Happy Valentines Day – Design Inspiration
It’s only fitting, since I truly love what I do I gathered a bit of cupid dust and made a design vignette with a few favorites that is appropriate for Valentines Day!
Whether you are going out or staying in, Single or Married, take a few minutes to jazz up your space! Plus I think Valentines Day is the perfect time to reflect on everything in your life that you love and all of those whom show you love! I am feeling very thankful this year!
Credits:
Plate, Polish, Hanky (similar), Packaging, Confetti, Berries
XOX
K
.jpg "Happy Valentines Day Design Inspiration")
Interior Designer Kristin Rieke
.jpg "Happy Valentines Day Design Inspiration")
Interior Designer Kristin Rieke
.jpg "Happy Valentines Day Design Inspiration")
Interior Designer Kristin Rieke
Interior Designer Kristin Rieke
The Benefits of Staging
An afternoon with the KCHBA
By now everyone knows what staging a home is and has probably read a few articles about it!
Designer Kristin Rieke
I recently spoke on a panel at the KC HBA with other local designers about the topic of staging and why it really does make a difference. For builders this can be an extremely useful tool because it brings your home to life and helps the potential buyers visualize their belongings in the home. (Think of it as a virtual floor plan of what it could be).
Make your buyers feel SAFE!
In a good way…SURPRISE them, go all out in an important room (Great Room, Dining, Master Bedroom). Really “Do it Up” and make a statement!
Make them feel AFFECTIONATE about your home. Incorporate certain pieces that make it feel personal and have feeling. For example fresh flowers in the kitchen, photo frames with real people in them, bowls of candy on the coffee table. These items are personal triggers that will grab a spot in their memory that make them remember your house and connect with it emotionally.
When they walk in your house you want your home to have a FEEL GOOD FACTOR. Think of Midwest Express Airlines..The homemade chocolate chip cookies and large leather chairs made travelers feel like they were at home!. How can this translate into your home…Have the fireplace going, or calming music playing in the background.
Lastly make them EXCITED! When you see a great movie you always walk out of the theatre excited and you want to tell everyone how awesome that movie was. This is what you want people to do about your house. Instead of looking at your furniture as place holders, be selective in what you choose and more importantly what you are creating. Maybe you deck out a “Man Cave” in the basement. When the buyers tour 20-30 homes in a day your man cave is going to stick in their mind and make them so much more excited than seeing vibrant pillows on your sofa.
What else…
EMOTION!
Connect with them emotionally! I know it sounds sappy but most people buy 3 homes in their life time. A starter home, the family home, and a house to down size in. That is not very many! For women they see these homes as the foundation that they build their families in and make so many memories in. It is an extremely emotional experience!
SIMPLE MATH!
Make them curious to come out and see your home! With hundreds of houses in the Parade of Homes! Give them a teaser (2+2=??) It sounds silly, but never tell them the answer make them come figure it out!! With social media snap a pic of your living room and post it to Facebook or record a 5 second teaser video of your amazing master bathroom and place it on Twitter… But the ticket is to not show them a whole tour or all the photos just a few to make them curious enough to come see what else your home boasts!
Happy Staging!
K
Staging the Perfect Valentines Day!
Holiday Design Trends
I have found that I have more fun planning fun events and gifts during the smaller holidays…Probably because I have more time to do so (Christmas is so chaotic I am lucky if I put my shoes on the right feet) and it seems more exciting because they are more intimately celebrated holidays (usually between your close family and friends).
Tips…I generally come across my favorite pieces in the “non-holiday” aisles at my local craft/thrift stores when I am looking for new entertaining accents. So think out of the box and focus more on your colors, textures, and theme…if you end up in the toy aisle so be it!! (Or the Target Christmas Clearance Aisle…Guilty).
Sending a HAPPY HEART full of design inspiration your way!
Cheers!
