Kathryn Lemaster

Art and Design

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Oh Happy May!

Spring is my most second favorite season of the year (fall wins, because… the leaves, and my birthday!). I’ve been doing the happy dance ever since I saw the first bright green buds on the trees in my backyard this season. It seemed like overnight, everything was new and bright and alive again. I just love it! Well most of it. I could go without quite so many April showers, pollen-nados and here in the South, actual tornadoes…

But that’s all behind us now (I hope) because it’s MAY – with all the flowers, graduations, birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and pre-summer joy it brings.

One of the special joys this May in particular brings for me is the long-awaited unveiling of a project dear to my heart – the charming and colorful storybook cottage remodel in the Hillcrest neighborhood of Little Rock!

A huge thank you to At Home in Arkansas Magazine for the beaming feature that so beautifully communicates the creativity, heart and soul behind this project. Be sure to read the full story and see more of the wonderful photos by Rett Peek, here!

The kitchen was the most extensive portion of the remodel, so to appreciate just how far it came from it’s less-than-thrilling beginnings, I’ll leave you with a few “before” photos for reference…

Change is good, yes? 😉 Here’s to beautiful seasons of transformation and newness!!

xo,

Kathryn

PS! If you’re new here, thanks so much for dropping by. I’d love to keep in touch! I recently completed my first ever free downloadable resource for my readers (my top paint colors, hello!) and would love to gift that to you for joining my “E-Party”! If you missed or exited the pop-up invite upon arriving here, you can simply scroll down to the bottom of this page to find the invite. Easy peasy!

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Hillcrest Cottage Featured on House of Turquoise!
Kitchen Remodel Before & After Reveal, Part 1: Before
Kitchen Styling Tips on At Home in Arkansas Blog

“Heirloom Revival” Guest Room & Bath Reveal on House of Turquoise!

Ready for the never-before-seen Guest Bed and Bath photos from the beloved Heirloom Revival project published by At Home in Arkansas Magazine last year?!

RP_aha_150325_2010_610Good! Because I have been waiting a year to share them with you and I’m so excited I can hardly stand it!

When it comes to publishing, sometimes there are a few rooms from a whole home project like this that don’t make the cut due to page numbers and editorial content. Rich in unique design details and historic family heirlooms, this aqua hued guest suite – located off the main hall in the center of the home – was just such a duo of rooms when the story was originally published.Baker_Redesigned Floor Plan_03.2015_610I wanted to give the rest of the house a full year of fanfare before adding these two hidden gems to the mix!

Then of course, I had to find the perfect place to introduce them to the world. I’m so honored to have everyone’s favorite aqua tinted blog bringing you these never-before-seen spaces for the first time: House of Turquoise!!

Without further adieu, please click above to head on over to Erin’s blog!

I’ll leave you with a “before” glimpse of each space…

Existing_Middle Bedroom windows_610

Existing_Guest Bath_610

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Heights Remodel Project Featured in At Home in Arkansas Magazine!

It’s been such an exciting whirlwind that I haven’t had a chance to announce on the blog yet, but At Home in Arkansas Magazine, our state’s ultimate home and lifestyle publication, featured our Heights remodel project in their May 2015 Before & After issue!!

(Instagram moment from when I read it for the first time… #memories. Follow on Instagram, @kjlemaster to keep up in real time.)

KJL Art & Design Instagram

You can pick up the magazine in newsstands around AR today, or subscribe to receive your very own, glossy copy in the mail! What makes this being in this issue even better than it already is – one of my super talented, good designer friends – Brittany Nixon – has a remodel project featured in the same issue! This is the kitchen from her project on the COVER! (Go Britt!! *virtual high fives*) If you see this magazine – snatch it up fast! The Before & After issue is one of the most popular of the year and will be gone before you know it.

