Lexington furniture – KAREN MILLS

Interior Design: 3 Tips for Selecting Outdoor Furniture

May 21, 2020May 21, 2020

How to Make Smart Choices for Outdoor Seating

to explain point — Interior Design by Karen Mills

Comfort

Comfort is the most important factor when it comes to seating, especially if its where you will sit for prolonged periods relaxing in your outdoor room. When selecting furniture I always tell our interior design clients to ensure your legs can comfortable touch the floor and that the seat isn’t too short or too deep.

Here on this porch the chairs provide thick cushions helping ensure a comfortable place to relax or entertain.

photo example — Photo courtesy of B & B Italia

2. Furniture Style

Style, a key factor in selecting furniture, plays a huge role outside because the furnishings must coordinate with both the exterior finishes of your home and the view beyond, while also relating to the the adjacent rooms inside.

In this outdoor space, contemporary style furniture with clean lines blend beautifully with the modern house architecture.

3. Color

I think we as consumers are naturally drawn to our favorite colors and often purchase products based on that fact alone. But as an interior designer who thinks long term I would recommend selecting a solid neutral color frame and even cushion. That’s because you can always switch out pillows and accessories but quality furniture will be with you much longer.

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: 5 Tips for Creating an Outdoor Oasis

July 3, 2019July 3, 2019

Want to make your outdoor space more beautiful? Here are 5 ideas for enhancing your outdoor room!

photo to explain point — Photo courtesy of B&B Italia

1. Create a cozy outdoor area for lounging or entertaining by grouping seating in a cozy arrangement. Add end tables, coffee tables, outdoor lamps, and an area rug to make it live like indoors. Here in this outdoor area the seating area is centered around the coffee table to create an inviting place to have conversation.

2. Bring in one of kind vintage items to show off your personality. In this outdoor porch area, my clients introduced a table base they found along with stone top for the coffee table to create a one of kind space.

3. Layer in different textures to keep the space interesting such as wood, metal, wicker, or plants. Here in this outdoor room a wood roof and decking provide texture along with wicker seating, fabric cushions/pillows, woven rugs and a metal table to create a visually compelling space.

4. Add a water feature to create ambiance and to reduce outside noise from neighbors or the street with a small bubbler, hanging fountain, or even tabletop fountain. Here in this outdoor a pool beyond provides the water feature that could also include a waterfall or fountains.

shows example — Photo courtesy of Schumacher

5. Add height to your outdoor space. One of my favorite ways as an interior designer to add height to my client’s outdoor spaces inexpensively starts with tall drapery panels on a pergola or porch or a potted tree that can be brought outside for the season.

For my own outdoor oasis, I designed a beautiful outdoor pergola with grand white Greek columns covered with climbing flowering vines and a curved header between snuggled inside a beautiful berm of trees with thick cushioned seating underneath.

Have a wonderful and safe Fourth of July holiday with your family and friends!

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: 3 Ways to Decorate Your Outdoor Area…

March 3, 2018

If you’re ready to get outside and enjoy the weather here are 3 tips for setting up your outdoor porch, pergola, or open seating area to enjoy for months to come.

Karen Mills' blog — Photo courtesy of Lexington Furniture

1. Create a Comfortable Seating Area

High quality seating and a “L” or “U” shaped configuration like this outdoor room by Lexington Furniture help create a comfortable and inviting outdoor space. Here the yellow chair color repeats again on the sofa pillows while the patterned pillows on both upholstered pieces add to the cohesive look.

2. Introduce Fun Accessories

Some of my favorite accessories are bold pillows, live flowers or plants, and trays for the outdoors like shown in this photo.

3. Layer in an Area Rug to Create a Cozy Grouping

Placing an area rug underneath a seating area helps define the space and make it feel more like the indoors like this outdoor room. Interesting accessories in turquoise add to the finished look along with the pillows and tray on the table.

For more great ideas sign up for our weekly interior design blog here

plus become a fan of Kansas City’s interior designer and former host of Living Large design show, Karen Mills, on Facebook here

and if you have a porch to decorate, check out my latest article on Houzz titled Get Your Porch Ready for Spring Sitting below

https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/95204125/list/get-your-porch-ready-for-spring-sitting

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: Fabulous New Finds in Chairs

December 2, 2016

Ready to see what’s new or fun in chairs from the interior design industry? Here are some of my favorites that are starting to make an appearance or already have.

Love how the embossed leather is juxtaposed against the shiny metallic arms to create a “wow” look.

This Elka chair looks so inviting and could fit in a wide range of design styles, making it a popular choice for interior designers.

When I saw this Alexandra chair I just made me smile because its so feminine and light. Plus I love the quatrofoil design in the back that’s commonly described as Moroccan style.

How beautiful are the lines in this Dixon chair with arms that almost feel like they’re trying to hug you?

Love how much style is in the Barrington chair by Dunn. Amazing how a simple wood chair can have such a feminine edge to it by introducing sexy slim legs and a thin profile seat.

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Plus become a fan of Kansas City’s interior designer and former host of Living Large design show, Karen Mills, on Facebook here