K
Designer-Kristin RIeke
Designer-Kristin Rieke
Credits:
Plate, Berries, Tree, Confetti, Fabric, Pinecones (handmade)
Nomad Style – Design Trends
Kansas City Interior Design – Kristin Rieke
My absolute favorite fashion and design items are either vintage or authentic handmade goods! So I found a few things that encompass both looks that are currently on trend! Will Leather Goods (tote bag below) literally kills it all the time their Dhurrie Bags are to die for, and the designs Loloi Rugs produces make my designer heart melt! I hope y’all enjoy them as much as I do!
Designer Kristin Rieke
Credits:
Phone Case, Bag, Scarf, Rug, Ottoman, Pillow, Throw, Baskets
Cheers!
K
Texas Weddings Magazine – Featured
Glamorous Wedding Inspiration Shoot Featured in in Texas Weddings Magazine
It’s always fun to start the week off with features!
This one is from our friends at Texas Weddings Magazine! They featured one of my favorite photo’s from our “Glamorous Spring Wedding Shoot” we did at the River Market Event Space! The simplistic black and white cake design with the bright florals and glitter backdrop are the perfect trio!
So a large thank you kindly goes out to TX today!
Florals - Emmy Ray
Photography – Cassandra Castaneda
Design – Kristin Rieke RAK’Designs
Cake – Cake Girl
Designer: Kristin RIeke
Designer Kristin Rieke
Cheers!
K
Entertaining + Sparking New Ideas – Interior Design Trends
One of my favorite reads that is full of all types of inspirational features is our own KC At Home Magazine! So I am over the moon excited to be a part of their January Issue on stands now.
P.S. I picked mine up at HyVee!
Anyways.. if you look inside you will find a feature all about the entertaining do’s and don’ts and how to incorporate them into your home and mix in pieces that are on trend! I personally love to entertain and to create a fun environment to celebrate in with friends! I hope y’all enjoy the piece as much as I do!
Plus I have to give a HUGE shout out to my favorite local vendors and creative team! Photography, Floral + Cupcakes!
KRISTIN RIEKE INTERIOR DESIGNER
KRISTIN RIEKE INTERIOR DESIGNER
KRISTIN RIEKE INTERIOR DESIGNER
Happy Reading! Cheers!
K
Design Must Haves – What’s in your Tool Bag?
Sometimes you just don’t know what a designer is going to pull out of her purse/tool bag/ carry all….Mine is a disaster 90% of the time. A few things I am loving keeping in my “tool bag” are design accents. My latest mood board is featured below. Some items are just a flavor or concept for something much larger. Like the piece of reclaimed wood…rather than carry around a whole plank of wood I like keeping these little slivers handy to pull out and make quick impromptu mood/inspiration boards. Or the vintage cabinet knob that ties into the painted porcelain vases and lamps that are on trend, but again you get the idea behind the concept by looking at the knob. But for paint..I break the rule and use the actuals, this awesome mini deck by Sherwin Williams (I love it!). So sometimes what you find isn’t really being used at its face value but it makes a pretty picture right?….
Kristin Rieke – Interior Designer
Kristin Rieke – Interior Designer
Enjoy!
K
New Year Kick Start. Planning my days away
Thanks to a great friend my new planner inspired quite the spiral effect!
I opened the planner and it was like Eccolo was in my brain and knew exactly how I thought! Then to add to the mix I wondered into Targets “Dollar Section” and found the perfect clipboard to compliment my latest accessory! But then I became obsessed the gold, the green (Lucite Green to be specific… one of Pantone’s Spring 2015 “it” colors) I was surrounded by the perfect palette that spun me into a design planning euphoria.
Kristin Rieke
Credits:
Leggings, Socks, Planner, Earrings, Scarf, Clipboard, Paint
Enjoy + HAPPY FRIDAY!
K
Design Favorites – Cognac and Navy
I love the authentic look of a rich looking brown leather. The more worn it gets the better, think of that accent chair in the corner of your grandpas office that was all wrinkled and broken in but so comfortable! When you combine a few of these statement pieces with a more refined material (steel, canvas, matte black accents, etc) it gives way to an genuine inspired dream land!