At Home in Arkansas May 2015 Issue

The Heights remodel is a very special project we’ve been working on since the end of last summer and just wrapped up – barely in time for the magazine photoshoot! The story is one-of-a-kind. I just can’t tell you how thrilled I am that you get to hear it first from an outstanding source like At Home. From the editor, to photographer, to writer, to everyone else involved – the team that covered it is amazing, and I’m so grateful to share it with you all this way thanks to them! I’m positive you will enjoy it and glean something inspiring from it. Click here to read the full story on their website, and enjoy a preview of one of the before & after comparisons below!

Laundry Room turned Home Office:

Before:Existing_Laundry-turned-into-office_Baker_06.2014_bw (1)
After:

RP_aha_150325_1779aI die over that cheerful little office. Every. Time. I still wish it were mine!

Be sure to stay tuned this month and next for project extras, bonus photos, and behind-the-scenes that may be surfacing on our blog and At Home in Arkansas Magazine’s blog! 😉

 

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Oh Happy May!

House of Turquoise Feature: Before & After Reveal of Rustic Modern Bath

Ladies and Gents, thank you ever-so-much for coming by on this special day for a very exciting  before & after reveal!

I am incredibly thrilled to have the one and only Erin Olson Moser from House of Turquoise unveiling this project in terrific HOT style by featuring the after photos for the very first time today!!

This is going to be so much fun! I’m sharing the before photos and design plan here – then you can hop on over to House of Turquoise for the amazing after photos, photographed by Karen E. Segrave of KES Photo. If you’re coming over by way of HOT, welcome!! I hope you enjoyed the finished result and will relish your regressive design “meal” as you take a peek back at how it all began.

Meet my friends, the  Bollens, a wonderful young family with whom I had the pleasure of working on this project. Jessica and Daniel were new homeowners and ready to kick it up a notch or 10, functionally and aesthetically, with their master bathroom. Take a step back with me to their original master bath:

There were many reasons to bid farewell to the existing layout and finishes. From the brown tile and cave-like shower to the ho-hum single sink vanity, it was simply time for an update.

They opted for a DIY style design plan, as they are savvy do-it-yourself-ers. They also enlisted the help of skilled craftsman and builder, the talented Mr. Chandler Tedder, to oversee the remodel.

I wanted to include their wishlist items (make-up vanity space, double sinks, glass shower, display and hidden storage…) while incorporating their taste and style, which was one of my favorites – a rustic-modern fusion! After collecting their input, I set to work designing their dream bath and presented them with a design concept which included dimensioned drawings, a concept board with selection options, material samples and a resource shopping list.

Here is a sampling of a few of the new selection options to give you an idea of where we’re headed:

Below are the concept drawings illustrating the new design!

Can you image it now? Thanks to the Bollens and Chandler, who took it from a concept to a reality, Karen, who captured it, and Erin, who’s sharing it today… you don’t have to just imagine – you can go see it, right now!! Jump on over to House of Turquoise for the grand after reveal!!

 

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Kitchen Remodel Before & After Reveal – Part 3: After

Welcome! If you’re just joining us for the reveal, you can catch up on Part 1 and Part 2 to see the before photos and design process to understand the details of how far this kitchen has come to what you’re about to see today.


Ladies and gentlemen, I am so excited to share with you for the first time ever the entire collection of “after” photos from the Barber’s kitchen remodel!

You may recognize some of the after photos of the kitchen if you saw the project in At Home in Arkansas’ April issue, which showcased beautiful photography captured by the talented Nancy Nolan exclusively for the magazine feature. The collection I get to unveil today are the original portfolio images taken shortly after the projected was completed last year, shot by the amazing Karen E. Segrave KES Photo and fantastically lit by Mike McCall of Backfocus Productions.

Brace yourselves for the dramatic change you are about to behold…

I bring you, the Barber’s new and improved kitchen!

Thank you for following the story of the Barber’s kitchen makeover! I hope you’ve enjoyed watching the process unfold. If you’ve been inspired by this project or can think of someone else who enjoy a good before and after project, I invite you to please share, pin, tweet, or spread the word in whatever fashion you like!

