Browse: Living Rooms

Trend Series: Steampunk

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Steampunk, a blend of vintage, Victorian style and today’s technology, has found its way into the interior design world. Wonderfully bizarre and alluring, the style is best known for oddly beautiful objects, art and rooms. If you were throwing a dinner party and Steampunk was a guest, it would be the person telling interesting, somewhat unbelievable stories.

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We’re Showered With Design Awards

It was an amazing evening.

I was shocked as my new business partner, Carmen Thomas and I, kept hearing my name over and over at the Design Excellence Awards by KC Magazine.  I am flattered beyond flattered and oh, so humbled. It is such a joy to have my work, time, effort, ideas and dreams recognized.  No one knows how much work an interior designer REALLY does for their clients like the people in that room.

The people I would like to thank…Everyone at KC Magazine…Katie Van Luchene, Eryn Swanson, Erin Calvin, Dara Macan, Kim Tucker and all of the other wonderful people at KC Magazine.  Thank you, thank  you.

Of course too, I would like to thank my clients because if it wasn’t for their faith in me, none of the gorgeous rooms would have happened and I wouldn’t have been standing there without my umbrella.

Thank you all so much!

Yours,

Jill

Awards from KC Magazine:

Edward Tanner for Interior Design, Lifetime achievement award

Gold:  Interior, Speciality Room

Gold:  Interior, Bathroom

Silver:  Interior, Dining/Living Room

Bronze:  Interior, Dining/Living Room

Gold:  Interior, Best Use of Art

Bronze:  Interior, Best Use of Art

Silver:  Interior, Children’s Room

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How A Design Came Together For KC Magazine, The Living Room

There is nothing better than wonderful, kind clients.  Those fabulous people that appreciate great design and want to surround themselves with it to make every day better for themselves.  This couple was no exception!

Once frustrated, Kerry and Mike Helmuth turned to me for wonderful design solutions.  Their home needed some TLC and a plan.  Once I discovered the direction they wanted to go with their home’s design, the challenge began.  How to combine a cowboy feel with Country French using greens and a bright color pop here and there?  More seating was a priority, too, but of course, not too much stuff.  Less is more, but sometimes, you just have to break the rules.  But when?  Now.

See the full KC Magazine issue as a pdf



Cover of KC Mag Jill Tran Interior Design's work is featured in.





A "before" shot of their living room. They wanted it to be much more beautiful and special.





Another "before" shot of the space. Kerry just wasn't pleased with it. It lacked color and interest for her.





The design I created for them starts to come together with wonderful details and exquisite fabrics. Jill Tran Interior Design.




The same room completed as shot by Bob Greenspan for KC Magazine. It is colorful, interesting, beautiful, has more seating and rich in special details and features to make it wonderful! Jill Tran Interior Design





The same page from KC Magazine. Jill Tran Interior Design



Notice the rich color pops…not too much, but just enough.  The seating is comfortable and welcoming with luxurious fabrics.  The cow art was commissioned from artist Mary Ann Johnson and is of the homeowners’ farm.



Close up of KC Magazine. Jill Tran Interior Design





Me standing in the space, it is fun to enjoy it for a moment. Jill Tran Interior Design





The original shot of the space we took with the bull I found (the plan was to move him to the back hall once the other piece came in, which we did). I love the croc skull I found, too. A little rough and tumble. Jill Tran Interior Design



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Make it fab!
-Jill

Click here to DISCOVER ALL OF JILL’S LATEST BLOGS FULL OF GREAT DESIGN, TIPS AND INSPIRATION

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.

Contact Jill

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Inspiring Design In Fall Colors: Part III of III

There is nothing like spectacular design…it make you feel good.  For example, how do these designs make you feel?  They are from the historic Greystone Estate in Beverly Hills and was Veranda’s third show house.  Such gentle fall colors here.  I thought the time seemed right to share these with you.

***SEE PART I OF THIS SERIES click here


Click here to DISCOVER ALL OF JILL’S LATEST BLOGS FULL OF GREAT DESIGN, TIPS AND INSPIRATION

What do you think of these rooms?  Let me know by leaving a comment.

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.

