Kathryn Lemaster

Art and Design

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

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!

SHARE

MORE TO LOVE:
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

SHARE

MORE TO LOVE:
House of Turquoise Feature: Before & After Reveal of Rustic Modern Bath
Guest Room/Office Before & After Reveal
Kitchen Styling Tips on At Home in Arkansas Blog

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! 😉

 

SHARE

MORE TO LOVE:
Oh Happy Day!
At Home in Arkansas Before & After Feature is online!
Oh Happy May!

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!

SHARE

MORE TO LOVE:
Oh Happy May!
Designer House Reveal: The Before
Kitchen Styling Tips on At Home in Arkansas Blog

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“!

 

 

SHARE

MORE TO LOVE:
At Home in Arkansas Before & After Feature is online!
Fall Decor Inspiration: At Home in Arkansas front porch feature!
Kitchen Remodel Before & After Reveal, Part 1: Before

Guest Room/Office Before & After Reveal

Earlier this year I shared a guest room redo that was part of a larger project. (If you missed that one, you can check it out here!)

Well today is the day I get to share another room from that project – the 2nd guest room and office! I’m so excited. Ready? Here we go!

Before:

Are you scared yet? It’s okay – I was too. Don’t worry, I promise this story has a happy ending!

The jumping off point for the new design from a functional standpoint revolved around maximizing the space plan to incorporate a small office space. We also needed to work with a few existing items, mainly the bed. If you click to my previous post, you’ll notice we ended up flip-flopping the existing beds between the rooms!

From an aesthetic standpoint, the inspiration started with a beautiful crewel embroidered duvet my client and I had seen at Pottery Barn.

Below is a mini inspiration board from during the design process. Then keep scrolling for the after photos!!

Kathryn J. LeMaster Art & Design - Guest Room/Office Before & After - Design Board

Kathryn J. LeMaster Art & Design – Guest Room/Office Before & After – Design Board

*drum roll*

.

TAH DAH!

A far cry from the before photos, yes? I told you this would be a happy story! 😉 I’d love to know your thoughts on the project and invite you to leave a comment/question below.

If you were inspired by this project, please share it with someone you think would enjoy it as well or pin to your Pintrest board for later with the handy-dandy new “Pin-It” button I just installed! (It should magically appear in the corner of each photo as you scroll over… yes. It’s pretty exciting. :))

A special thanks to my fantastic photographer Karen E. Seagrave for the beautiful photos! As always, thank you to my wonderful clients for trusting me with your space. And finally thank YOU for being here today!

Stay inspired,

-K

SHARE

MORE TO LOVE:
“Heirloom Revival” Guest Room & Bath Reveal on House of Turquoise!
Saturday Special: Before & After Reveal
Heights Remodel Project Featured in At Home in Arkansas Magazine!

Master Bath Progress

So I’ve been missing from the blog this week – sorry about that! But I can promise you it’s been for a good reason.

As some of you may know, when we purchased our home last year it was a foreclosure. Needless to say, it needed alot of TLC and updates. We’ve been on a mission to bring it to it’s full potential ever since.

We took this last week to focus on  finishing up some house projects that we’ve been needing to get to for awhile, including landscaping, trim work, light fixtures and touch up painting. The biggest undertaking, however, was bringing our master bathroom from about 30% to 98% completion!

So are you ready to see what our master bath looked like before we got started last year? The below picture was taken by one of our neighbors (and now good friends) before the house was even ours:

(before)

Yikes! I’ll just point out a few of the problems with it that were apparent right off the bat.

The vanity was only 22″ deep and 28″ high, so small and low, not to mention a dated yellow oak finish and cultured marble moulded sinks and counter top.

The forest green walls were dark and depressing for such a small space and made the room feel smaller than it already was.

Come to find out, it was dark green paint over TWO different layers of old wallpaper. Yes. That was fun trying to take off. When it stopped responding to all traditional methods of stripping and started damaging the sheet-rock in the process, we ended up sheet-rocking over with a thin layer to get a  fresh, smooth surface.

Here was a picture from a couple months after we started remodeling once the new walls, floors (minus the grout), and 24″ deep by 36″ high cabinets were in:

(during)

Looking better! Now, if you remember from my previous post, Designer House Reveal: The Process, the inspiration for that project actually started with Dwell Studio fabrics I’d original picked out for our master suite. As we hadn’t finished our master project at the time, I used the materials in the show house instead and decided that if the items didn’t sell, I would re-purpose them in our project as originally planned.

So if you followed the Designer House project, you’ll recognize that some of the original items used are now in our master bath, including some of my original art!

Here’s how it looks after our big push this past week:

Quite a transformation so far, right?!

It still needs a few finishing touches including the final light fixtures over each mirror, drapery panels under the valance, and crown moulding. All in good time. Right now I’m just basking in the joy of having working sinks just feet away from my bed! Not to mention thick, coke bottle-like glass sinks. Ooo la la.