Interior Designer Kristin Rieke
Credits
1. Luggage, 2. Tassel Key Chain, 3. Soap, 4. Candle,
5. Scarf, 6. Book, 7. Pillow, 8. Log Holder
Enjoy!
K
New Year New Look! – Design Trends that Sparkle
Kristin Rieke Interior Designer
Starting Fresh in the New Year and wanted to take a poll and see who has picked up the new KC At Home Magazine or read their blog? They are the new KCH&G and are definitely making their mark on the KC design industry!
To make a splash for the New Year and keep up with the hottest trends I created a few boards of my favorite sparkly items! For all things GOLD, make the jump over the the KC At Home Blog and check out the silver hued items below!
By Designer Kristin Rieke
Silver Palette
1. Wine Glasses Mikasa, 2. Tie Back Osbourne and Little, 3. Mount Currey and Co, 4. Ice Bucket Arteriors Home, 5. Lamp Michael Aram, 6. Chest Kravet, 7. Throw Happy Habitat, 8. Throw Pillow Designers Guild, 9. Place Cards Rosanna Inc, 10. Place Mat Kate Spade
Cheers and Happiest of New Years to Everyone!
K
Kristin Rieke
Kristin RIeke
Christmas Countdown Baking Special
-With Kristin-
I am hoping everyone is home cooking, wrapping gifts and spending time with loved ones!
I know that is on my agenda! But this morning was all about the cookies and I thought I would share a few of my favorites! This past fall I picked up an adorable set of woodland cookie cutters from our new IKEA…and I finally was able to put them to use today! A few cute cut outs later plus my moms favorite sugar cookie recipe and I was on a sugar high, in aww of the sprinkled baked goods!
Hope your holiday is blessed and happy!
K
Festive Holiday Details!
Now is the time everyone is running around trying to finish up their holiday details! I couldn’t resist putting together a little vignette while wrapping and decorating!
But my reason behind the post is… don’t forget to stop and enjoy the moment! Soak up all this festive cheer while it’s still here!
Click below to view the video of it all coming together!
Christmas Details by Kristin Rieke
Enjoy!
K
Christmas Place Setting Statements
Kristin Rieke Interior Designer
I am saying it…place settings can be daunting! But the easiest thing to remember is less is more…lots of clutter will get annoying!
I try to add just a piece or two that connects with each setting, name cards are great but overdone a lot of times (plus no one really likes being told where to sit). Think outside the box and whatever you are celebrating bring in items that create a mood that your guests can interact with! So in each design I added a tactile element (not just a decorative paper item) and changed out the ornaments on the plates to create different looks!
Design 1+2: Traditional/Rustic – I just swapped out ornaments to change the look but also tucked evergreen sprigs under the plate. (This looks amazing and it adds a great aroma)
Design 3: Modern – Again changed the ornament and added feathers to the mix….(who doesn’t love glitter and feathers?)
Have Fun!
-K
Handmade Holiday Accents
Sometimes the best in show is not straight off the runway or one of a kind couture! My personal favorites are those that come from my own two hands or those of a friend! Handmade gifts, decorations, etc have an authentic spirit about them that make you feel good about what you made and its awesome how that quality shines through for others to notice as well!
So to keep in line with the soon approaching holidays I whipped up a bit of festive cheer in the form of small log slices and Fa la la la la handwriting!
Ingredients:
Log slices (cut from small scrap firewood pieces)
Paint (whichever color you prefer I used Sherwin Williams Link Gray)
A metallic sharpie
The best part about these little baubles is that they could be coasters, decor, gift tags, etc!
Enjoy!
K
Designing for the Holidays
It’s that time of year when all the decorations are going up for Christmas and New Years and it is always so hard to decide where to add a little holiday cheer without going over board!
I have designed three different looks and each has one item that adds some holiday spirit! It’s crazy how each look (rustic, organic and modern) changes so much just by swapping out one item! But I also kept consistent with the 3 items that stayed the same (bell, book and magnify glass) that way you are not totally changing everything in your home!
