Posts

The Decorative Touch Clients Share Their Experiences

/in , /by

We know we have a great design reputation in the Kansas City area, but we figure you’d probably prefer hearing it from our clients than from us. Here’s what a couple of our clients had to say about working with The Decorative Touch, our Lenexa, KS interior design firm:

“Before I met Janine @ The Decorative Touch, I used to make so many costly decorating mistakes. Now, having been a customer for over 10 years, I am consistently impressed by Janine’s professionalism. I can trust that she has my best interests in mind, and I know we are making the right decisions for me.”
–Amy M.

“In this day and age, it’s hard to find a company you can trust. The Decorative Touch Ltd. was recommended to me by a friend, and now I know why – the quality of personal service I received was outstanding. Janine really listened to my needs. Now I am recommending her to my friends too!”
–Mary B.

Find us in the Exclusive Interiors Design Studio or give us a call at 913-888-1388 to find out about how we can help you with your Kansas City-area design needs.

Photo: Design by The Decorative Touch, Ltd.

Take Note! 3 Great Products from NYIGF

/in /by

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

Pillow Arrangements for a Picture-Perfect Sofa

/in /by

Have you ever wondered about the secret to achieving picture-perfect sofas worthy of appearing on the glossy pages of a gorgeous magazine spread? Oftentimes it’s less about the sofa itself and more about its main accessory: toss pillows. We loved how House Beautiful featured one sofa with a variety of looks, showing how different pillows can change—and make—the look of a sofa in a second. Here are a couple of our favorite pillow arrangements from the magazine’s slideshow:

This arrangement includes toss pillows featuring a variety of textures. It’s a great idea for a monochromatic color scheme.

But bringing in color can work just as well. If you have a neutral sofa, pillows are a great way to bring in your favorite colors.

Visit House Beautiful to see all of their simple sofa’s various looks. Then let us know: Which is your favorite, and how are the pillows arranged on your own sofa?

Images by Lara Robby/Studio D via House Beautiful

Decorating with Trays

/in /by

Trays are a hugely versatile design accessory that we’ve been hearing about from a number of different shelter magazines. Not only does House Beautiful suggest using a tray and ottoman in the place of a coffee table, but the House & Home blog also did a post on using trays for attractive organization. Better Homes and Gardens recently included advice suggesting the use of a tray to contain accessories on a coffee table, and we think that advice could really apply to any table or room in the house.

In fact, we at The Decorative Touch have incorporated trays into a number of our designs. Here are a couple of examples:

Here we have a neat flower-shaped tray on an ottoman, just like House Beautiful discussed.

A tray on this round table complements the wood floors while keeping the flower pots looking orderly.

Visit our website to see more examples of trays in our interior designs.

Photos: Designs by The Decorative Touch Ltd.

Design Inspiration from Keri Russell’s Home

/in , /by

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

/in , , /by

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

/in /by

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

/in , /by

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

/in /by

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.

Creative New Uses for Wallpaper in your Home

/in , , /by

When you hear the word wallpaper do you instantly conjure up images of country themes and floral? Granted there are some wallpaper designs that should be left in the past, there are even more that should be celebrated throughout interiors. For example, the collections from the likes of York Wallcoverings and Thibaut Wallpaper & Fabric are a few of our favorites. They are modern luxurious and full of glamour.

If you just aren’t one to use decorative coverings on your walls have you ever thought about using them in other ways? Given the high design of many of today’s wallpapers there are and endless amount of options of how they can be used in your home. Consider these creative new uses for wallpaper…

To add style to a display case

To accent a fireplace

As wall art

To highlight panels

To add visual interest to the ceilingImages from Better Homes and Gardens

Now do you think differently about using wallpaper in your home? If you would like to discuss any of these options or more ways to use wallpaper throughout the interior design of your home call The Decorative Touch at 913-888-1388