Kathryn Lemaster

Art and Design

  • Home
  • About
  • Services
    • Interior Design
    • Production Design
  • Online Course
  • Portfolio
    • Interior Design
    • Production Design
  • Press
  • Praise
  • Journal
  • Connect

Archives for April 2013

Barstool Fix

Sometimes for practicality’s sake, you have to purchase some “for now” furniture. Maybe there’s not room in the budget right now for that perfect “forever” piece that will become a family heirloom, passed down from generation to generation.

And so, growing weary of enjoying your daily bowl of Cap’n Crunch from the floor, you set out and find something – anything – to sit on.

That’s the position we knew we would be in when we purchased our foreclosure home last year. The priority was of course cosmetic fixes to make our home livable. So we had to get creative with our furnishings budget. One of the items we knew we could make do with a temporary fix was barstools.

8W6E9TQfisNqcyUdeSVr9pQZAIXmqXsY3JS8IgaRRqM

Ethan Home Saddle Stools

We purchased these babies for a whopping price of about $150 for all four online.  They were the right dimensions for our bar, they were simple, they were upholstered, they would work. And of course as with may things in this low price range, “some assembly” was required.

Brothers are the best!

Brothers are the best!

With the help of my awesome little bro Preston, we secured all 16 legs by Allen Wrench and had ourselves a place to eat breakfast!  But just because we had to start with these lower-end pieces did not mean that they had to look like Plain Janes forever.

Zig Zag by Premier Prints

Zig Zag by Premier Prints

When we got a bit more settled in the house,  I gave them some personality by recovering them in a chevron fabric by Premiere Prints that was less than $10 a yard. It only took a couple of yards for all four stools, and I hand stapled it all myself, so it was very affordable.

2QRko8uzD9YuJE5R1vIN_FyqbyvHDXWD73m0XLAH4-c

I added a couple layers of Scotchgard to protect the fabric and voila! We had ourselves a pretty darn cute and very affordable seating solution that met our needs. Sure, maybe they still require a leg-tightening session with my trusty Allen Wrench from time to time, but I’ve learned to look forward to our tune-up time together.

Last but not least, I covered and added the button tuft back in the center of each seat… but I’ll show you how I learned to do that in more detail in another post!

SHARE

MORE TO LOVE:
Buttons
Bench Project: Part 1
Bench Project: Part 2

Pendants

It’s possible I have a pendant problem. I find myself wanting to collect them, like coffee mugs or tiny spoons. The good thing and the bad thing is I haven’t the room nor budget for such a collection.

It’s okay really. Instead I just walk around lighting showrooms until I get a crick in my neck from staring up. In addition, I love to clip and pin my way through favorite web sources, and in this way at least I can have a two dimensional pendant collection. It’s such a space saver, really.

So please, step into my “gallery” and share in my pendant fascination!

 Triangle Glass Pendant Light

Triangle Glass Pendant Light

This one makes me think of a Jolly Rancher… yum.

Possini Euro Design Crystal Burst Mini Pendant Light

Possini Euro Design Crystal Burst Mini Pendant Light

I bet if you made a wish on this star burst pendant… it would come true.

Possini Euro Darby 10 1/2" Wide Blue Glass Pendant Light

Possini Euro Darby Blue Glass Pendant Light

Ooo… I don’t even know. I just love.

Virginia Pendant

Virginia Pendant

Incase you’ve ever wondered what’s up at Cindy Lou Who’s house… it’s this little guy.

 Blossom Pendant

Blossom Pendant

This one is just too cute! The less than $50 price point might be adding to the cuteness.

 Weathered Silver Cowbell Pendant

Weathered Silver Cowbell Pendant

And hey, if you need a little more Cowbell… here it is!

Happy Friday y’all!

SHARE

No related photos.

Girl’s Night Out!

Attention ladies:

Don’t miss the next big event at the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Designer House XXII – Girls Night Out is tomorrow night, and you’re invited!

gno invitation

At Home in Arkansas

Sponsored by the wonderful At Home in Arkansas, this is sure to be a fun-filled and fabulous evening.

house_top

ASO Designer House XXII

For more info, tickets, and directions, check out the ASO web page here.