Contact Jill

Photos: Veranda


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Inspiring Design In Fall Colors: Part I of III

There is nothing like spectacular design…it make you feel good.  For example, how do these designs make you feel?  They are from the historic Greystone Estate in Beverly Hills and was Veranda’s third show house.  Such gentle fall colors here.  I thought the time seemed right to share these with you.

***SEE PART II OF THIS SERIES click here


Click here to DISCOVER ALL OF JILL’S LATEST BLOGS FULL OF GREAT DESIGN, TIPS AND INSPIRATION

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

Photos:  Veranda

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.

Contact Jill

“After” my design solutions were installed by our teams.

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My Own Holiday Decor…Non-Traditional And Happy

It’s October 1st and time to think about the winter holidays!?!  Well that is what we did when the lovely writer Gloria Gale and photographer Jason Dailey stepped into my home in JULY!  That’s right…this is what my house looked like in July of 2010.

Speaking of, many of you always ask about my own personal home and want to see what it looks like.  I wish I had more time to work on my own home but I just get too busy designing great spaces for my clients!  Here it is ready for the holidays, in July.

I do love birds and wanted to be sure to bring them into the space.  I adore the close-up Jason took of the roses and bird seed.  It is so festive, warm and sweet.

Photo shoots are always so interesting and enjoyable.  I took a quick snap here from behind the camera to let you in on the fun.


During the photo shoot. Lights, lights, lights!


Make it fab!

-Jill

Click here to DISCOVER ALL OF JILL’S LATEST BLOGS FULL OF GREAT DESIGN, TIPS AND INSPIRATION

Tell me what’s on your mind….leave a comment here for me!

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.

Contact Jill

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Searching For The Perfect Fabric For Your Home, Like Finding The Perfect Dress, Part III: Grays & Browns

We have all been there…a special event to go to and nothing to wear.  What’s a girl or guy to do?  Get help!

I want to share these dynamic fabrics with you in a small series from that began last week and will wrap up this week.
If you have been dreaming of the right fabric for an accent pillow, bedspread or window treatment, one of these may spark your inner fashion diva.  While they are not for everyone, nor every home, it is still fun to watch them walk down the runway with this quick fashion shoot…

See more inspiring fabrics at Architectural Digest…


Want to see more great fabrics?  Continue this fabric series by clicking here


Make it fab!

-Jill

Click here to DISCOVER ALL OF JILL’S LATEST BLOGS FULL OF GREAT DESIGN, TIPS AND INSPIRATION

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!

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.

Contact Jill

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Living Room Gold Award, Before and After

One of my favorite things to do after completing a space, is to walk around and remember what it used to be…

You can almost do that now here as well.  Isn’t it amazing the difference?

The photos here are from our gold award for the Living Room/Dining Room category for the Design Excellence Awards from the prestigious KC Magazine.  They recognize  Kansas City’s best interior designers, architects and kitchen designers with gold, silver or bronze awards in a variety of catagories for residential and commercial interior and exterior design.  It is always such an honor to have your hard work appreciated.  Thank you again, KC Mag!



"Before"


This client was ready for a complete living room transformation.  She wanted to have her sectional worked into her custom design.  Like so many, she didn’t want to get rid of her oak trim and moldings, but knew the finish looked dated.  She loved the crisp contrast between creams and blacks, but wanted a hint of color here and there.  She desired the room be warm, spacious feeling, transitional (a look between traditional and contemporary) and traditional in feel, sophisticated and friendly.


"After" my design solutions were installed by our teams.


To fulfill the client’s wishes for a space she would love, I decided some crisper lines would be an essential first step.  She loved them.  Small patterns add texture and color.  Interesting artwork in rich hues and fascinating sconces add warmth and mood for entertaining in the evenings. We exchanged the “common” lamps and accent tables with more unique and handsome pieces to give the room a memorable look.  I also chose elegant furnishings for a fuller and more complete layout.  Our design using classic lines, hues and a discerning eye have transformed her main living area into a rich, transitional room for her to enjoy every day!


"Before"



"After" my design solutions were installed by our teams.


Another view of her living space:


"Before"



"After" my design solutions were installed by our teams.

Thank you so much again KC Magazine and judges for the honors!

Make it fab!

