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Kitchen: Going Green

Going Green: Adding Green in Your Home

Do you want a fresh mix of color and great pattern? Then think about adding the color green as a theme in your home decor. Any upscale, timeless home will embrace the color. You can use the color green in many rooms throughout the house. I’ve collected several gorgeous pictures from interior design blogs that illustrate my point. Hopefully when you finish reading this post, you’ll be consider having me help you go green — literally.  Let’s start by looking at the sunny breakfast room, infused with green by using the green chairs.

Breakfast Area: Going Green

Breakfast Area: Going Green

And I’ve always loved to use the kitchen island as a way to add a pop of color as you’ll see in my recent blog The Extraordinary Kitchen Island. The green island and green color on the ceiling (another technique I love to incorporate) works well.

 

Kitchen: Going Green

Kitchen: Going Green

Finally, this living room is stunning, using the combination  green and blue.

Living Room: Going Green

Living Room: Going Green

Are you ready to transform your space by infusing the lively color of green? I can help you successfully and tastefully achieve the dynamic look. Just contact The Decorative Touch to get started today.

Photos: House of Turquoise

Kansas City Home and Garden: Fit for Family

The Decorative Touch Featured in Kansas City Homes and Gardens Magazine

We are beyond elated to be published in the Jan./Feb. issue of Kansas City Home and Garden. The article is entitled Fit for Family where the editors examine our task of designing the interior of a home adding 5,000 square feet to the already 5,500 square-foot space. The homeowners — who I have had the pleasure of working with a few years before— hired the Decorative Touch to work in tandem with the builder to not only increase living space but also focus on perpetual style that appeals to the family-centered nature of the owners. As the interior designer, I clearly understood the vision for the home, which I reiterated in the article.

“Everything in the house was conceived to enhance family life,”  Janine Terstriep says. “When the homeowners were ready to do a significant renovation to the existing house, they knew exactly what they wanted.”

It takes a great team to achieve this type of result on a home, from architect and builder to designer and homeowner. I was delighted to be part of the talent that made this all come together. To read the entire article, grab the Jan./Feb. issue of KCH&G, or just click on the screen grab below.

Kansas City Home and Garden: Fit for Family

Kansas City Home and Garden: Fit for Family

Photo: Kansas City Home and Garden

Are you looking to establish a new style with your home’s  interior design? We can help you get started.  Just contact the Decorative Touch, and we’ll help with the next step.

Photo: The Decorative Touch

The Colorful Living Room

We love color. And although some homeowners may be afraid of color, it really is a great way to express your personality.

We just met with one of our favorite furniture suppliers last week and learned more about what is up and coming for 2012, and yes, color is coming round the corner in more ways than one.  You will see lots of tangerine, wonderful navy blue like its never been seen before, and even tranquil greyed ocean blue is still so restful, and you will find it hard to resist.  So, as we show you below, don’t be afraid to use paint in different ways and take a chance on color. There are so many gorgeous things out there to inspire you this year.  Be it fabric, area rugs or just a fresh coat of paint dare to be different and express your inner designer.

You’ll see lots of orange in this family room that has been shown before on this blog. This room creates a warm vibrant feeling for family and guests because of the color. We mentioned before how orange (or officially Tangerine Tango) is the 2012 Pantone color of the year. In this space, we used plenty of solid color to set the tone.

Photo: The Decorative Touch

Photo: The Decorative Touch

But as you can see in this living room below, patterns can also infuse color into your space. The color certainly doesn’t have to be a monochromatic theme.

The Patterned Living Room/ Photo: BHG.com

The Patterned Living Room/ Photo: BHG.com

If you do not see adding colorful furniture, think about having an interior designer handpick colorful displays. They can even be changed for the season or time of year.

Darling Displays/ Photo: BHG.com

Darling Displays/ Photo: BHG.com

Are you looking to add color to your living space? We can help you get started in the right direction.  Just contact the Decorative Touch, and we’ll help with the next step.

