Browse: Mentions

Antlers In The Mountains And Your Living Room

I am an animal lover.  Love the deer…don’t shoot me.  They are gorgeous creatures.  I hope many of you agree with me.

With them shedding their antlers naturally, it is wonderful to find them for your home and make them as striking as when they crown a buck.

Some ideas?   See more of our thoughts below in the fabulous Kansas City Star’s House + Home section, written by Stacy Downs.

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Have you heard?  The secret is out!  Jill Tran Interior Design is now Tran+Thomas Design Studio.

 

 

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Best Bath Remodel, Award by KCH&G Magazine, “Before” and “After” Photos

“Sexy.”  That was the direction I was asked to take the design of this bath remodel (See the “BEFORE” below).  “Clean, white, bright, and some bling!” is what she asked for.  It was to have great storage and some unusual elements.  Our aim was clear.

Once again, Clay Lyon of Lyon Construction did a fantastic job with his crews at applying all of the finishes I chose.

"BEFORE" A small, dated and awkward layout of 2 closets and 2 bathrooms.

"BEFORE" A small, dated and awkward layout of 2 closets and 2 bathrooms.

I give you...Sexy.

The tiles I chose were so fun to design with.

Many people don’t understand what a designer does for a remodel or new construction.  For example, on this bath, I chose each tile’s style, color and size, where it was to go and how it is to be installed.  We chose the cabinets, size, color, finish.  We found the legs and had those installed.  The shower…what doors was it to have?  To the ceiling?  What faucets and shower heads?  Where in the shower?  What should we do on each wall?  What type of lighting should be enough and where should it go?  What type of tub, faucets, counter top, sink, their faucets?  Etc…

I love the wallpaper in the above shot.  It is glass beads on vinyl.  I had the wallpaper hanger split it in half length-wise and hang it horizontally for a unique look.  Under the cabinets, we has lighting installed as a “night light” for safer trips in the middle of the night.

Can you see the beading on the wallpaper and the subtle metallic flecks in the counter top?  Gorgeous, but not too much.

After a job well done: Myself with the contractor, Clay Lyon of Lyon Construction.

A briefing on the project by KCH&G magazine.

 

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My Lifetime Achievement Award In Interior Design!

I cannot express how humbled I am to be awarded the lifetime achievement award from KC Magazine.  Thank you, thank you….

When people ask me what I do, it really is an easy answer;  ”I help people.  I help them to be happy!”   To get my clients to that point is a tremendous amount of work.  It is a delight to have all of those hours, weeks and months recognized by not only my clients every time we finish a space, but by such the wonderful and amazing staff at KC Magazine.

A big “Thank you!” too, to the article’s author, Kaitlin Motley.  I think you nailed it…even I couldn’t pin my style down!

 

EDWARD TANNER AWARDS – Lifetime Achievement In Interior Design

             Profile by Kaitlin Motley (as seen in KC Magazine, July 2011)

“If the Edward Tanner Award for Interior Design were to recognize achievement for a lifetime only as long as that of our Design Excellence Awards themselves, Jill Tran would still be an indisputable frontrunner.  A talent honored by the awards program all four years, Tran has established herself as a designer with a knack for transforming houses into homes.

Paying strict attention to her clients’ personalities, interests and sometimes hard-to-articulate desires, Tran has achieved what is perhaps the oxymoronic goal for every interior designer’s portfolio:  constant variety.  Armed with myriad influences and emotions suggested by her clients, Tran scours the world for unique pieces that bring everything together in nuanced harmony.  Often quirky painting or sculptures, the pieces add personality to a room and act as jumping-off point for conversation.

The anticipation of the activity and daily life that will take place in the finished rooms could be what inspires Tran to search far and wide for the eye-catching details that often punctuate her work.  She visualizes the way her clients and their guests will interact with a room to be sure no detail is overlooked.  Such was the case with this year’s winning design in the Children’s Room category (not pictured).  ”[A] custom upholstered bench was brought in to allow the little girl to climb into bed by herself like a big girl, without having to utilize a side stool for Mom nad Dad to trip over, ”  Tran says of the project.

If wedding multiple influences and personalities is the challenge for Tran, the other part of interior design seems to come naturally.  She has a trademark flair for layering interesting textures and fabrics and setting them off with bursts of color.  Tran adopts her clients’ visions and maintains their requests, but she leaves an inimitable signature behind.  In regard to Tran’s winning bathroom design (a collaboration with Lyon Design, LLC, above), DEA judge Kim Tucker notes:  ”I am in love with this vanity–and those silly, sexy legs.  The bathtub styling says:  Jill Tran.”

Tran has crafted her brand into design that is quintessentially both her own and her clients’, leaving a bit of legacy behind–just like this award’s namesake.”

 

 

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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 Jill Judges The 2011 KC Home & Garden ‘Home Of The Year’ Awards

This year’s day to judge some of Kansas City’s newest homes was, sunny and full of beautiful homes.  It was again time to judge the Kansas City Home and Garden magazine’s 2011 Home of the Year awards.

