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Tip of the Week #11: Sex and The City 2 Interiors

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To ‘all the single ladies’ and all the married ladies for that matter, if you haven’t yet seen the movie “Sex and the City 2”  let me just say, I for one genuinely enjoyed it. While watching the very talented Sarah Jessica Parker and team, you can certainly get a tip or two not only for your interiors (Carrie even admitted to cheating on fashion with furniture), but fashion on as well. In true form, interiors always follow fashion. Take a special note as to how much wallcovering is used in Carrie and Big’s Manhattan penthouse. What a gorgeous uptown showcase!  I would want to relax a little more comfortably, in a less stream lined sofa, but leave it to Carrie to select the sofa that doesn’t make perfect sense. Sex and the City 2 is a movie that takes you away for an hour or two and leaves you wanting to go shopping in more ways than one (You single girls know what I mean!). Enjoy every minute and who knows, maybe we will see a nursery in Carrie’s next penthouse.  It’s possible right?  Are you a Carrie Bradshaw fan??  Or have the Sex and the City girls gone far enough, traveling across the world?  Let us know what you think…

Sex and the City 2 decorSex and the City 2 decor

Janine
Images from Elle Decor

Battle of the Barbeque

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Great Lenexa Barbeque BattleWell Lenexa it’s time for the official Kansas State Championship, the Great Lenexa Barbeque Battle. Keeping with tradition, the battle will be held the fourth Saturday of June which is this weekend the 25th and 26th. The 195 contestants from all-over will bring their secret recipes and personal smokers to compete for the coveted title of the Grand Champion of the Great Lenexa Battle. Samples will be judged by 240 judges in the following categories: brisket, pork, ribs, sausage, chicken, whole animal, and miscellaneous. Come out to Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park this weekend for barbeque, children’s activities and music with the community!

  • What: Great Lenexa Barbeque Battle
  • When: 5pm- 11pm Friday June 25, 9am – 5pm Saturday June 26
  • Where: Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park
  • Admission: $5 Friday, Free Saturday

For more information visit the city of Lenexa site.

In Shape With Your Decor

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measuring tapeDoes your interior design make you eat more or less? According to Dr. Oz there are ways your home décor can help you stay in shape. Sounds too good to be true right?  Well Dr. Oz said it so we are going to keep an open mind. Try some of these home décor tips and see if they help you keep the pounds off this summer.

  • Open and Airy: Keeping the windows and shades in your home open this summer makes you indoor environment light, which will reduce your appetite.
  • Fruit on the table: Keeping a fruit centerpiece on your dining room table will help you lose an extra 5 pounds a month studies show. The sweet smell of flowers increases your appetite while fruit decreases it.
  • Opaque Dishes: Using opaque dishes reduces your appetite because you can not see through them.
  • Go Outside: People naturally eat less in the summer when its hotter outside. Sun light also decreases serotonin levels which reduces any depression or need for comfort foods.

In addition to these tips, remember to eat healthy and continue with your regular exercise routine.

First seen on casasugar.

All-America City Awards

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All America City logoThe time is here Lenexa. This week The National Civic League will present the All-America City Awards in Kansas City. The National Civic League serves as an advocate for democracy in communities by bringing together public, private, non-profit sectors. As you know we are one of 27 finalists along with Riverside for the 2010 All-America City award. To be considered we had to submit an application and demonstrate three examples of problem–solving in our community.  The 10 winners will be announced Friday so keep your fingers crossed and ears open! For more information visit All-America City Awards.


