Creative Touch - Hutto

Creative Touch - Hutto

Written by Patrick Brendel Friday, 08 August 2008

Creative Touch Decorator capitalizes on a flair for design and an eye for detail.

After raising three children, Janet Widmer was ready for a new challenge. Capitalizing on a passion for decorating, she started Creative Touch, an interior design company.

Widmer is a self-taught designer. She specializes in draperies and window treatments, but can help with the entire house. No project is too small or too big for Widmer, from picking out paint colors to remodeling entire homes from floor to roof.

“It’s something I love. I delved into it and went to a lot of seminars and classes,” she said. “I got brave and started a business.”

She worked from home for five years before moving into the old Hutto City Hall about 15 years ago. At the time of purchase, the building had dirt floors. Sitting inside was an old fire truck, which Widmer said she did not get to keep.

Since then, Widmer’s three kids have returned to the nest, in a way. The whole family works in the same building.

“Initially, it was a matter of being able to work when I wanted to work that got me to start the business. I could take as many jobs as I wanted and work as hard as I wanted,” Widmer said. “The family was kind of a bonus that came along after the fact.”

Her son Matt has a company called Point Design, which he founded in 1997. That company contracts to design and build commercial and residential structures.

Sometimes mother and son team up on projects. For example, Matt designed the building for the new Pecan St. Station Deli & Grill in Pflugerville, while Creative Touch decorated it inside and out.

Chris, her other son, is in the process of taking over his father’s business, Capital Graphics Inc., which provides election supplies to counties in Texas.

Meanwhile, daughter Kim Kubala works part-time for Creative Touch in the retail portion of the business. A gift shop dominates the first floor of the building, featuring stuffed animals, collectibles and presents for birthdays, weddings and other occasions.

Widmer obtains her merchandise from the Dallas Market Center. Sometimes she takes clients with her to help them pick out furnishings or accessories for their projects.

Amid rising prices and an unsure national economy, many people are investing additional resources into their homes, interior designer Catherine Sakewitz said.

“People are probably spending more on their homes to make it more like a vacation home, so they don’t have to go anywhere,” she said.

Widmer and Sakewitz pride themselves on providing personal service to their customers. They receive most of their design business through referrals and repeat customers.

“Every project is different because every situation is different. Every client has their own likes and dislikes,” Sakewitz said. “It’s kind of a challenge to get the client’s personality into the design. No two kitchens are alike.”

Though their building is in downtown Hutto, Widmer and Sakewitz have worked on projects throughout Central Texas, including Austin, Georgetown, Sun City, Luling, Bastrop and Rockdale.

Design Dos and Don’ts

• Buy the rug first. It’s easier to find furniture that matches a rug, than vice versa.

• Paint the room last. With so many shades to choose from, finding a color to match the rest of the room is easy.
• Be careful when selecting materials for a roof or façade. They dictate the feel of the building.
• Do not be shy. Designers can help even with the smallest projects, like picking a paint color or being an information resource.

Source: Creative Touch owner Janet Widmer and interior designer Catherine Sakewitz