I am planning to be there (possibly a bit late as I will be coming directly from the class I teach on Thursday nights – still working on being in two places at once :)) and will look forward to seeing you there.

Round up your girlfriends and come join the fun!

martini

ASO Girl’s Night Out

SHARE

MORE TO LOVE:
Designer House Reveal: The Before
Showhouse!
Designer House Reveal: The Process

Crescendo!

Last night was the Crescendo Party and “unveiling” of the ASO Designer House XXII! What a fantastic night it was. Though the weather tried to rain on our parade, everyone pressed on to pull off this fabulous event, mud and all! Thanks to everyone involved for such a memorable evening.

Crescendo Party Invitation via ASO Guild

Crescendo Party Invitation via ASO Guild

I was so happy to have my sweet husband Will there with me for the evening. Talk about a supportive guy! He should win a prize.

photo (76)600

Me & my handsome date!

At Home in Arkansas did a wonderful job with the event programs. You can pick up your copy when you go tour the house! See the sneak peak below to read their description of my room:

Symphony Designer House publication by At Home in Arkansas

Symphony Designer House publication by At Home in Arkansas

Hopefully this piques your interest and you’ll want to go see it and the rest of the rooms for yourself!

The house is official open to the public for tours starting today at 10am. The hours are 10a-4p Tuesday through Saturday, and 1p-4p on Sundays now through May 12th. Make sure to visit the website here to find out more info and check out the remaining events.

Happy Friday!

SHARE

MORE TO LOVE:
Girl’s Night Out!
Designer House Reveal: The Before
Designer House Reveal: Happily Ever “After”!

nuLOOM

Just to give you a little perspective, the average “Garden Ridge” area rug is about 5’x7′-6″ in size and may run between $200-$300 From what I’ve seen, that’s usually for a synthetic material like nylon or polyester. If you’re going for the indoor/outdoor rug look and texture and find a pattern you love, that may be just fine.

rugs_0912(Garden Ridge selection)

See something that excites in the above image? No? Well, maybe you’d have better luck in store. But maybe not. So this Monday morning I wanted to share with you one of my favorite rug solutions available through online retailers, nuLOOM.

nuloom_logo2

I love them because they do a great job of bridging the gap between quality and affordability, and their patterns are oh-so fun! Most of their styles fall under modern or transitional, but they do offer traditional patterns too so there is a little something for everyone!

Gradient Collection

If you’re holding out for higher quality and a more personal statement without a major price jump, nuLOOM is a great choice! Some of my favorite styles average around $300 for a 5’x8′ rug that’s 100% wool and hand hooked. Not too shabby! Take a look at this sampling of nuLoom rugs available from Burke Decor:

Acedia TrellisAcedia Trellis

CAPELLA COLLECTIONCapella Collection

Dakhla TrellisDakhla Trellis

MACARA TRELLIS

Macara Trellis

Malva

Malva 

Vibrant Union JackVibrant Union Jack

Jazzy, right? I thought so. 🙂

So there’s your first bit of good news today – you CAN have your rug and afford it too!

Another bit of good news: this line has frequently been spotted at even lower prices on various flash sale sitesand other retail sites too. So you may have a chance at scoring a dashing new nuLOOM rug at an even lower price than the ones shown above! (Not familiar with flash sales? Ohhh my. You will just have to stick around to learn more about that little secret/weakness.)

I’m so very glad you stopped by today and I hope you come back for more practical design insights in the future.

Here’s to a wonderful week ahead!

SHARE

MORE TO LOVE:
Ikea Love
Souvenir
The Farmers Market

Showhouse!

A week from today the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Designer House XXII opens to the public! I can’t tell you just how thrilled I am to be included in this exhibition and how excited I am to share it with you all very soon.

Be sure and check out all of the events and information on the ASO website, here!

house_top

A $20 ticket gets you in to tour this lovely estate while benefiting the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. As a plus, most of the items in every room will be for sale, also benefiting the ASO.

