Tag-Archive for » KXTR «

02
Sep
Outdoor Living in Style: The Best of the Best
kmills
Looking for inspiration for your own outdoor oasis?  The best place to start 

Maurice hotel featured by AD

Outdoor space of model and actress Veronica Webb featured by Architectural Digest

Shangri-La hotel

might be beautiful hotels like the ones pictured above.  Home shelter magazines, destination vacations or even your own favorite trips such as the one below I took to St. John’s also provide an incredible resource.

St. John's

St. John's

Delmar

As you can see as an interior designer I love water and fire features in my outdoor spaces but you should incorporate what you love!

To begin just pull out some of your favorite elements that can be used in your own outdoor space whether its fabrics that remind you of a far away destination, a particular tile design or simply a potted palm.

For more great ideas on how to live outdoors in style and the latest trends, don’t miss Living Large this Sunday morning at 10am on News Radio 980 KMBZ (streams live on kmbz.com) in Kansas City as I talk with  DIY network hosts Marsico and Stearns along with HGTV host Rebecca Koll.

Plus, if you’re looking for design ideas for your interior, then tune into Living Large this Saturday morning at 10:30 on Classical 1660 KXTR (streams live on kxtr.com) as I talk with HGTV host Brice Cooper about creating living spaces. 

And don’t forget to become a fan of our Facebook fan page where we feature additional design tips, articles and pictures!

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19
Aug
Beautifying Your Bedroom: Interior Design That Works
kmills

Every feel like your master bedroom’s become the ugly stepsister when it comes to design in your home?  Ready for change but not sure how? 

Interior design by Karen Mills

Stop for a moment or two and close your eyes while visualizing your dream bedroom.   What do you see in style and color?  Now open your eyes.  How did the room make you feel?  If you can answer those questions, you’re on the way to creating a wonderful bedroom.  If you can’t, it might be time to call a designer or decorator. 

Once I’ve determined that question for my clients along with their favorite style and color choices, I love to start the designing their bedroom with the selection of a beautiful bed  that captures my client’s personality whether it’s hollywood glam with a fabulous padded headboard and shimmering fabrics or perhaps just a casual canopy bed that envelopes them with wonderful fabrics. 

And as you might have guessed by now, padded headboards and canopy beds are two of my favorite choices as an interior designer whether its for one of my clients in Kansas City or surrounding areas like Overland Park, Leawood and Mission Hills or a more distant client, because they wrap you in comfortable bliss and hug you with fabulous fabrics. 

For more great tips on creating beautiful bedrooms, don’t miss Living Large this Sunday at 10am CST on News Radio 980 KMBZ (streams live on kmbz.com) in Kansas City as I interview the host of Tacky House on Style Network, Kelly Edwards along with an editor from Traditional Home magazine and other bedding experts. 

Plus if you need help in the kitchen, tune in this Saturday morning at 10:30am CST on Living Large on Classical 1660 KXTR as I talk with the HGTV.com editor about designing kitchens.

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30
Jul
Curb Appeal: How to Create It!
kmills

Ready to give your home a little curb appeal?

As Kansas City’s top home stager and an interior designer I suggest you begin by adding color and interest to your front door area (focal point) with a pot or two of colorful flowers.  However, you don’t need as many pots as in the picture above.  One pot on each side of the door will do wonders for your home along with an attractive door mat and a wall pocket or wreath placed on the door.
And is there’s room, consider adding seating, a table and other decorations to enhance your entry along with planting  colorful annuals leading up to the door.
If you have a tree in your front yard, make sure that you keep the branches trimmed back so your entry can be seen from the street and cut back any bushes that block your walkway.

Curb Appeal

Another important consideration for curb appeal starts with edging your lawn so it looks crisp as in the photo above which also gives visitors the impression that you’re a good housekeeper inside too!

