Many homeowners are opting for a green lifestyle these days, so what better place to start eco-friendly living than in your own living space? The Decorative Touch is well versed in what exactly it means to ‘go green’. I understand that green never means you have to sacrifice style.
Designing an Eco-friendly Home
Eco-friendly interior design should not only be recyclable but also harmless. In order to successfully complete eco-friendly interior design, natural and organic materials have to be used. That means no particleboard. No chromed metal. And sorry, no plastic. Although you may spend more of your budget to design an eco-home, the natural materials are very durable, good quality, and of course safer.
Nearly every part of your home can be made ‘green’, including wall coverings and paint. Think about river rocks to decorate the walls, or perhaps wood panels, ceramic tile, cork, or wallpaper made of bamboo. For your ceilings, opt for wood panels. Flooring is not an eco-friendly exception. It can be made of stone or wooden parquet made from European woods, bamboo or cork. The results will be stunning and eco-friendly. Combine lighter and darker words to create fun shapes and patterns in the room.
Your furniture can come from sustainable forests, be upholstered with eco-friendly fabrics, and at The Decorative Touch we even like to ‘recycle’ by infusing beautiful antique or vintage pieces to create a unique vibe for your home. Also, accessories can offer great choices for green home decor: glass or clay vases, rocks, wicker baskets, old chests, and dry leaves or tree branches from your backyard.
Other benefits? Lower maintenance costs, less energy usage, higher levels of occupant satisfaction, and lower Co2 emissions.
Seem like a big task? That’s what The Decorative Touch is here for. Just reach out to us, and we’ll give you a new, fresh, green start on your home.
Photo via stagetecture.com
Perfect Patios and Porches
/in In Style, Tips /by decorativetouchOK. It’s spring. So why wouldn’t you want to spend lots and lots of time outside? The Decorative Touch designs outdoor spaces that clients just melt over. And trust me, I can do the same for you. Need a little inspiration for design? Let me help you. Below are some outrageously beautiful patios and porches that need no words. The beauty speaks all on its own.
Farmhouse Porch
Rustic Enclosed Porch
Boathouse Deck
Gravel Paito
Are you looking to recreate your outdoor space? Contact the Decorative Touch , and let us work our design magic.
Springtime Brings Spring Flowers
/in In Style, slider, Tips /by decorativetouchFloral decor can definitely liven up your home and eradicate the winter blues. There are plenty of ways to infuse this look for a spring appearance. I’ve listed these creative home decorating ideas will turn your home into a bloomin’ domicile.
Fully Bloomed Wall Paneling
An entire wall papered with flora is a bit overwhelming; however, wallpapering just the compartments of a panel with a flowery design brightens the room with some pizzazz.
Flowered Lampshade
A lampshade with outlined flowers is bold, yet elegant, and when the drum-shaped lamp is suspended over your table, it will be a focal point.
Flower-Oultine Lampshade
Flower Folding Screen
A folding screen with a flowered print such as a jasmine vine, makes a statement and a daring one at that. This will contribute some attitude to your furnishings.
Jasmine-Vine Folding Screen
Floral Lined Cabinets
Using floral wallpaper for the backdrop of open cabinets adds a touch of sophistication to your shelves.
Petals on a Pillow
A plain-colored pillow teamed with some ultrasuede flowers of the same color is simple, but very appealing.
Sun-Print Pillow
For more fun ideas on decorating with flowers, contact The Decorative Touch at 913-219-7333. Or just drop by: 14111 W 95th St., Lenexa, KS 66215
The Decorative Touch Featured in 435 South Magazine
/in News /by decorativetouchWe have some big news to announce. We’re excited to share that 435 South magazine has featured the Decorative Touch in its latest issue. The all-encompassing article is something we couldn’t wait to tell our blog readers. One of my favorite parts of the article is Tips from the Tierstrieps, where we give some tips and tricks about interior design. Some of the tips included:
You can read the entire article by grabbing a copy today.
The Decorative Touch Featured in 435 South Magazine
At the Decorative Touch, we’d love to help you integrate stunning, glamorous ideas into your home’s design. Please feel free to give us a call if you’d like to get started: 913-888-1388.
Designing with Maps
/in Tips /by decorativetouchMap Lamp Shade
Feel lost when it comes to interior design? The Decorative Touch can help you find your way by incorporating maps into your home’s decor. Colorful and often unique, maps will guide you to fabulous design and a creative look.
For example, say you’re a big traveler. You can hang pictures from your latest vacation by having a map can serve as the border of the picture frame.
Plus, I can identify special finds in stores that have items with map patterns pre-printed on them. I would use boxes, pillows, or decorative wooden letters with maps printed on them.
Maps can be used to decorate anywhere you can glue paper too, including lining drawers, wrapping presents, and making book dustjackets.
At The Decorative Touch, we’d love to help you integrate these ideas into your home decorating. Please feel free to give us a call if you’d like to get started: 913-888-1388
Photos via marthastewart.com
The Decorative Touch is Featured on Houzz.com
/in In Style, slider, Tips /by decorativetouchMaster Bath Design by The Decorative Touch Featured in Houzz
Have you heard? The design work of The Decorative Touch is featured on Houzz.com. The online write up is such exciting news for me, especially since this site has such a mass following, particularly among those who love interior design. Houzz boasts that it’s the largest collection of interior design and decorating ideas on the Internet, including kitchens and bathrooms. And now, the portfolio of The Decorative Touch is part of that beautiful, robust compilation of design pictures.