Happy Sunday – stay inspired. 🙂

xo,

-K

 

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Kitchen Remodel Before & After Reveal – Part 2: Design

Picking up where we left off in Part 1: Before… (if you missed the before photos, check them out here first!)

The Barber’s existing kitchen floor plan had several issues that were working against proper traffic flow and space clearances. Take the breakfast peninsula, for example, that divided the room in half.

The first step with any design is to think through the functionality goals, storage, and traffic needs of the users in the space. Notice the changes from the existing plan above (and before pictures) to the new design drawings below:

Much more open and aetheticly pleasing already, even in black and white, yes? If you’re curious about the details of the big changes we made, I’ve included them below! (If not, keep scrolling for details on the next part of the design.)

—-

1. Shrunk the island – by designing a custom, smaller scale island, we were able to allow the minimum clearance of 36″ on each side of the island while still keeping it a functional size, big enough to store the trashcan inside.

2. Swapped the peninsula for a windowseat – the space really opened up by omitting the large breakfast peninsula and replacing it with a built-in storage window seat and rustic farm table. Much prettier, too!

3. Relocated pantry space – the original location of the pantry closet closed in around you upon entering, the door swung into the traffic path, and the “walk-in” feature wasn’t even usable with items overflowing from shelves onto the floor. Instead, we reallocated the pantry storage space in two new built-in cabinets flanking the beverage station that have track system gliding shelves for easy item visibility and better organization!

4.  Utilized unused space in bonus room – the room at the north end of the kitchen was previously empty and cluttered all at the same time. One wall was virtually empty, while another housed an overstuffed bookcase and desk space. The new design took advantage of every inch of space, wrapping all three walls in custom cabinetry to include a desk with office storage, pantry space, a beverage station complete with ice maker and extra sink, as well as a china cabinet with a pass through. We packed alot of much needed functions into this tiny space that allowed us to do much more with the rest of the kitchen!

5. Opened up east walls, adding a pass through and bar – we created two openings in this wall that serve multiple functions. The first is the pass through in china cabinet to the dining room, and the second is creating a two-seater bar area under an arched opening created where the oven and microwave wall once stood. Not only do these openings allow visibility into the next rooms, creating the feel of a more open floor plan, but it allows light to flow through from room to room, which makes the kitchen feel bigger as well.

6. Added additional lighting – LOTS of additional lighting! In the before images, you’ll see the only lighting came from the pot rack/light fixture, a small chandelier, and a can light over the sink area. Combined with the sage green wall color that acted as a light sponge rather than reflector, it was a dark kitchen. We added about 8 can lights, pendants over the island, bar, sink, desk, beverage sink, as well as a chandelier over the breakfast table, as well as under cabinet lighting. The new illumination reflects beautifully off of the fresh white walls and dreamy-creamy cabinets.

—

Once the space plan and cabinet details were set, we could really jump into the “fun stuff” such as finishes, fixtures, and fabrics. When it came to creating the color scheme and overall aesthetic for the kitchen, we took cues from Tuscan and southwest inspired spaces and details.

The base of the color scheme started with wanting creamy cabinets with a cocoa glaze to contrast with warm wood floors, stained beams and stained island. The accent colors were inspired by Jessica’s favorite hue, turquoise. Selecting oranges as the other accent color followed suit as being the natural complimentary color to blues, as well as playing off of some inspiration pieces of pottery!

The print fabric for the pillows did a wonderful job of tying all of the colors in the room together – cream, espresso, turquoise, rust – as well as adding interest with hints of butter yellow and a splash of sage green!

What do you think about the new design? I’d love to hear your thoughts or answer any questions about it in the comments below!

Thanks for joining me today. Stay tuned for “Part 3: After” which I’ll be sharing a week from today!

Happy Mother’s Day weekend to all you mother’s out there!

Stay inspired,

-K

 

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Kitchen Remodel Before & After Reveal, Part 1: Before

What fun it was having our kitchen remodel project be the Before & After feature in At Home in Arkansas Magazine for the whole month of April!

