Tamara’s Top Design Takeaways from the Home Show

Bargain Mansions star Tamara Day headlined the Main Stage at the Greater Kansas City Home and Lifestyle Show on March 22-24 at Bartle Hall. On her hit home lifestyle show, Tamara and her crew restore neglected large homes that others are too scared to take on — bringing big beauties back to life so that new owners can move in and love them again.

The Kansas City queen of DIY and owner of Growing Days shared her favorite tips and home design trends with Home Show attendees. And her hometown fans were the first to learn that Bargain Mansions had found a new home of its own– on HGTV!

For Tamara, who restores old homes that anyone else may have given up on, what what’s old is new again. She loves wallpaper, gold hardware, and clear stain for flooring, which allows the natural grain to shine through. It’s all part of her signature style that encourages people to not be afraid to take risks and maybe find projects that allow homeowners to get a little weird.

“I think the newest trend is being unique in your own home and making it what you love. People are being a little more original and not necessarily doing what their neighbors are doing.“

In that spirit of individuality, here are our Top 10 Tamara Takeaways…

#10 About Art: “Original, local art is a great way to add personal flair to your home without breaking the budget. You don’t have to (pay retail) for your artwork because that can get really ‘spendy.’ You can find artists on Instagram, Pinterest, Etsy—or check out estate sales. Original art is so beautiful and collectible. I’d say when it comes to art, a little weird is good.”

#9 – Getting Floored: “I like the idea that in 50 years someone can come in and sand the floor down and have a beautiful floor, so I prefer a solid hardwood floor for that reason. But the engineered floors are beautiful as well.”

#8 – Tile Trends: “Mixing up tiles and colors is a huge trend right now. We used porcelain tile on a recent project that looked like marble. It was beautiful but it was porcelain so it was a huge cost savings.”

#7 – Counting on Countertops: “I’ve been seeing a lot of laminates that look like stone and I can’t imagine they are durable enough. I’m a huge fan of solid surfaces and quartzes, and granite is really coming back right now.”

#6 – Fit and Trim: “Woodwork is coming back in a huge way, and it’s not necessarily a great idea to paint it. In the kitchen, I’m loving black cabinets right now. We painted the lower cabinets in black and kept the uppers white. It’s nice to mix paints and metals to keep it unique.”

#5 – Color Cues: “Mixing beige, gray and black is coming around in a huge way.”

#4 – Lighter Side: “Lighting plays a strong role in design. I think bigger is better, so go bold. Killer light fixtures make rooms special.”

#3 – Laundrilicious: “My favorite room to design lately is the laundry room. I love it because you can be bold. You may not be able to do red cabinets in the kitchen but you can in the laundry room.”

#2 – Design Style: “I’d call (my style) ‘laid-back luxe;’ It needs to feel luxurious but durable enough for family living.”

#1 – Pet Project: “The front door is a good DIY. I love front doors and I love color on the front door. Right now, I have an orange door.”

For more tips and takeaways, follow Tamara’s blog.