Photo Credit All-America City Awards



Janine’s Tip of the Week #10: Area Rugs

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It seems like lately I have been asked how to transform a space with a reasonable investment.  Well,  given the economy that is certainly understandable.  If you have good “bones” in your space, you might consider a great new area rug.  Often that is the one piece to the puzzle that is transforming and will give you the “wow” you were looking for that can change everything. If you are at the luxury of starting your design project then I suggest you begin with the area rug. Area rugs ground an entire space and add texture, color, and pattern. They tend to give the entire space the much needed connection that was once lacking. It can set the stage for the rest of the  pieces  and help you select the wallcovering, furniture, fixtures, drapery and accessories. Area rugs truly are a great accent to any room…living, dining, hearth, and bedrooms.  I might suggest a few favorites that we carry in our showroom:  Jaunty Rug Company, Feizy Rugs, and Davis and Davis Rugs.  Happy rug shopping…as always, we are here to help!
Jaunty Rug

Jaunty rug

Feizy Rug

Feizy rug

Davis & Davis Rug

Davis & Davis rug

Janine
Images of rugs from Jaunty, Feizy Rugs and Davis&Davis Rugs.

Switch Up The Seating

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While churning our design wheel, we realized how much we love the idea of unconventional dining room seating. Last Tuesday, our post Beach Blues showed a dining room with contemporary sofas as the seating. The sofas brought a different level of comfort to the room while maintaining the formal mood. In addition to using unconventional seating, mixing various types of seating will allow you to please more than one of your design ideas. Having a bench, a chair or two and a sofa all within your desired color palette brings personality and texture to your room. You can even pick the different seating based on your family member’s preferences. As long as there are common elements among each piece, your room will flow perfectly. Call us today so we can help you switch up your dining room seating!

Dining room with mixed seating

Dining room with with mixed seating

Dining room with mixed seating

Fruit and Flowers

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Yes fruit has been placed in vases before, so I am not going to tell you to place a couple pieces of fruit alone in a vase for a modern look. Instead, I am going to help you take your fresh floral arrangement up a notch to brighten and liven up your space. Since you need water for fresh flowers anyways, add some fruit  to brighten the bottom of the vases (the picture displays lemons and oranges). I suggest adding the fruit first so you won’t have to worry about the water overflowing. Toss in your fresh flowers and voila, you have a unique bright mix of fruit with your arrangement.

Vase with flowers and fruits

Beach Blues

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Before you even hit the beach this summer, bring it home to your dining room. When we first saw this photo the first thing that caught our eye was of course the brilliant blues. Each shade brings about a different thought. The candles reminded us of the little blue Tiffany&Co. box in different hues. The turquoise of the chairs (how modern and elegant to use sofas as dining room seating!) and sea foam place settings make us think of the water at a tropical beach. This design incorporates shades of blues showcasing how everything doesn’t have to be matchy-matchy. The green printed wall paper creates a beautiful contrast along with the gold of the mirror. What do you think of this design?

Dining room with turquoise decor

Janine’s Tip of the Week #9: Wallcoverings

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To those of you who cringe at the idea of wallpaper and have lived through the “country craze” of blue and mauve days, may I re-inspire you to think again about the beauty of great wall covering?  You cannot transform a space more quickly than with great wallcoverings, and the artists today are out to capture your heart.

Take a peak at what York Wallcoverings has to offer in their Ronald Redding Collections. Menswear prints have never been the same!  Take a look at their Manuscript collection for the true traditional home. It makes you want to add a library on to your renovation.

Also, Thibaut Wallpaper & Fabrics has a new book called Filigree that is very lovely and full of delicate glamour that is modern and simple, with an elegant flair.  It might be the perfect fit for a new look in your foyer, dining room or bath!

Just open your mind to what wallcoverings can do. For a little more investment wise, it gives you a major transformation and makes an ordinary space extraordinary!

Strip with Damask by York Wallcoverings

Thibaut Wallpaper and Fabrics

Filigree Greenbriar by Thibaut Wallpaper & Fabrics

Janine

Use What You Have

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Do you have some mix match vases or other figures and you don’t know what to do with them? Instead of buying new things just transform what you have. This DIY project found at Style Me Pretty was intended for a wedding, but can be used as a table centerpiece. All you need is your items of course, and a bottle of spray paint.

  1. Make sure your items are clean and dry.
  2. Lightly coat each and allow time to dry
  3. Repeat step 2 until desired shade is reached.
  4. Fill with flowers and arrange closely together on your table.

After your seemingly pricey DIY project is complete, all you have to do is field raves from your guests.

Before DIY vases

Before

After DIY vase

After