So why not support good music, good design, and go shopping? I’m telling you, multi-tasking has never been so fun! If you have any questions about let me know and I do my best to hunt down answers.

Happy Friday!

SHARE

MORE TO LOVE:
Girl’s Night Out!
This calls for cupcakes
Designer House Reveal: The Before

YOU’RE INVITED TO KATHRYN’S E-PARTY!

Join the e-party below to get personal notes, news, decor advice and inspo from Kathryn and receive a FREE copy of Kathryn’s new e-book, “7 Steps to Design + Decorate like a Pro” as a party favor for joining!

YES, I’D LIKE A PARTY FAVOR!

The coziest air bnb in Hot Springs, a couple of ou The coziest air bnb in Hot Springs, a couple of our favorite couples, icecream cake for all, hiking date for us complete with cupcakes + rosé in a cave… only for  @forrest_addison_roberts ‘s birthday!! 🥳😘 

I couldn’t let the year end without narrowing down a few favorite captures from such a special weekend earlier in December (which overlaps with our elopement anniversary now, but anniversary photos wouldn’t fit here too ha!) celebrating the love of my life. 

Thankful for such sweet friends to laugh and celebrate with. Thankful for keeping our birthday tradition of cake + wine in a cave, come rain or shine. Thankful to get to celebrate my favorite adventure partner for another year! Thanks for picking me to host your parties for the rest of your life. It’s a grande honor, and you’re the easiest to want to celebrate. I love you!

PS: if you’re traveling to Hot Springs, you absolutely need to check out @thewoodlawntudorandcottage and @thepaddockhotsprings - love these properties by @kaligoldenharris !! We didn’t want to leave and can’t wait to go back! 🏡
October highlights in 10 snaps (and a motion to in October highlights in 10 snaps (and a motion to increase the 10 slider limit as all the joy this month held couldn’t be narrowed to such a small smattering). 

This is merely a fraction of sweet memories from one of our two most festive months of the year: October brought:

- a road trip to Comfort, TX for my cousin’s wedding fest 
- Liam’s 5th birthday 
- my 34th birthday 
- Halloween parties, dates, and costumes book readings (not even enough room for all of those here!)

I can let perfectionism lead to procrastination in sharing, sorting, favoriting, editing - and then months escape me without letting a few favorites make it here to the grid, which is the closest thing to a scrapbook I have these days. So doing my best to let these few float up here like balloons to the sky before another month escapes me. 

So incredibly thankful for all of the sweet memories and grande adventures with my two fellas. 🥹 This first year together as a blended family is one I’ll always want to remember, for the treasures it’s held and the growth we’ve all experienced. 

Thanksgiving is the perfect day to remember to remember and hold it all a little closer. 🙏🏼💛

Much love and many more sweet memories moments to be thankful for to you and yours! 💝
Happy Son’s day to my sweet Liam love. Brightest Happy Son’s day to my sweet Liam love. Brightest little light of my life, teller of the most original jokes, giver of the silliest lick-kisses, imaginer of new games, snuggliest bug, the bravest boy with the strongest heart and fastest feet - and so many endless more magical things to me. Getting to be his mama is the greatest honor and a most unbelievable gift. 🥹🙏🏼🤍 I love you Liam! And I will always be so incredibly proud of you. Keep being you! The world needs all of your wonder, enthusiasm, kindness and joy. ✨ And all those “great ideas” you’ve always got brewing. ☺️😘 

📷 @brittanyrigganphoto
Cooking with Liam and “Michael Bubely”…🕷❤️🎶😂🙏🏼 While he’s loved the Spider-Man theme song for awhile, we recently discovered this version and it has been on repeat and we are happy about it. 😅 
 
