kansas interior designer Archives | Page 2 of 3

Accenting your Gray Rooms for Spring

March 29, 2011/in In Style, Tips /by decorativetouch

Did you jump at the first mention of the “gray as a neutral” design trend and now have gray hues throughout your home? Although you may love the use of gray in your home you may be finding it slightly drab now that spring colors are popping up everywhere. There is good news; you don’t have to eliminate the gray in your designs as we enter the brightness of spring. All you have to do is accent your gray with vibrant colors. Since gray is one of the latest neutrals you can pair it with any bright color of your choice. Take a look at these rooms designed around gray hues and how the colorful accents immediately liven them up.

Country Living

zgallerie

Chicago Home Magazine

decorpad

houzz

Fixture World

Let us take the guesswork out of picking the right accents to highlight the gray in your rooms, call Janine of The Decorative Touch at 999-999-9999.

Add Accessories to Your Room for a New Look

March 11, 2011/in Tips /by decorativetouch

With a new season on its way in are you looking to switch up the decor in your room without having to completely redesign it? The easiest and quickest way to transform the look of your room is with accessories. Just as an outfit can transform into something new with the addition of a cocktail ring, pendant necklace or gorgeous pair of chandelier earrings, so can the interior design of your room with a few accessories. Keep these tips in mind to bring a new look to your room with accessories.

Follow the season. Add accessories that match the weather of the current season and your design will always have a fresh look.
Add a new rug. Breathe new life into your room with a rug that pulls everything together in a new way.
Play with pillows. Bring texture to your sofa by adding pillows with touches of colors and bold designs.
Use more than one. Accessorize your room by adding multiple numbers of the same item.

Need more help adding accessories to your room for a new look? Put your home in the hands of Janine Terstriep of The Decorative Touch by calling 913-888-1388.

Tips adapted from House Beautiful.

Image from decor pad.

Blue and White Dish Decor

March 8, 2011/in In Style /by decorativetouch

We’ve all visited a friend’s house or passed through the fine china section of a department store and gushed over the classic blue and white china. If you’ve been contemplating adding the timeless dinnerware to your home now is the time. The classic blue and white color combination is heavily in demand and probably not in the way you think. Instead of displaying your dishes in a china cabinet decorate your home with them.

By displaying the dishes whose colors represent the serene sky and sea throughout your home you can bring in a true feeling of warmth and comfort. You can arrange the dishes in a mosaic to be featured on the wall or as part of a vignette to be displayed on your coffee or entryway table. Not crazy about the idea of using dishes to decorate? Take the design and color of the dishes and translate them into your room instead. Check out these examples and let us know what you think!

Images from shelterpop

The New Kitchen Island: Oversized Dinner Tables

February 25, 2011/in In Style /by decorativetouch

Aside from the every day appliances what is the one thing you will more than likely see when entering a home’s kitchen? An island. Ever since kitchen islands broke onto the scene they have been a kitchen staple. Many include various features such as storage, cooking space, and additional amenities. As interior design has evolved the kitchen island has taken on a new form and function. And depending on your lifestyle you may find them to be more functional than ever before.

The new kitchen island is something we’ve seen before, only on a larger scale. Kitchen islands are now imitating the design of oversized dinner tables. They can be seen featuring leg forms commonly found on tables with less storage space if any. The classic dinner table design is even more exemplified when seating is include on multiple sides.

Take a look at a few of the new kitchen islands we found and let us know what you think!

Images from houzz

Color Cues from Design Hotels

February 8, 2011/in In Style, slider /by decorativetouch

Are you currently thinking about changing the interior design of your home for the spring, but seem to be stuck in a winter rut? For inspiration on bringing color into the plans for your new interior design take color cues from design hotels. Aside from being a place to rest during traveling design hotels are fully loaded with inspiration. They feature the latest color combinations and furniture trends. Often people visit them solely to take in the interior design.

We found a few color palettes from design hotels on casasugar we hope will inspire you. Some of the palettes include maroon, gold and hot pink, eggplant and forest green, as well as red ocean blue and yellow. Get ready to take a color cues from design hotels…

Images from casasugar

Call The Decorative Touch when you are ready to take the next step in planning the color filled interior design of your home.

Tip of the Week #19: Why Hire an Interior Designer?

February 3, 2011/in Tips /by decorativetouch

Janine @ Decorative Touch

I have been asked a lot lately…

Why use an interior designer when there is so much “do it yourself advice” out there? What does an interior designer really bring to the table?