Hope you all enjoy and Happy Holidays!
-K
Love It – High Style Farm House
Interior Designer Kristin Rieke Not sure if it holds true for every girl out there but I will admit to loving the escape from the city and weekly rat race to flee to a more serene environment. I am thinking 100+ wooded acres – quant lil cabin – wood burning fireplace - gorgeous lake – early morning coffee – wrapped up in a chunky knit throw - cobblestone patio! Pretty perfect in my eyes, but even though you might be on a farm or a couple hundred miles outside of a city doesn’t mean it can’t have serious style!
one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight
Enjoy!
K
In the Kitchen – Summerlini Cocktail
Summerlini Cocktail
www.rak-designs.com You don’t need a special occasion to enjoy a nice summer cocktail, my excuse is generally visiting with friends and family or relaxing on a Saturday morning! With peaches being in season we can barley keep enough in our house because they are so good! We love the Bader Family Farm located in Campbell Missouri (their peaches are to die for!). My latest obsession combines a fresh fruit homemade popsicle and a spin on the classic belini!
Please Note: I use the 4 oz Zoku Round Pop Mold. They work great!
POPSICLE INGREDIENTS
2 Fresh Peaches – Bader Family Farms
1 Cup of Organic Peach Nectar – Bionaturae
Peel skin off peaches and cut peach off core – Slice fruit into small cubes – Pour nectar and fruit into plastic container and place in freezer – Only keep peach mixture in freezer to allow for it to set up enough that your fruit won’t sink into the bottom of the popsicle mold – Once the mixture is set up pour into your pop molds and allow the popsicles to fully freeze through!
COCKTAIL INGREDIENTS
1 Bottle Pineo Grigio Bubbly – Barefoot Wines
Summerlini Cocktail
www.rak-designs.com Summerlini Cocktail
www.rak-designs.com Once Popsicles are ready to be enjoyed place them in your desired glass of choice and pour champagne in glass over popsicle until full!
Enjoy!
K
Design Thoughts – What is Boho?
Over the past few months I have had so many people ask me what boho is? An attitude, style, look, etc? My answer…All of the above.
Kristin Rieke Interior Designer
Cassandra Castaneda Photography BOHO CHIC : a style of fashion drawing on various bohemian and hippie influences
The best way for me to describe it is to think of Nicole Richie + Anthropologie! Both are huge loves of mine! When I walk into an Anthro store it invokes a certain environment (a very eclectic and laid back atmosphere) and whenever I see photos of Nicole Richie or her clothing and jewelry line House of Harlow she always looks so calm and at peace with herself, her style and her fashion! Both the Anthro and Nicole are very true to their own individual identities with NO desire to conform to societies standards! What’s not to love right?
Cheers to all you Boho loving beauties!
K
Design Must Haves – Exotic Inspired Accents
Yes I still see the occasional leopard print cushions here and there, but in the right application and as the right accent piece it can be quite adorable! I have rounded out my favorite items that have a few stripes and Rawwr from first glance! Remember…I said “ACCENT” piece!
Interior Designer Kristin Rieke Enjoy!
K
one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight
Love It – Black Metallic Interior Accents
Interior Designer Kristin Rieke Sometimes you get tired of the same schemes, neutral this, accent of color here AND then you cross over! You want to try out the dark side, a metallic lamp, iron side tables, beaded throw pillows etc. So the next time you feel adventurous or want to turn your average “Man Cave” into a sophisticated scene ( I am thinking an abode that Harvey Spector might occupy) take a few hints from the items I have gathered!
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Enjoy!
K
Featured – Style Me Pretty
Has anyone ever met that person that seems to wear a lot of hats? Sometimes I feel like I am one of those people. I am most recognized for my interior design work but I have a hard time stopping myself from divulging in other creative tasks as well. Within the last year I was commissioned to create a set of custom wedding signage for a soon to be bride on the east coast. There is a certain satisfaction that comes from designing and crafting something with your hands! The signage was all hand painted on reclaimed wood planks.