#boymomadventures #thatsdarling #kitchenconcert #singingvideo #fouryearolds #cookingwithkids #thefoodnetwork #videooftheday #momlifebestlife #michaelbuble #spiderman #spidermanthemesong #kidsareawesome #childprodigy #michaelbublé #michaelbubleduet
Glorious, precious memories from “part 2” of o Glorious, precious memories from “part 2” of our wedding celebration - our reception this summer, 6 months following our elopement! Thank you to our sweet friend + amazing photographer @brittanyrigganphoto and to our friends at @reservehotsprings !! 🥹🙏🏼🤍

@forrest_addison_ - I am filled with wonder yet again as I look through these, trying and failing at narrowing down favorite moments, still in awe of this love of ours, beyond all we could’ve asked or imagined. 🥲🙏🏼

There’s a consistent calm + quiet in walking alongside you in this life, with the sound of puns + giggles, plans being made, hearts being shared, being the blessed echo for miles around. 

I’m thankful for all the space for us to learn and grow as individuals and together. Thank you for your willingness to learn with me. I love partnering with you in cultivating the kind of relationship and life we believe in! 

I’ve yet to see anger, bitterness, jealousy or other turmoil take up root in the sacred space we share, and somehow I know we never will. Your unending generosity of spirit, steady patience, and a truly unassuming heart that’s always believed the best of mine, softens mine more.

Watching and learning from you is an honor and joy. I’m still trying to wrap my head around your genuinely pure kindness. You’ve prayed for those who’ve persecuted us. You’ve “rejoiced with those who rejoice” even when they’ve wronged you. You keep no record of wrongs like I’ve never seen. You simply carry on loving well.

Thank you for being my safest place. For being to me among many things, one long exhale after years of oscillating between holding my breath and hyperventilating. 

Even as I have those moments still, you listen to my heavy heart and witness my weary tears without judgment I’ve known before, because like Jesus’s “banner over me is love” always - you, too, judge me forever and always as “beloved”. I’m learning to remember and rest in that to counter the self consciousness that comes with learning to be truly seen. 

Thank you for by your very presence and heart posture, inviting me to be myself, even when I am a taco level hot-mess.

I love you to the moon and back, to infinity and beyond! ♾
Follow us on Instagram

It is a delight to work with Kathryn LeMaster. She is a good listener who has been able to help us transition into a smaller home while still keeping the essence of our family intact.

- CINDI C.

My husband and I decided to update our house focusing on the kitchen and bathrooms. We were so impressed from the beginning with Kathryn! She was easy to work with and took our vision and made it all come together! She was extremely professional and we highly recommend her. Thanks Kathryn!! We couldn't be happier!!!

- LAURA D.

I have been doing business with Kathryn for several years, where she had played an integral role to enhance the quality and appeal of the visual impact of our furniture in TV commercial s. She independently picks products that perfectly match each commercial. She is also an absolute pleasure to work with. She is flexible when needed, and always has a positive disposition.

- LAWRENCE ZIGERELLI, PRESIDENT/CEO, FFO HOME

We asked Kathryn to create sets for a food shoot with multiple items. She created sets with for each dish and had them passed them off with the client who was out of town. She was extremely organized and methodical about how she purchased and approved each set. Not only was her work exceptional, her presence made the client feel at ease.

- DERO SANFORD, OWNER, THINKDERO

We highly recommend Kathryn. She listened to us as her clients and executed ideas based upon our design style. We had bought a new house and asked her to help us furnish, design, and style It. We appreciated her detailed drawings and ability to "show" us the vision and plan. She is quick to respond and allows for flexibility based upon timeline needs. Once deciding together on budget, she works toward that goal. She is a lot of fun to work with!

- CHRISTY H.

Kathryn assisted me in styling and accessorizing our new home. She nailed my design ideas and style based on the questionnaire and my comments. I was amazed at how she was able to match my style exactly! It would have taken me years to accomplish what she accomplished in one day. I would highly recommend her and look forward to working with her again in the future.

- BEVERLY R.

© 2023 Kathryn J. LeMaster Art & Design a doodle dog website

rsvp!

Join my e-party and receive a free copy of  my e-book “7 Steps to Design + Decorate like a Pro” as your party favor!