another fantastic option is to repurpose. You can easily use an old table or piece of furniture such as an outdoor patio table or even a vanity and give it new life as a school desk.

 

vintage desk

Photo via pinterest.com

Have you achieved a work or study space with unique finds or creative decorating tips? We’d love to hear about it! Let us know in the comments section below.

 

school desk tips

Via Houzz

 

Modern british colonial

Worldwide British Style

/in /by

As the entire world watches the 2012 Olympics, there is a renewed interest in all things English, especially interior design. And two things come to mind when English décor is discussed, quaint brick cottages full of history and light airy modern flats featuring fresh colors and cutting edge styles.

British interior design

Photo Credit: Heart Home Magazine

 

Modern british colonial

Photo via pinterest.com

Many of these English brick country homes are blessed with outstanding architectural detail. And if you are presently decorating a home with some these same features: high ceilings, soaring windows and intricate mouldings, then take advantage of the space by using tall mirrors, stenciled ceilings and contrasting moulding colors. While a modern American home would take advantage of the extra space by crafting oversized built-ins, the English generally favor more low slung pieces emphasizing the room’s openness.

 

Modern British Interiors

Photo Credit: styleathome.com

If your tastes run more toward the modern, think bright colorful fabrics meshing with bold furniture and accent pieces. It’s easy to update a classic piece with a couple coats of paint or funky upholstery. Or the newest trend is all white…and while it does present a clean crisp look just think twice if you have pets or children!

Would you ever consider bringing a bit of English design influence into your Kansas City home?

Olympic Design: Red

Olympic Design: Red

/in /by

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 , /by

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

/in , /by

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