Boy, if I had a dollar for all the times I have been asked that question in the last few years! It really does seem like out of all the professions, we designers seem to have to “justify” our positions and experience more than any other certified field.

And I think that is the point. A true designer has years of experience and/or a certification in the field of interior design. As the client, you have to do your homework and ask for referrals as well as credentials. Hiring the right designer can save you money, quite the opposite from what most people think.

A good designer should have an interview with you about your project and your goals. Your designer should then explain how he or she works, and ask a lot of questions about your desires for the project you are about to begin. Your first appointment after the initial meeting should be a productive one. You should feel like you are making some progress in communication and decision making on the first pieces of the puzzle that fit into your design scheme.

Your designer should help make choosing items easy by having selected things she feels would suit your needs based on previous conversations. He or she has access to an extensive reference library that you couldn’t search without having a design degree. My opinion is that you can’t afford not to use a GOOD designer on your project, but you have to find a GOOD one.

Ask your friends and family for referrals and ask your potential designer for references. If you are not comfortable, find a new one…your home is your haven, it’s as important to trust your designer as your doctor. After all they are doing a type of surgery on your home, and spending your money as wisely as possible. You have to trust them with decisions that can be very costly, which are investments in your home and your lifestyle. A high level of communication throughout is very important for the process to go well. So be sure to find someone you can talk to and are comfortable being with.

If you find the right person you will know he or she will have your best interest at heart. As a designer with 27 years experience, I know my joy comes from truly helping reach beyond my client’s goals…and even better if we achieve that within budget!!

As busy as we are in today’s world, the more need there is to hire an interior designer to help make your home your haven, there truly is a difference. Costly mistakes of purchasing the wrong pieces, painting the wrong colors, and buying the wrong accessories will keep adding up to money used in the wrong direction. Call your designer today, you simply can’t afford not to!

Sincerely,
Janine Terstriep
Certified Interior Designer

Beautiful Bathroom Inspiration

October 12, 2010/in In Style /by decorativetouch

We’ve talked a great deal about decorating your home, from the interior design in your bedroom, the living room and great room, but not the bathroom. Although it is overlooked, the bathrooms in your home are important. Just because they are practical does not mean that they do not need to be pretty. Your bathrooms are spaces that you and your guests will inevitably spend time in, so they require a well planned and executed interior design.

The interior design of your bathroom can carry many looks. You can choose a design that mimics traditional, elegant and upscale powder rooms, a design that is warm and inviting for guests, or even a family friendly design. Even though it is a smaller space, the design choices are endless. You may choose to have the design theme flow from the rooms around it, or do something completely different. If you haven’t given the design of your bathrooms any thought, or are looking to redesign your bathrooms check out these inspirational designs. Do you see any designs that interest you?

Images from the National Kitchen and Bath Association found on This old House.

Brown on Brown Inspiration

October 8, 2010/in In Style, slider /by decorativetouch

If you are looking to warm up the interior design in your home this fall don’t rule out brown. Although brown is probably not a color you would expect to see dominate a room, it can. Brown rooms with brown furnishings can be welcoming, warm, elegant and comfortable. If you are on the fence about brown rooms with brown furnishing, check out some interior designs we found on Apartment Therapy for some brown on brown inspiration.

Have Sweet Dreams with a Rustic Headboard

September 28, 2010/in In Style /by decorativetouch

Your bedroom is your personal retreat, a tranquil place for you to escape at the end of the day and you want to make sure your decor reflects that. The style of the decor in your room, especially the bed will affect your mood and how easily you can relax. What could be more relaxing than the feel of a lived-in country cottage? Rustic headboards give off a soothing charm and inviting look as the perfect place to have sweet dreams. What do you think of these rustic headboard designs? Do they make you want to climb in the bed for relaxing nap?

Images from houzz

Live Like an Heiress

September 20, 2010/in In Style /by decorativetouch

We always hear about the most popular heiresses that are set to inherit comfortable lives of luxury. We imagine the interiors of their family homes being the epitome of lavish elegance. Ralph Lauren Home has recently introduced their latest Fall 2010 collection, The Heiress. A take on interior design that spared no cost for a family’s heiress. The luxurious collection defines vintage bohemian romance in an Old World home fit for royalty. What do you think about the gorgeous, lavish collection, would you mind living like an heiress?

Images from Ralph Lauren Home