-Jill

 

  • Click here to view Jill’s newest tips, advice and inspiration in her popular blog


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!

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.

Contact Jill

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Our Bronze Awarded Room…The “Befores” and “Afters”

As an interior designer in Kansas City, it is so humbling to have our firm’s work recognized.  Thank you, KC Magazine once again.

To follow is our bronze in the Living/Dining Room category.

These wonderful clients had a living room space with an awkward floor plan.  It was a long room with great windows and a magnificent view, but the room itself left something to be desired.  They wanted a sectional and great seating for entertaining.  Lighting was an issue in the evening.  She loved green so she and I decided to complement the outdoors and frame them with beautiful pieces with great lines.  The silhouettes in front of the windows needed to be sleeker pieces were what would make her happy.  All of the aging oak needed to be toned down a bit as well.


Mag cover



"Before"



"Before" See the great view?


Our design solutions?

This new area for entertaining needed some wonderful color, softness and beauty so we played up the greens, added drapes up to the crown molding and some beautiful furnishings and accents.  The original oil was commissioned and is fun, unexpected and cuts the space perfectly.  For handsome silhouettes in front of the grand windows, natural sticks, a darling lamp with a semi-opaque glass body and a “tree” table base over marble were perfect.

They are both so thrilled now with their main living space.  It was great fun to help them take a room they had no feelings for and make it wonderful for them and their family to enjoy everyday.


"After"



"After"



"After"


Make it fab!

-Jill


  • Click here to view Jill’s newest tips, advice and inspiration in her popular blog


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!

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.

Contact Jill

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Wallpaper How-To’s…How To Make It Gorgeous!

While the thought of wallpaper makes some people scream, for you, I hope it will bring squeals of delight!  It is back in full force and with so many gorgeous papers out there to choose from, they are just starting to make just paint look, well, not as exciting.  Why not have the best?

After hearing what my readers think about wallpaper, most of us hear “wallpaper” and our minds automatically go back to some very dated looks.  Think TV.  You all mentioned All In The Family, Dallas, Everybody Loves Raymond, Eight is Enough, Family Ties and Growing Pains?  Sooooo yesterday with those set looks, right?!  Today papers are showing up in grand spaces on shows of all kinds.  They are now in young hip shows.  The Apprentice and America’s Next Top Model.  Ant those are just a few.  Of course, paper never left some of the grandest homes I have had the pleasure of seeing in person.  Papers make spaces so amazing.

Another fear I am finding from my readers is not putting the paper up, but taking it down.  To remove it right, the walls must be sized first.  Sizing is similar to applying paint.  It rolls on.  It holds the paper tight to the walls, yet releases it the day you want to change the wall’s surface again.

As far as resale for a home, telling the buyer the walls were properly sized before the paper was hung could make them happy.  Keep in mind though that a fashionable and up-to-date home will attract buyers sometimes more than the “neutral” and/or “safe” home’s design.  When they think back to a home, they will remember the home that was the most beautiful…not the most neutral.





See the paper I added to this little babe's room...it is white with little glass beads for a sheer, gorgeous and light sparkly look.





For thoughts on how to hang wallpaper, check out this link for Seabrook Wallpaper’s directions.  I think they are good instructions and cover most everything.  How To Hang Wallpaper

As far as choosing paper, be aware of the scale of the print.  Smaller rooms should usually have smaller prints, larger prints for larger rooms.  Unless you want a more fun and funky look….like we wanted in the hip bath we redesigned above.  Watch for flocked papers and foils in bathrooms or areas with moisture.  While a lot of papers are tough, some can take a little less cleaning such as with surface added details like the flocking or beads, ete..  Take a chance and make a fun, gorgeous choice. If you aren’t so sure at first, try a smaller space first like a bathroom.  Get a great paper hanger, too that has done this a million times.  They know all about plumb lines, prepasted -vs- non-pasted papers, tricky areas, etc. It is money well spent.

Wallpaper question?  Let me know and shoot me a comment.  Think bigger than paint…think paper!  Send me your pics…I want to see!

Make it fab!

Jill


  • Click here to view Jill’s newest tips, advice and inspiration in her popular blog


Send me your comments and questions…email me!

pics by Jill Tran Interior Design and Co. and Schumacher


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