To Market, To Market

This November, we went to the International Furniture & Accessories Market in North Carolina to scope out new trends and collect pieces for our clients. Walking from booth to booth, we chatted up furniture, accessory and rug designers to get a clearer picture of how the industry is doing, where it’s going and what is fading out, along with what’s coming down the pipeline. Think of us as interior designers and detectives. Sitting on our favorite vendors’ pieces and touching all of the new items tells us more about how something could work in a client’s home than any number of pictures could.

Every year, we learn a lot at market, but trust us, it’s completely earned. For five days, we spend our time scouring miles and miles of home furnishing offerings. In addition to some killer calves, we always come back with tips on what is hot in home interior design. We’re so excited to share our finds with you and won’t even make you walk a mile first. Here’s our top 16 trends:

1. Steampunk

2. Wallpaper is hot, hot, hot, and it is nothing like what you might find in your grandma’s home

3. Ikat fabric/patterns were everywhere. Houndstooth, zebras, chevron, fret, damasks, quatrefoils and burlaps are still in too.

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Design Excellence Awards: Our Interiors Receive Two Golds And A Bronze

I would like to humbly thank the wonderful KC Magazine and the Midwest Commerical Journal for honoring our interior design work with three interior design awards. The presentation, celebration and party were fantastic with the biggest and best designers and architects in Kansas City attending.  Thank you so very much KC Mag and Midwest CJ and many CONGRATULATIONS to all of the exceptional and talented winners.  Such a fun evening!

I will highlight and share “Before” and “After” shots of the spaces we won the awards for soon, so check back.

The awards themselves (above) are so gorgeous and beautifully designed by the talented Joe Munson.

Thank you so much again!

-Jill

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Photos:  Jill Tran Interior Design and Co.

Jill Tran is a Kansas City Interior Designer and creates beautiful, custom interiors for her interior design clients in Kansas City and clients around the country.

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Our Baths Feautured In KC Home Design Magazine

The always stunning Kansas City Home Design Magazine interviewed me on bath design for this month’s issue on all of the wonderful trends and exciting ideas that are so fresh and “today.”  Such spaces can be so luxurious and beautiful.  The opportunities are limited only by your imagination!  I know you already know how important the design of your home can be to your life.  Keep in mind, the bathroom and bedroom are where you start and finish your day…how do yours make you feel?  What do you see when you open your eyes first thing?

Thank you Kansas City Home Design!

Close-up on the page...

Close-up on the page...

Make it fab!

-Jill

Click here to view Jill’s newest tips, advice and inspiration

Tell me what’s on your mind.  I love hearing from you!

Photos:  Our bath designs are featured on the pages of KC Home Design Magazine

Contact Jill
Jill Tran is a Kansas City Interior Designer and creates beautiful, custom interiors for Kansas City Interior Design clients and clients around the country.

From The Publisher

Zach Lieberman, the publisher of the gorgeous Kansas City Home Design magazine gave me another wonderful little “shout out,” this month.  Thank you, Zach!

Got a comment?  Reaction?  Question?  Interior Design question…WWJD? (What Would Jill Do) Tell me what’s on your mind.  I love hearing from you!

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A Gold Award For A Comfortable Forest

After winning the Gold for this room from Kansas City Home Design magazine’s Design Excellence Awards, I received a lot of questions so I thought I would answer some of them here!

I always try and bring the outdoors inside as it is important not only for the sake of an interior design but for good health.  Whether it be stone, trees, marble, cotton, silk, shaped woods, metals, etc., such materials promote a hearty closeness with nature and an opposition to the slick materials man has created.  Even Fung Shui encourages using those elements for a balanced life.

I always try to look at a space with new eyes and thought with this room, ‘Who said these bookshelves had to be used for books?’  With that, we ripped them out and brought the outdoors in.

"BEFORE"

The stone fireplace was a work of art hidden behind a wall, ordinary shelves and a dull palette. The unusual solution for a couple that loves the outdoors?

"BEFORE"

Bring the outdoors in!  Birch, oak and walnut trees now complement the natural beauty and colors and veins of the rock. The tree’s hand-made leaves colored in coppers, golds and silvers echo the metallic embroidered silk drapes and luxurious custom love seats. Now let it rain or snow outside all it wants.

"AFTER"

To create your own oasis plan a natural stone wall or floor for rich texture for the eyes and feet.  For placement, let the rock ‘speak’ to the stonemason.  In this room, I used soft cottons and lush silks to contrast the roughness of the stones.  For depth and a directional change, real trees, grasses and twigs add a fascinating interest and color.  If you choose to do the same, just be sure your pieces are free of any critters.  Though Fung Shui encourages live plants in all rooms, I think dried naturals can be beautiful in addition to.

Bring in a bowl of beautiful rocks, shells, small sticks or pinecones you have collected.   Let your children add to the bowl so they can contribute and increase their observation skills while playing in the sun.