Curb Appeal

And if you want to add more shrubs or flowers consider creating berms or landscaping areas dedicated to only plantings as pictured above instead of just adding plants randomly throughout your yard.  Plus, by grouping plants together, you make a much stronger design statement and add more appeal overall.
For more great information on curb appeal, don’t miss Living Large this Sunday at 10am CST on News Radio 980 KMBZ (streams live on kmbz.com) as I talk with the HGTV host of Curb Appeal Rick Spence along with the DIY network host of Desparate Landscapes, Jason Cameron who reveal the secrets to great curb appeal.
And for some cool ideas on design styles, tune in this Saturday at 10:30am CST on Classical 1660 KXTR (streams live on kxtr.com) as I talk with former celebrity model and design guru Kathy Ireland about her favorite design styles.
Plus don’t forget to connect with us on our Living Large Facebook fan page!
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22
Jul
Living in Your Space with Great Design
kmills

Ready to create a great design for your living space, but not sure where to start or what’s in? 

Design by Thomas Pheasant as featured by Architectural Digest

Design by Thomas Pheasant as featured by Architectural Digest

I love to begin a design with an inspiration piece that speaks to my client whether it’s artwork, a beautiful fabric or even a piece of clothing!  Other inspiration pieces could include a beautiful rug, jewelry or even a place you’ve visited on a trip.  Just close your eyes for a moment and imagine how you would like to feel in the space and I think you’ll be surprised at what comes to mind whether its a hotel like this one or someone’s home.

Hilton South

 Recreating the look of this hotel lobby could be quite simple.  Just take a design element that you love like the circle motifs and repeat them in your own space in different ways whether its wallpaper, an area rug or the shapes of your furniture.  The circular light fixture below is a great example of repeating circular shapes.

For more great ideas and inspiration, don’t miss Living Large this Sunday at 10am CST as I talk with HGTV host of Design on a Dime, Brice Cooper along with nationally known designer Thomas Pheasant, plus a designer who’s a K.C. native.

And for tips on design styles, make sure you tune in to hear nationally known former model Kathy Ireland talk about what she likes in design at 10:30am CST on Living Large on Classical 1660 KXTR.

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09
Jun
Kitchen Makeovers
kmills

What do you think of when you hear kitchen makeover?    

Red veneer kitchen - Neff Kitchens

 Aren’t these red veneered doors with clear coat varnish just to die for with the steel inserts?  And the addition of red veneer over the fireplace adds just enough color to the fireplace wall to draw you in. 

Exotic contemporary kitchen -Neff Kitchens

Love the horizontal wood grain of the apple wood on the island, the fabulous stainless steel hood and the trough sink!

Circular contemporary kitchen - Neff Kitchens

How sexy is this kitchen?!  Don’t you just love the holographic finish of the curved cabinets that change colors depending on where you are in the room?  These cabinets even come in different colors so you can coordinate with the rest of your home and the raised glass countertop that just floats above them adds another element of interest to the space without stealing the show.

But if these cabinets aren’t your style or definitely too expensive, you can always opt for a clean white bright conservative kitchen that’s always warm and inviting like the host of  Five Ingredient Fix Claire Robinson.

Claire Robinson's kitchen from Food Network

Even if you’re in an older home with outdated cabinets, you can create this type of look by repainting your kitchen cabinets white and removing a few doors or adding glass fronts.  Another great look with open cabinetry is to repaint the back of the cabinet a different color.  Don’t forget to replace your hardware and light fixtures also and for a more rustic look like this kitchen I would opt for more industrial type lighting or perhaps an old wrought iron chandelier.

For more great ideas for kitchen makeovers and the latest trends, don’t miss Living Large this Sunday at 10am CST on News Radio 980 KMBZ as I talk with Claire Robinson, host of Five Ingredient Fix on the Food Network along with other kitchen experts.

And if you would like to hear the latest on personalizing your home, tune in this Saturday at 10:30am CST on Living Large on Classical 1660 KXTR as I talk with HGTV host Krista Watterworth.

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03
Jun
Creating Outdoor Style for Your Staycation
kmills

Ready to create a wonderful outdoor space where you can spend vacation relaxing at home or just enjoying your weekend?  Start by selecting an area that you love whether its your backyard patio, front porch or an area  tucked away in a private corner.  