It is such an honor to again be selected  as one of the judges the work of some of Kansas City’s greatest architects, builders, designers.  I know from my gold in 2008 the work that goes into each submission. The homeowner’s get just as excited.  It is a day to see who was able to do the most with what they had to work with, and how far the bar will be raised, again.
Each year, we are sent in small teams to a variety of homes all over the city in different categories.  The entries are submitted by the homeowners, architects, builders and designers and must be brand-spanking new.
I take the job very seriously.  This year, the 5 properties I judged were from all over the city and all different styles, shapes and sizes!  It is like comparing apples to bananas to oranges.  How do I choose?  Very carefully and thoughtfully…
My team and I had great discussions about which home should win!  My personal criteria?
  1. • I look for unusual and unexpected design solutions that work beautifully
  2. • Note smooth layouts
  3. • Search for special details (especially those that work for the land or homeowner specifically)
  4. • Examine quality of materials and craftsmanship
  5. • Reward green design
  6. • Want thinking outside of the box (instead of a “me too” design) that ultimately adds value to the property and/or the lives of those that will live there
  7. • Notice location
  8. • Judge the overall feel and look of the space. Not only must the home’s design work, it must be outstanding.
I ask myself:
  1. • Did the architect waste space or leave any small, funny areas the homeowners won’t know what to do with?
  2. • Were the niches, built-ins and/or lighting intended to be centered but didn’t quite make it?
  3. • Is the interior cabinet hardware going to last or did the builder cut a corner where no one would look?
  4. • What about window placement?  Vent placement?
  5. • Does the entry have a “WOW” feel?
  6. • Does the exterior complement the land and interior?
  7. • How would someone live in the space and make it their own?
  8. • Were the designers innovative while respecting the style of the structure?
  9. • Were their solutions unique, without going into Oddville?
  10. • Is the selling price appropriate?
The categories are perfectly arranged (I don’t know how Andrea Darr and Brooke Pearl organize this every year) so the judges can make sharp choices as we drive to each structure, critiquing and taking detailed notes as we go.
What does the competition do for you?  It encourage the designers and builders in KC to constantly question their work, push themselves, explore and stay current with trends, materials and procedures.  It matters.
See the KCH&G issue now and  judge for yourself!

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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

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

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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Shawnee Magazine Feature, Our Client Is Thrilled!

As an interior designer in Kansas City, it is so wonderful to have our work in print.  Thank you, Shawnee Magazine.

I have some details on the living room below…where we began and how the design became magazine ready.

If you want to read more on this home, click here

SEE THE “BEFORE” AND “AFTER” SHOTS OF THE LIVING ROOM HERE

"BEFORE"




The article in Shawnee Magazine...and the "After"


The Living Room:

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.


The Living Room:

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.

SEE THE “BEFORE” AND “AFTER” SHOTS OF THIS LIVING ROOM HERE


The dining room "Before"

The dining room “AFTER”:


READ MORE ON THIS HOME

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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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How A Design Came Together For KC Magazine, The Den

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.


Assignment
These clients liked little about this room before we began and needed to keep the wainscoting and sofa. “Just make it not so depressing.”  They enjoy horses, own a ranch and asked for a more masculine, comfortable feel.

Challenges
There were several challenges in transforming this space, not the least of them blending two different aesthetic tastes in the overall design.  Large doorways gave the clients no privacy during late evenings OR early mornings.  To establish privacy and a warm, comfortable feel, drapes from another room were “recycled and reinvented” to serve as flexible screening.   The architecture of the room is somewhat odd and creates an awkward traffic flow, proving difficult to lay out in a way for a couple with different relaxation habits.  But after installing a new design and some better lighting, it became the perfect place for reading, watching the news or enjoying a conversation.

Innovations
An oversized dog painting, a zinc horse statue, and a custom velvet lamp shade were also added to amplify the character of a room transformed from cold and odd to warm and personable.




The Den "before". Dark and cold with an odd layout. A tough space to work with!





The design I created for them is starting to come together. They are so pleased and excited! It will be gorgeous. Jill Tran Interior Design





Their den is complete! Photographed here by Bob Greenspan for KC Magazine. It is now warm, inviting, perfect for enjoying and special. Jill Tran Interior Design





The other half of the open KC Magazine. Jill Tran Interior Design





Close up of KC Magazine. Jill Tran Interior Design



Enjoyed this blog?  Follow us on facebook.

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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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



Enjoyed this blog?  Follow us on facebook.

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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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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See Our National Publicity

The lovely Susan Britton, a writer for the national site The Examiner, called last month to do an article on me and my firm.  We had such a great conversation and chatted for over 90 minutes.  She herself is a designer and writes on some of the biggest interior designers and product designers in the country.  I can’t wait to read her upcoming articles as her “to-write” list coming up is amazing…but I have been sworn to secrecy!

Thank you so much, Susan!  Keep me posted!


Read the article here


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