I found this head of Quin Yin while shopping with my friend in Seattle. Carried her home on the plane. She is 45 pounds and just fit under the seat in front of me.

For The Baby Book; First Steps and a Design Award

The winners from the 2009 Design Excellence Awards by KC Home Design Magazine were published in their July/August issue with the fantastic finished wood cover.  I get asked quite a bit about the projects I was honored for so thought I would share them here!

A baby’s room I designed for a sweet little girl won the Silver in the Specialty Rooms category.  I am always tickled pink to watch my clients see their homes in print. They get such a kick out of it!  The big question is, “Can we enough copies for all of our friends and family?”

One copy of the mag is going straight to a little girl’s baby book. What a lovely and memorable page that will make for years to come!

Not available in the mag are thes “Before” and “After” shots.  Wow!!!

But before you look….

It is fun to know the client wanted to bring black into her baby’s room…AND she didn’t want a color commitment on the walls!   She wanted it to sing, “baby girl,” but not at such a high volume that it would be overwhelming.  She needed a rocker, but not the typical eye-sore rocker.  Once for storage, I saw this room needed some major changes.

My design solutions?  First, I love the challenge of making black work in a baby’s room!  I brought it into rich accent pieces that my Client can use throughout her entire home in the future, but that are soft enough for the baby room for today.  For the walls I chose a glass bead wallpaper and had panels created for a bit of sparkle and elegance.   A comfortable rocker big enough for Daddy to also sit in, soft sconces on remote control so they could be turned on and off without disturbing Baby and silk and linen drapes make even trips in the wee hours lovely.  Where is the changing table you ask?  In the armoire, of course…all tucked away.

The space is now gorgeous for Mommy to enjoy and peacefully cradle a happy child.  In the future it can even lend itself to a toddler or guest room.

"BEFORE" Crib corner.

"AFTER" Crib corner.

"BEFORE" Storage corner.

"AFTER" Storage corner.

"BEFORE" Window area.

"AFTER" Window area.

"BEFORE" Empty wall, but nice legs!

"AFTER" Now a functional and pretty wall!

I just love how this shot turned out.

I really wanted to give her a special baby gift so I selected scraps of fabric from the drapes, chair and bedding after they were made, and created little clothes for these sweet bunnies I found. The one on the right foreground I added gold wings to.

I added her eyelashes and her little "coat" I made is from the same fabric as the crib's bedskirt. She may get a little toasty...

Thank you again for the awards KC Home Design and such an honorable award.

I Give KC Home Design Mag A Tour Of The Furniture And Accessory Market

I always enjoy going to the High Point Furniture and Accessory Market.  It is fabulous inspiration, tons of work and eye candy until your head spins.  I have gone since I was a kid (they don’t even let kiddos in anymore) and must confess, was not much of a fan when I started going…I wanted to stay home and hang with my friends!  Now, I look forward to it.

I had a wonderful invitation from KC Home Design to share such an experience with their readers.  It was such an honor, as it is the first article of its kind that ventured out of Kansas City!  Thank you, KCHD!

A closer view to the page

A closer view of the page

Was such a pleasure, KC Home Design!  Thank you!

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A nice mention…

A nice mention by the editor, Zach Lieberman of KC Home Design Magazine…

Cover

I just love thinking out of the box and KC Home Design does that.  Great covers (and content), Guys!  Keep up the amazing work!

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A Few More Pics…

Another quick mention and photo from the evening…such an honor!

I collect costume jewelry so I am a little partial to this cover.

That is me in the upper right-hand corner.

If It Was Your Home That Won, Would You Jump, Scream or Cry?

There is nothing more thrilling than watching my client’s eyes light up when they walk into their home and see my design for them, for the very first time.  Some jump up and down, some cry, some scream (and keep on screaming for a long time) and some flap their hands. I have also gotten the quiet hands over their mouths clasped in amazement.  For that one, I have to gently remind them to breathe!  It is moments like that that make all the work I do worth every minute.

But, those moments belong to my clients to enjoy every day of THEIR lives.

For me, I get an additional moment in time…an interior design award.

At this year’s Design Excellence Awards on the lovely terrace at 909 Walnut, hosted by Kansas City Home Design magazine, I was honored with two.  One was a gold for Living Room Design and the second was a silver for a precious baby girl’s room I designed in the Specialty Room catagory.  It is hard not to smile (or flap my hands!) when someone recognizes all of my work, creative thoughts and ideas for each space.  We all want to be appreciated.  What many don’t realize about me, is that those awards add to my hopes and joy for each of my clients’ lives, too.  Each design I create is a dream come true for me, as well as them.

Thank you, KC Home Design, Zach Lieberman, Katie Van Luchene, Eryn Swanson and the rest of the staff.  Also, a big thank you to the judges:  Richard Wetzel, Kevin Harden, Kim Tucker, Erin Calvin, Katie Van Luchene, Suzy and Erich Goldstein, Jeremy Knoll and fellow fab blogger Heather Clawson.