Outdoor room

Once you’ve selected your spot, start thinking about your walls, floors and ceilings.  If you don’t have any built walls, consider adding a grouping of evergreens or a trellis for example that’s affordable.  Not only will your outdoor space feel more like a room, but you can also use it to create some privacy if needed.

For flooring brick, pavers or natural stone always look great, but if that’s not possible because of budgetary concerns, why not layer an outdoor rug over an existing patio or porch to add textural interest? 

Photo by J. Savage Gibson from Coastal Living magazine website

And if you have a ceiling, think about painting it a sky blue or hanging a chandelier?  I also love to use old wrought iron sconces and metal wall decor to spice up the space to make a space more inviting, but my favorite outdoor items are usually from a trip or a great find that’s not available from a retail store.

For more great ideas on creating outdoor style, tune in this Sunday at 10am CST to Living Large on News Radio 980 KMBZ as I talk with outdoor living experts plus Fine Living Network host of Surprise Vacations, Karen Duffy.

And for more information about Sustainable Living, don’t miss Living Large at 10:30am on Classical 1660 KXTR as I talk with Josh Dorfman, the lazy environmentalist from the Sundance Channel.

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28
Apr
Personalization in Design: Hollywood Stars & Their Spaces
kmills

Ever get a feel for the owner’s personality the instant you enter their home?   

Newly renovated home of Gerard Butler

 

  That’s how I felt the moment I saw this newly renovated loft of movie star Gerard Butler in Architectural Digest.  Don’t you feel like you just stepped into the home of the Spartan King or Dracula?   And the love how he created cozy spaces with warm colors, overstuffed furniture and great lighting.

Home of actress Jennifer Aniston

 

Now take a look at the new home of Jennifer Aniston in contrast with its soft sleek fabrics and smooth textures.    Its sexy just like her and what a huge contrast from the manly rough edged loft of Gerard Butler.   
John Travolta's Home

Home of actor John Travolta and Kelly Preston

 

 And what about Travolta’s home?   Just take a look out his window.  Now that’s what I call roadtrip ready!   How fun!  Just hope Kelly has a couple of spaces to call her own too.  

For more great ideas on how to personalize your space, don’t miss Living Large this Sunday at 10am on News Radio 980 KMBZ as the new HGTV host of Splurge & Save Krista Watterworth Alterman shares her ideas with me on how to personalize a space along with former HGTV Design Star Jennifer Bertrand and other experts including Kevin Hobbs and Keitha Kaminski who just came back from a buying trip from England in search of the perfect antiques to personalize your home. 

HGTV Splurge & Save

 

And for the latest in outdoor spaces and design, tune into Living Large at 10:30am this Saturday on Classical 1660 KXTR as I talk with DIY host Ahmed Hassan along with other experts about creating an outdoor room.
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08
Apr
Design Trends for Interiors: What Does Our Future Hold?
kmills
Ever wonder how our homes of the future will look?  

Microsoft Home of the Future - Teen Room

According to Microsoft, their Home of the Future features a smart sleep/wake mode, digital wallpaper and a high tech kitchen.  For example the home wakes up by turning on the lights and/or music of your choice along with rolling up the window blinds and then goes into sleep mode after sensing you’re gone.

Digital wallpaper or artwork allows rooms to tranform instantly from one decor to another plus the teen room features digital wallpaper that could accomodate playing video games, texing or other interactions.

Microsoft Home of the Future digital artwork in entry

 Check out the glass in the entry above that can change digitally like a photo frame from one piece of artwork to another.

 Like their protype kitchen too because I love high tech kitchens and actually wrote about kitchens of the future a couple of years ago for the Robb Report Home Entertainment magazine .  (“Home and a Range”  - November 2008)  The kitchen counter instantly identifies food and gives recipe suggestions plus recognizes bottles of medicine and can give dosing instructions.  What a great solution for people wanting to age in place!

Personally I also would like a refrigerator door that tells me exactly what’s in the refrigerator to eat so I don’t have to open the door and peruse it, plus a bedroom mirror that gives me a readout of all the clothing in my closet, makes suggestions and displays the outfit on me.    Guess I better start working on my new inventions!