Custom Wedding Signage Custom Wedding Signage Custom Wedding Signage So I was delighted to hear that this brides wedding was recently featured on one of my favorite wedding blogs “Style Me Pretty”. Not only did the signs turn out great and make the feature but every other vendor that had a hand in the affair did a rock star job! Very honored to be in such good company!
Enjoy!
K
In the Kitchen – Summer Shandy Cocktail
The weather this summer has been full of surprises, some mornings I wake up and think it’s fall, but then it never fails we will get a scorcher of a heat wave. One of my families new go to cocktail for the hot summer days is a Summer Shandy! With the recipe found in Cooking Light Magazine we were confident it would be tasty!
Summer Shandy Cocktail When we made our batch we couldn’t help but support our locals: Schlafly Brewery out of St. Louis, MO (beer), Bekemeiers Fruit Bitters in Neosha, MO (honey), & see my notes below for more information on brands we prefer!
Happy Sipping!
K
Ingredients
3 tablespoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons honey (Bekemeiers)
4.5 ounces vodka (Grey Goose)
1/4 cup fresh orange juice (Simply Orange)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Ice
1 (12-ounce) hefeweizen beer (Schlafly Brewery)
Preparation
Combine water and honey, stirring well. Pour honey mixture, vodka, orange juice, and lemon juice into a cocktail shaker filled with ice; shake vigorously.
Strain into a small pitcher; add beer. Serve over ice; garnish each drink with an orange slice, if desired.
Design Thoughts – Trust Your Instinct
Interior Designer – Kristin Rieke How many times do you buy something out of peer pressure or guilt? With the influences of friends and family, social media and the ever changing trends many of us get wrapped up in what we think we should do or have instead of what we want to do!
Exhibit A: You want to revamp your living room. Your monthly Pottery Barn, West Elm, Wisteria, etc arrive and you don’t like a thing in any of them! My advice DON’T BUY ANYTHING! Just because they show these hot new items on trend doesn’t mean they need to become a part of your home nor do you need to feel weird that you don’t like anything! Retailers don’t like to admit sometimes they completely miss the mark because so much of what they do and produce is decided on so far in advance of when you actually get your catalog in the mail!
So what do you do?… Keep looking, you will know when you find something you love and want in your home! Whether it is a vase, lamp or sofa when you spot it that inner voice inside of you will say WOW! I don’t know what it is about that piece but it is awesome! Then going a step further, the ticket to this is figuring out why you like certain things and it will allow you to source products you gravitate towards more easily!
How great are those decorative balls and tray? Roost Co. is always SPOT ON!
Cheers!
K
Design Must Haves - Feminine Bathroom Accents
LADIES, our bathroom is sometimes the forgotten piece of the puzzle. Throughout your life most females spend on average 3,276 hours in the bathroom prepping for their days/evenings!!! Holy cow that’s a lot! So if we spend so much time in there we should enjoy being in that space right? I have provided a mix of items you can use to spruce up your prep space. Bathroom accents don’t have to be extravagant, they can be as small as pretty packaged soaps, a unique frame, or fun towels and linens just to add a bit of your personality your space!
one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight
Cheers!
K
Love It – Interior Decor Products that Give Back
We all have experienced those times when we not only find something we like because its cute but then we find out by purchasing it the company gives a percentage of profits back to a good foundation, charity or community. For instance the “FEED” product line at Whole Foods Markets always get me, who doesn’t want one of those adorable burlap totes?
I have grabbed a few of my favorite products and sources for snatching up great finds at reasonable prices that “give back”
One, Two, Three
Cheers
K
Kristin Rieke Interior Design
Featured – Kansas City Homes & Gardens Magazine
Not everyone gets to attend the design markets, but they definitely pack a punch on our industry. Most recently the High Point Market unveiled so many new colors, textures and brand new furniture pieces. I was honored to be able to showcase one of my favorite pieces this spring with Kansas City Homes and Gardens Magazine from such a unique company Stray Dog Designs. The “Willow Chandelier” truly is a showstopper, packed with a variety of color options, awesome texture and a one of a kind look!