So that’s a sneak peek of what we were up to all week. Hopefully it makes up in some small way for my absence. 🙂

Have a wonderful rest of the week and stay inspired!

-K

SHARE

MORE TO LOVE:
Heights Remodel Project Featured in At Home in Arkansas Magazine!
Guest Room/Office Before & After Reveal
Kitchen Remodel Before & After Reveal, Part 1: Before

Designer House Reveal: The Process

Today I want to give you a glimpse of the design process I went through in creating the Patio Bath in the ASO Designer House. The process is similar to how I begin every project.

If you missed it, be sure to check out my previous post with more before pictures of the space!

The next thing after thoroughly documenting the space on camera is to document it on paper through measurements and more notes. Mine are always VERY rough sketches and scribbles, but it’s the numbers that count. When I get home and get all of the numbers and scribbles into AutoCAD (drafting software)….

… I can turn this (above)… into this (below):

My drawings are my maps. To start with an accurate, scaled drawing means I’m not going at this blindly. It eliminates so many question marks and protects from wasted time and energy during the selection process. They are the absolute truth that let me see how much space I have between point A and point B, thereby dictating what size light fixture, mirror, frame, rug, etc. I have allowance for.

I put that allowance together with the needs I’m trying to meet within that space functionally and visually. With that information I then know what I need to be looking for when I start selecting. When I select something, I draw it to scale to make sure it’s the perfect fit from a functional stand point, but also from a visual stand point of appropriately filling and balancing within the space

Switching gears from the technical side of the process to the creative!

I knew I wanted to create something fun and whimsical but at the same time calming. Like a little daydream of sorts!  Since designers are responsible for the cost of labor and materials for their rooms in the Show House, I wanted to keep the cost reasonable by using things I already had if possible. I had yardage of these Dwell Studio fabrics on hand. They are some of my absolute FAVORITES that I’d swooned over for years and purchased awhile back with the intention of using them in my Master suite someday.

Thus began my inspiration for the direction I wanted to take the room. One by one I started thinking of items that would work wonderfully with these fabrics, evoking the feeling I envisioned. Then I’d add the items to my inspiration board.

An inspiration board is the first method I use when developing a design scheme. It contains anything from general ideas to specific selections. The helpful part of this is getting everything on the same page – literally – so you can get an idea of how it all works or doesn’t work together. It can include everything from specific ideas (the custom shower curtain I designed) to general ideas (a geometric rug).

Another method I use besides inspiration boards to give me rough idea of what things could look like together is creating a mock-up in photoshop over an image of the actual space. It helps to see things  in context of the room.

As each selection checked out from every angle (budget, fit, scheme, deadline) I started ordering, scheduling subcontractors, and spending alot of time on site installing what I could as items arrived. My sweet family showed up time and again to help me out with the install at various points along the way where I could not have done it myself. They are my heros! 🙂

Before I knew it… it was ready!

Don’t miss the reveal tomorrow morning!!

SHARE

MORE TO LOVE:
Designer House Reveal: The Before
Designer House Reveal: Happily Ever “After”!
Designer House Room Reveal Week!

Saturday Special: Before & After Reveal

Today I’m very excited to share with a fun before and after post! This guest bedroom revamp was part of a larger project for one my amazing clients. I’ll share more from their project soon, but today let’s just start off in the first guest bedroom.

Ready? Here we go…

BEFORE:

Exciting, huh? 🙂 To start off,  the furniture plan needed editing to optimize the function of the space. After that, the goal was to bring in a more transitional look while still incorporating some of the original antique pieces. Other important goals were being budget-friendly and catering to their personal taste by incorporating some southwestern inspired “flair.” Here was the end result:

AFTER:

The color scheme was inspired by the client’s own original artwork, the still-life triptych of pears. The bedside tables were original but placement was swapped to make the vanity more accessible. The bed was originally in the guest room across the hall, but this headboard handcrafted out of antique ceiling tin by the clients belonged perfectly in this room.

 Finally new textiles, lighting, and other accessories added much needed texture and color, bringing it all to life!

Special thanks to the fabulous Karen E. Segrave of KES Photo and her amazing husband Michael McCall of Backfocus Productions for the wonderful “after” photography (be sure and check out their websites!) Thanks also to my fun and adventurous clients. You are always a joy to work with!

Have a space like the “before” in this post and have higher hopes for what it could be? Contact me to find out how I could help!

Have a wonderful weekend! 🙂

SHARE

MORE TO LOVE:
Guest Room/Office Before & After Reveal
Heights Remodel Project Featured in At Home in Arkansas Magazine!
“Heirloom Revival” Guest Room & Bath Reveal on House of Turquoise!

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!