Interior Design by Campion Platt

 

For more information on design trends and the future, don’t miss Living Large this coming Sunday at 10am CST on News Radio 980 KMBZ as I talk with the director over Microsoft’s Home of the Future, Jonathan Cluts along with nationally known designer and architect Campion Platt. 

And for the latest in window and wall design trends, tune in this Saturday at 10:30am on Living Large as I talk to celebrity designer Vicente Wolf .

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24
Mar
Touchable Interiors: What’s Hot
kmills

Ever have a compelling urge to touch an item or run your hand across it? 

If you’re like most women, you absolutely love the feel of a beautiful fabric, also known as the hand, and sometimes may feel an overwhelming desire to touch the fabric to ensure it feels as great as it looks.

Design by Christopher Lowell

When designing an empty living space, I love to begin with a beautiful inspiration piece such as a fabulous fabric in a primary (complex) pattern perhaps for a pillow along with a coordinating solid (or almost solid) patterned fabric for the sofa.  Then its time for the real fun to begin, the exhilarating hunt for the perfect fabrics to compliment and complete the look of the interior in solid, secondary and/or primary patterns that will create a perfect harmony and balance.   But remember, when selecting fabrics and patterns, that pillows are more affordable to replace than a sofa or chair, so consider keeping your more complex patterns on areas that you can  easily switch out without too much expense.

Some of my favorite fabrics right now include patterns that are layered with stitched designs or other embellishments in rich textures and beautiful colors in patterns with a nod to nature including leaves, flower parts or other organic elements like insects or animals. 

And speaking of organic elements, wouldn’t these dried plants below preserved as art by local artist Brigid Greene be the perfect inspiration for a new line of fabrics? 

Preserved plant forms by artist Brigid Greene

 

Preserved plant form by artist Brigid Greene

If you want a look into what the future holds for residential interiors, I still believe that beautiful hotels or restaurants  that have been recently designed are a wonderful place of inspiration for homeowners looking for new ideas.

For more great information on what’s hot in fabrics and furnishings, don’t miss Living Large this coming Sunday at 10am Central on News Radio 980 KMBZ as I interview celebrity designer, author and host of Fine Living Network’s Work That Room show, Christopher Lowell, along with HGTV host Karen McAloon and other local experts from Innerworks.

And for the latest in bedrooms and bedding trends, make sure you tune into Living Large this coming Saturday at 1o:30am on Classical 1660 KXTR as I talk with local experts on what’s hot.

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17
Mar
What’s “Living Large” Mean to You?
kmills

If you listen to Living Large, you know one of my favorite questions to ask celebrity guests is “What’s living large mean to you?!”  Attached a  few favorite responses here.  So what does it mean to you?! Love to hear from you!!

ALEXA HAMPTON     KATHY IRELAND     TIMOTHY CORRIGAN     CONSTANCE RAMOS   

Robert Bledsoe 

And this spring, I’m ready to live large at home by celebrating the outdoors and all its splendor so I’m going to share a couple of tips for creating a beautiful space outside. 

 Instead of running out to the nearest nursery or big box store and grabbing the first flowering plants you see, stop and assess your needs first.  Think about what you would like to do in your outdoor space whether its entertaining, relaxing, cooking or just taking a nap.  Then hire a professional to draw up a plan that you can implement now or in stages that will look great all year round and after dark too!

 

And when selecting colors, don’t forget about the color palette inside and outside your home so you can easily transition your design from indoors to out by coordinating colors, finishes and some architectural style.

For more great tips on outdoor spaces, don’t miss Living Large this Sunday at 10am Central (streams live on kmbz.com) as I talk with DIY Network host Ahmed Hassan along with local experts whose work is pictured above about the latest outdoor trends and how to create a beautiful outdoor area.

Plus if you’re thinking about making over your kitchen, make sure you tune into Living Large this Saturday at 10:30am Central (streams live on kxtr.com) as I talk with Better Homes & Gardens design editor Oma Ford along with other kitchen experts about the latest in kitchen design. 

And don’t forget to become a fan of our Living Large Facebook fan page by cllicking on this link

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Living-Large/217431843107

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