Thanks again to KCH&G I always love gracing your pages!
K
In the Kitchen – Garden Fresh Bruschetta
Hopefully you caught this weeks Must Haves, I gathered my favorite seasonal finds as Harvest season is soon approaching! But lets talk about what’s happening now..TOMATOES! Hopefully everyone is enjoying a great crop of this years home grown tomatoes! To kick off the fresh food season we made up our “go to” summer appetizer Garden Fresh Bruschetta. If you have never made bruschetta it is super easy to mix up a batch and is always a great item to take along to a summer BBQ!
Ingredients
- 1 loaf (1 pound) French bread, cut into 1-inch slices (I like serving it with fresh bread if you are in a time crunch try Stacy’s Snacks)
- 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 3 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped (from the garden if possible)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped (from the garden if possible)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions
- Place bread on an ungreased baking sheet; brush with 1/4 cup oil. Bake at 325° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the vinegar and remaining oil. Stir in the tomatoes, onion, basil, salt and pepper. Spoon about 1 tablespoon onto each slice of bread.
- Serve immediately. Yield: 12 servings.
Enjoy!
K
Intro to Antiquing – Tips & Tricks
I am sure many of you are envious of those friends that always find the perfect vintage goodies for their homes! I don’t blame you! Bringing antiques into your home is the quickest way to achieve an authentic looking space. Each piece tells its own story but once you bring it home it becomes part of your story!
So if you have difficulties finding that “vintage junkie” bone in your bodies, then I am going to break it down for you.
Buy what you love not what is on trend
Just because all your favorite bloggers are buying up milk cans and mason jars doesn’t mean you need to buy them. Most people surprise themselves when they begin to scour estate sales because certain pieces will jump out at them and bring back memories from their families adventures and past relatives. Those are the items you want, something that not only tells a story of its own but also relates to you personally.
Don’t pay outrageous prices
I grew up knowing the phrase if the store has the word “antique” in its name then most items are going to be pricey. I am not saying this is true but I will say some stores are pricier than others. Search around your city and look through a few antique stores.
-Price Check: Find similar items that all might have (coffee cans, milk crates, brass candlesticks, etc) and compare prices.
-Individual Booths: Some stores may offer private booths to individual sellers and they will post sales in their booths sporadically.
-Barter: Occasionally you can get away with bartering with an antique store/dealer. This especially holds true if you are buying more than a couple items.
-Go to the source: If pacing through antique stores and flea markets isn’t your thing, you might want to try estate sales and auctions. My personal favorite are estate auctions, you feel like you really worked for and earned the items you find at an auction. I guess the thrill of bidding on items with the auctioneer is pretty awesome too!
Invent a new purpose for something
Just because you find an item and it was known for one purpose doesn’t mean you can’t change it and still appreciate it for what it once was. For instance I have seen clients take vintage minnow buckets and turn them into pendant lights. It is actually a very sustainable act because you have then doubled the life of that bucket by giving it a whole new life and meaning v.s. using new resources and going out to purchase a new pendant light.
Design Favorites – Harvest Must Haves
With gardening in full swing and harvest season just around the corner I gathered a few of my favorite must haves for the season!
Make this an opportunity to not only feed on everything fresh from nature but also find space in your homes to pull out the bright greens & vibrant hues seen in many vegetables or the bolder oranges & rust colors that “Harvest” is known for!
One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight
Enjoy!
K
Love It – White and Gold Accents in Interiors
There are so many color combinations seen throughout the world of interior design but sometimes a soft monochromatic theme with a nice accent (gold in this case) is just as appealing! Don’t forget… just because you choose to stay neutral doesn’t mean you can’t add loads of texture!!!
one, two, three, four, five, six, seven
Cheers!
K
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