To continue the fun, we’re kicking off the month of May with our before and after blog series on this project, rolling out more before and behind the scenes photos, design drawings, as well as the entire portfolio collection of after photos by Karen E. Segrave, shared for the first time ever!

Let’s go back to the begining – the walk through and the before photos, which include some great action shots of the family at work! I didn’t want to disturb the cooking and cleaning while snapping photos and taking notes, as it was helpful to observe how the kitchen functioned (or in this case didn’t) for their big, busy family on an everyday basis.

Without further adieu, meet the Barber’s “before” kitchen!

(Upon entrance from the left/south end)

(Sink area to left)

(Cooking area to right)

(Breakfast peninsula to left)

(Study/Office beyond peninsula)

(Turning back toward entrance)

(Looking back toward entrance)

Note the many activities happening at once – dishes being unloaded, dinner cooking, grocery bags just unloaded from car to counters, homework being done in the midst of it all – can anyone relate? Multitasking is already a chore, but with the current layout of their kitchen, it was nearly impossible to have various activities going on simultaneously without bumping into someone or knocking something over. Though in need of style updates for sure, the first issue we tackled was function and space maximization. I’ll walk you through what we changed and why in the next post!

Thanks to my wonderful clients for being candid and willing for me to share where we started so that you could fully understand and appreciate the drastic difference of where we end up.

Stay tuned for the the next post, revealing the redesigned plan!

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Kitchen Styling Tips on At Home in Arkansas Blog

If you enjoyed our Before & After feature in At Home in Arkansas this month, you’ll definitely want to click on over to their blog today for a bonus feature from this family friendly kitchen design!

They will show you how we built in flexible accessories to be able to swap out styles in a pinch, creating two different looks and feels. Hopefully you’ll get some ideas on how this could apply in your home!

Click on the image below to connect to their post, “Styled Two Ways“!

 

 

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At Home in Arkansas Before & After Feature is online!

Good things take time, and they are always worth waiting for.

I’ve been waiting awhile to unveil this never-before-seen, major kitchen remodel with you all. Thanks to At Home in Arkansas, I get to share it with you today!

Head on over to www.athomearkansas.com right now for the full article covering this Family Style kitchen, including unbelievable before and after images!

(Photo by Nancy Nolan via At Home in Arkansas)

In the coming months I will be sharing a post series that you won’t want to miss, walking you through the behind the scenes of the project. I invite you to subscribe to my blog to make sure you don’t miss a post! 😉

Stay inspired,

-K

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That’s a wrap!
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Behind the Scenes

I made it back from “The Golden State” last week and what a fantastic trip it was. One of the highlights: finally getting to see the Hollywood sign from Griffith Park!

I can’t wait to share a few of my favorite photos from the trip with you after I finish sorting through them.

Today though, I wanted to share about the goings on around the office lately. For starters, I’m getting organized for 2014 with some new office supplies, which is always super exciting!

More importantly though, I’ve hit the ground running with projects for the year, which trumps my excitement about the new office supplies by like… a zillion times! 🙂

Progress is in motion on current projects gearing up for completion, as well as on new projects I’m just diving in to. Above is a peek at some of the treasures I’ve scooped up to do some styling for a project next week!

At the end of 2013, we made it just in time for the holidays with some custom textiles and reupholstering for a project. Check out the before and after of these breakfast chairs:This sneak peek was shared on my Facebook page, but incase you missed it, here was another before and after preview from the master bedroom:

Exciting, right?!

While things are busy around the office, blog posts may still be coming out on a weekly basis until I can return to multiple per week. However, I’ll continue sharing on a daily basis between Instagram (@kjlemaster) Facebook and Pintrest so please take a moment to “follow” or “like” through one of those venues too if you haven’t already!

You’ll get to see more “behind the scenes” photos like the color board above, as well as shopping finds, inspiration and tips, so don’t miss out! Find me on your favorite social media channel. I’d love to see and hear from you more throughout the week and in between blog posts. 😉

Until then – have a lovely Monday evening and stay inspired!

-K

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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!

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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! ♾
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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.

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