I’ve included above the picture mentioned on Houzz.com. The feature discusses designer bathrooms, including one by the Decorative Touch, that have small touches that make the master bath very special. Go to the article, scroll to the No. 9 mention and take a look for yourself. Like the readers and editors of this site, get inspired by what we can do to create your dream master bathroom.
Also, rummage through some other rooms I’ve done for clients found in my portfolio, and contact me to start your interior design project today.
Photo via The Decorative Touch
Jaw-Dropping Staircases
/in In Style /by decorativetouchI am constantly running across photos of truly jaw-dropping staircases, some in the homes I design and others in different media such as blogs, magazines and books. As an interior designer, I love working with architects who spend an ample amount of time to create stairs that look so beautiful and allow for stairs to become part of the design process. A popular design blog named Design-Milk.com listed 20 stunning stairwells. Some are uniquely shaped. Others have vibrant colors. Each set of stairs is very unique, yet all are equally stunning.
One of my faves is the ‘wood’ stairwell. Take a closer look. The pieces are not really wood. Italian company 14 Ora Italiana has a collection of wood grain porcelain tiles inspired by the work of famed pop artist Andy Warhol. The Uonuon line comes in fourteen colors.
Uonuon
Also, these days you may see more of the space-planning trend with staircases. Architecture firm Atelier SAD created this modern staircase that also serves as a bookshelf.
Bookshelf & Stairs in One
These are only two of the staircases that caught my eye. Make sure to look at all 20 on Design-Milk.com. Plus as always, feel free to leave a comment below, and let me know which is your favorite. Enjoy.
Photos via Design-Milk.com
Opposites Attract: Complimentary Color Schemes
/in slider, Tips /by decorativetouchColor theory is something we’ve always implemented here at The Decorative Touch for a long time, so we were thrilled to see a recent House Beautiful article about opposite color schemes. Photos like these can make anybody complimentary!
Kumquat with indigo
The chairs above, by Jeffrey Bilhuber, contrast kumquat with indigo, which is almost opposite on the color wheel. Note that the indigo is a little less vibrant than the kumquat; it would have been too bold otherwise.
Color wheel
Image courtesy of Cornell University
The seating area below, by Melissa Warner, balances vibrant color with a more neutral sofa. When it comes to color, neutrals are the pause that refreshes.
Vibrant color with a more neutral sofa
The Hamptons cottage below contrasts orange with blue. The blue is more subtle than the orange, enabling the quilt to really pop like the piece of art it is.
Contrast orange with blue
If you are looking to refresh your home with a thoughtfully-planned-out color scheme, contact us at The Decorative Touch or visit www.decorativetouchltd.com
Designing an Eco-Friendly Home
/in slider, Tips /by decorativetouchMany homeowners are opting for a green lifestyle these days, so what better place to start eco-friendly living than in your own living space? The Decorative Touch is well versed in what exactly it means to ‘go green’. I understand that green never means you have to sacrifice style.
Designing an Eco-friendly Home
Eco-friendly interior design should not only be recyclable but also harmless. In order to successfully complete eco-friendly interior design, natural and organic materials have to be used. That means no particleboard. No chromed metal. And sorry, no plastic. Although you may spend more of your budget to design an eco-home, the natural materials are very durable, good quality, and of course safer.
Nearly every part of your home can be made ‘green’, including wall coverings and paint. Think about river rocks to decorate the walls, or perhaps wood panels, ceramic tile, cork, or wallpaper made of bamboo. For your ceilings, opt for wood panels. Flooring is not an eco-friendly exception. It can be made of stone or wooden parquet made from European woods, bamboo or cork. The results will be stunning and eco-friendly. Combine lighter and darker words to create fun shapes and patterns in the room.
Your furniture can come from sustainable forests, be upholstered with eco-friendly fabrics, and at The Decorative Touch we even like to ‘recycle’ by infusing beautiful antique or vintage pieces to create a unique vibe for your home. Also, accessories can offer great choices for green home decor: glass or clay vases, rocks, wicker baskets, old chests, and dry leaves or tree branches from your backyard.
Other benefits? Lower maintenance costs, less energy usage, higher levels of occupant satisfaction, and lower Co2 emissions.
Seem like a big task? That’s what The Decorative Touch is here for. Just reach out to us, and we’ll give you a new, fresh, green start on your home.
Photo via stagetecture.com
How to Use Rope for Design
/in In Style, slider, Tips /by decorativetouchI want you to look past the practical uses for a rope, and start to embrace the concept of using it in your design. As you know if you read my blog on a regular basis, I’m always looking for new, elegant ways to infuse the avant garde into luxurious homes. Ropes help me do just that. I understand rope would normally be considered a utilitarian necessity and not an attractive decorative element. But I’ll show you with the examples I’ve collected below that rope can really add a fresh feel and shine in many rooms.
A wonderful illustration of rope design used in the home is the bathroom. A rope-based towel holder is not over done but adds obvious style.
Rope Bathroom Decor
A living room often needs lots of light to brighten the space, and what better way to do so than a rope lamp?
Rope Lamp
A plain pair of wooden stools gets a brilliant makeover by adding simple coils of rope.
Rope Seats and Stools
Are you ready to transform your space with a little rope? I can help you successfully and tastefully achieve this dynamic look. Just contact The Decorative Touch to get started today.
Photos via marthastewart.com