The Fabulous Foyer: Pretty and Classic

The Fabulous Foyer

They say first impressions are everlasting, so since the foyer is the first impression your home will make on guests, we want to inspire you to create a decor for your foyer. The entryway can be just as creative as other parts of your home.

For example, we were drawn to this foyer because of the design of the chair. This seat has been upholstered, allowing the fabric to keep a relevant, updated feel while preserving the antique ambiance of the chair.

The Fabulous Foyer: Pretty and Classic

The Fabulous Foyer: Pretty and Classic

Photo: HouseBeautiful.com

If you’ve read the last few posts of this blog, you know that we are huge fans of antiques and vintage. The entryway of your home is a great way to let all of your guests know how much you appreciate things of old. In this foyer, antiques included the American hooked rugs. Such a nice touch.

The Fabulous Foyer: The Anitque Entryway

The Fabulous Foyer: The Antique Entryway

Photo: HouseBeautiful.com

This neoclassical foyer uses creamy marble floors, paired with antique Italian commodes that are topped by marble urns. The space is brought together by a Zodiac light.

The Fabulous Foyer: Neoclassical

The Fabulous Foyer: Neoclassical

Photo: HouseBeautiful.com

Are you thinking of redesigning your entryway? We can help you create the foyer of your dreams. Just contact us. We can help you come up with ideas that will match your home’s look and feel.

The 2012 Polka Dot Trend

The Polka Dot Trend

At The Decorative Touch, we draw ideas from our surroundings. We are truly inspired by the plethora of polka dots we see on the fashion runways. This pattern is manifesting in the fabrics and clothes that women will be wearing all of 2012. And you’ll also see the polka dot trend included in the fabrics, design and upholstery in interior decorating for 2012.

I have loved polka dots for as long as I can remember, and so this “trend” is an easy favorite of mine.  You might have noticed Kate Spade has lined her purses in polka dots for a while now, and Robert Allen fabrics have had these little dots in there fabric line for years!  I have done a nursery or two using these cheerful little prints, and they will never go out of style.  Whimsical and elegant depending on the texture, I think polka dots are here to stay.

Designer Luca Luca is the first piece that aroused my enthusiasm for the trend. This floor-length dress is found in the spring 2012 collection. See here the dots are plentiful but not overly large.

LucaLucaSpring2012

Luca Luca Spring 2012

Photo: nymag.com

Interior designers can reincarnate the look by using upscale polka dots linens in more fancy rooms such as the dining room, where the tablecloth, cloth chairs and even napkins can come into play.

 

The Polka Dot Trend: Dining Room

The Polka Dot Trend: Dining Room

Photo: Elements of Style

Another fashion picture of inspiration we’d like to show you (illustrating that the polka dot trend is transcending fashion and interior design alike) comes from the American edition of Vogue magazine.

Sarah Jessica Parker: Vogue August 2011

Sarah Jessica Parker: Vogue August 2011

Photo: Vogue.com

We can recreate the look actress Sarah Jessica Parker wears in the August 2011 issue of Vogue, with accents throughout the home sure not to overpower the theme, but to only accentuate the already established feel of the room.

The 2012 Polka Dot Trend

The Polka Dot Trend 2012

 

The 2012 Polka Dot Trend

The 2012 Polka Dot Trend

Photo: Elements of Style

Of course, polka dots should not be over done, or you might risk losing the graceful touch to your home. For help including this trend in your home in a seamless way, contact us. We’ve got several great ideas for you.

Tangerine Tango: 2012 Color of the Year

A new year means a new trend. The market leader in color Pantone Inc. says the 2012 color of the year is Tangerine Tango, a strikingly warm hue reminiscent of a sunset glowing in the distance. Tangerine tango dethrones the 2011 color of the year, honeysuckle, and brings interior designers a vivacious reddish orange that can add vigor and warmth to any home.

