<strong>JOB DESCRIPTION:</strong><em>Design consultant and owner of Ethan Cole Designs, 913-636-8491, <a href="http://www.ethancoledesigns.com">www.ethancoledesigns.com</a></em></p><p><strong>Tell us about your home.</strong></p><p>It&rsquo;s a Mediterranean style built in 2006. I like things very simple and rustic. There&rsquo;s lots of natural stone and plaster. The furniture is traditional, with scrolled arms, chenilles and dark worn leather. Every wooden piece is distressed naturally. I have two boys.</p><p><strong>How old are your sons and what are their rooms like?</strong></p><p>Ethan is 6 and Cole is 4. Their rooms aren&rsquo;t themed, but they both have vintage sports pennants of Notre Dame and the Chiefs.</p><p><strong>What&rsquo;s your favorite room?</strong></p><p>My great room. It&rsquo;s two stories. The palette is muted shades of plums, tans and taupes. Everyone says &ldquo;wow&rdquo; when they walk in. It&rsquo;s where my friends congregate to drink wine or coffee and talk. </p><p><strong>What are some of your favorite stores?</strong></p><p>I typically use to-the-trade showrooms for furniture. For accessories, I like Featherstone (7831 W. 119th St. in Overland Park). For unique pieces, Waldo Antiques, (226 W 75th St.).</p><p><strong>What&rsquo;s been your best flea market find lately?</strong></p><p>A mid-century table for $50. I had it restained and finished. A similar new piece would cost about $1,500. </p><p><strong>What are your favorite sources of inspiration?</strong></p><p>I love Veranda magazine, but I also just love searching Google. There are so many unique shops and talented people writing blogs that provide lots of inspiration.</p><p><strong>How do you think the economy has affected home projects?</strong></p><p>I find less people moving into the big house. Instead, they&rsquo;re making their own homes more comfortable. They&rsquo;re making their kitchens, bathrooms and lower levels what they&rsquo;ve always wanted. They&rsquo;re do things like changing out builder-grade carpet on the stairwell and using a nice runner or low-pile carpeting. When people are looking at furniture, they&rsquo;re looking for pieces that will last 20 years.</p><p><strong>What are some lifestyle trends you&rsquo;ve noticed?</strong></p><p>People are going away from all the browns, coffees and dark tans and going lighter. They don&rsquo;t want what they&rsquo;ve seen in other people&rsquo;s homes. Also, they&rsquo;re more open to wallpaper. They&rsquo;re so cool and not so predictable these days. It ranges from super modern and funky to elegant.</p><p><strong>What&rsquo;s your advice to those who are about to embark on home projects?</strong></p><p>If you&rsquo;re going to do renovation work, get referrals from friends about contractors. They&rsquo;re going to be honest with you. There are a lot of fly-by-night people right now who say they&rsquo;re contractors or designers. If you&rsquo;re going to do some cosmetic changes, don&rsquo;t necessarily copy exactly what you see in magazines or catalogs. Figure out what you like about that picture and adapt it your own lifestyle because that picture might not be functional or representative of who you are.