We couldn’t wait to share how you can you incorporate this friendly, inviting color into your everyday living space, giving off a dynamic energy with a few simple touches. Below are three ways The Decorative Touch suggests you can infuse tangerine tango into your home:

Accent Pieces
Accent pieces, such a decorative pillows, throws, or even art on your wall can bring in tangerine tango without over saturating the room. Used with other brilliant hues or neutrals such as taupe, the trend can bring in just the pop of reddish orange that you might be hesitant to utilize in other scenarios.

Patterned Fabrics
Include a simple chair or an ottoman with stripes, dots or even piercing paisleys colored tangerine tango to complement the furniture already in the room. Placing a piece designed with delicate touches of tangerine tango in the fabric makes an awesome transformation simple to do.  You can also buy a slip cover for existing pieces in the room.

A Coat of Paint

If you are a designing daredevil at heart, try painting the room tangerine tango. Whether painting an accent wall or even the ceiling, a few strokes of paint can go a long way. Not to mention, it’s both time and cost effective.

Image: Interior design by The Decorative Touch

4 Great Gift Guides Featuring Décor and More!

If you’re looking for gift ideas for your stylish friends and family, you’re in luck. We’ve seen numerous gift guides all over the web lately, and we thought it would be nice to bring together our favorite four so you can find all the best goodies this year. Check these out to find something for everyone on your shopping list!

Are you interested in even more ideas for getting you in the holiday spirit? Check out our posts on “Beautiful Table Decorating Ideas for Entertaining” and “Decorating for Christmas: Ideas and Inspiration.” And to continue seeing all our updates on interior design tips, style, projects and more, simply subscribe to the Decorative Touch blog!

Image: Naito8 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Celebrating Decorative Touch’s 200th Blog Post!

We have a very exciting announcement for the Decorative Touch blog: We have been blogging for about two years now, and have reached our 200th blog post! In honor of the occasion, we thought it would be fun to look at our most popular posts since the beginning of our blog back in December 2009. Here’s a look at the most highly-viewed posts so far:

One of the colorful hotels from our third most popular post to date.

1. Jennifer Aniston’s Stylish Platform Bed

2. Featured Project: Leawood Kitchen Remodel

3. Color Cues from Design Hotels

4. Glamorous Design Ideas for Your Home Office

5. Nursery Style Alert: Birds, Owls, Giraffes, Oh My!

Thank you so much to all of our readers! We hope you continue to follow our updates on interior design news and tips, what’s in style and Decorative Touch design projects. Do you have a favorite Decorative Touch blog post? Leave a comment to let us know your top pick!

Image via casasugar

3 Big Trends in Home Decor

Are you wondering what’s going on in the world of interior design? An array of new home furnishing products were introduced at the recent High Point Market, an important industry trade show. We were very excited to see the “Fall/Winter 2011 Market Style Report,” which includes information on all the latest trends in design. Here are a few of the big home decorating trends you should know about (interestingly, many of these are also big right now in fashion design):

  • Furniture and accessories are putting a modern spin on older styles, including glam Hollywood, midcentury modern and Venetian
  • Circular patterns are big, as are those resembling latticework
  • All shades of metallics are gaining traction, adding subtle sparkle to home decor

Visit the High Point Market website to learn more. Which of these interior design trends are you most excited about? Leave a comment to let us know—we’d love to hear from you!

Image via highpointmarket.org

How to Let Your Home Make You Smile

A space can feel more relaxed if it includes curvy furniture.

Your home should be a place you love—a place that makes you smile—and interior design plays an essential role in making this happen. Naturally, we enjoyed House Beautiful’s recent slideshow “10 Ways to Make Your Home Happier.” Here are a few of their ideas we really agree with for bringing more joy into your home:

  • Surround yourself with things that really speak to you.
  • Good design starts in the entryway so you feel happy right when you walk in the door. Don’t be afraid to add splashes of color in this space.
  • Include pieces with curved lines for a welcoming feel; too many harsh angles aren’t as inviting.

Visit House Beautiful to read all their tips for creating a happy home. What have you done lately to let your home put a smile on your face?

If you’re looking for an interior designer who can help you love your home, contact The Decorative Touch in Lenexa, KS today.

Photo: Design by The Decorative Touch