remodel – KAREN MILLS

Interior Design: 5 QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE HIRING A…

June 17, 2022June 17, 2022

May 20, 2021

What to Consider When Procuring a Contractor in Addition to Costs

As an interior designer I’ve heard numerous sad stories recanted by homeowners who’ve selected a remodeler based on lowest price that resulted in poor craftsmanship, unfinished work, or even worse, damage to their property. Read on for my design tips on what to ask a contractor before hiring.

Karen Mills' blog — Interior design by Karen MIlls

What qualifications/experience do you have with my type of project and can you provide references? Also ask if the contractor belongs to NARI, National Association of Remodelers or HBA, Home Building Association.

2. Can your insurance company mail a current copy of your insurance policy(s) before we sign the contract? Contractors need to have liability insurance to cover any damage to your property and workman’s comp for anyone working on your home to protect you if they get hurt on the job.

3. How do you charge? Normally remodelers give a bid/estimate of total amount for project minus any unseen issues or simply charge for time (hourly) and materials (products). If you want to buy materials yourself and just pay the contractor for your time, make sure they offer that option and that you can put a limit on the hours billed so project doesn’t get out of hand.

photo example — Kansas City Interior design by Karen Mills

4. Can you complete work within my time requirements and may I have a written timeline/schedule of construction beforehand?

5. Will you provide a signed contract with scope of work to be done that includes a warranty? Warranties are critical because they provide a guarantee and help ensure the remodel is done correctly the first time.

Now that you’ve hired a contractor ensure you have a professional interior designer also for your project to avoid costly design mistakes. And if you need guidance in that area, give us a call at 913.764.5915 to find out how we can help.

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

A Kitchen Reimagined: Before & After

June 3, 2021June 3, 2021

An Interior Designer’s Insightful Steps to Transforming a High-Rise Kitchen

Because of a background in television I see everything through the lens of a TV camera. developing the story plot as I go to create a design that reflects both the architecture and the taste of the homeowners. But stepping into this early 1900s high rise for the first time I knew this interior design remodel project would be much more of a challenge, not only because of the tiny warren of rooms that revealed themselves as they zigzagged back and forth, but also because of the the challenges of redesigning this entire apartment within the confines of a brick building with limited access to the upper floors.

Entering the kitchen initially, I was immediately struck by how small, unappealing, and closed in I felt in the space, so I knew our team would need to remove some walls after reimagining the layout of the entire apartment for both function and aesthetics.

As we passed through the kitchen, we noticed a tiny maid’s room tucked beyond the kitchen with a window that would be perfect for enlarging the kitchen, while also bringing in more natural light. So our team began by tearing down the wall between the two rooms, while I determined how to best resize the disparate windows that would ultimately reside side by side in the kitchen.

Next, it was time to open up the kitchen to visually expand the space even more by tearing down a wall. The living room wouldn’t work because the wood-burning fireplace that was in the middle of that wall. That meant the only option left was the wall between the dining room and the kitchen.

But I didn’t like the idea of the kitchen just opening into a formal dining room without a place to relax, so we decided to move the dining room to the large living room where ample space existed for both functions. And then we made the former dining room a new hearth room.

Now we were ready to space plan the layout of the kitchen to ensure it would function well for our client, while also being inviting.

When space planning the kitchen, we made sure to include not only a functioning work zone, but also an island for entertaining guests with a mitered (chunkier) island and small chandeliers to add more emphasis.

In the main cooking zone, we added pegged drawers under the stove top for lids and pots, while also adding lit glass upper cabinets, a custom designed hood, and ran backsplash tile up to the ceiling to create a more dramatic look.

At the far end of the kitchen was the former maid’s room with a slanted wall that couldn’t be removed for functional reasons. To resolve this issue, I designed a coffee bar cabinet and storage that hid the slanted wall complete with tuck back doors that opened to reveal the coffee area. Lit upper cabinets and large pulls complete the look.

On the opposite side of the stove hood, we created a wine bar area replete with a wine fridge, a bar sink and lit glass front cabinets for wine glass storage.

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: 4 Tips for a Kitchen Refresh

January 28, 2021January 28, 2021

If a kitchen remodel isn’t in your future because of either lack of budget or not recouping your investment in your current home, then why not consider what I like to call as an interior designer a KITCHEN REFRESH! Read on for my 5 tips for giving your kitchen a budget friendly makeover below.

example of blog topic — Interior design by Karen MIlls

1.Paint both your kitchen cabinets and walls to give your entire space a fresh new look. In this kitchen refresh the dated stained cabinetry and dark walls were painted much lighter white colors that bounced light across the room, making it appear larger. Dark counter tops were also replaced for light ones.

To save money and not waste perfectly good granite our client re purposed the darker counters to a new basement bar where they were a perfect fit! Then to bring in more light we installed an existing chandelier the client loved and added new mini chandeliers over the eating area where we had the door repurposed as a tabletop painted and slip covered the existing dark leather dining chairs. The transformation was amazing!

2.Replace your dated back splash along with counter tops – After working on over 1300 interior design projects we’ve realized that most homeowners planning a budget kitchen remodel typically omit replacing their back splash. Unfortunately an old back splash instantly reveals just how old the kitchen is and that’s why as an interior designer I recommend replacing it at the the same time.

In this playful and creative Leawood kitchen makeover, we replaced the dark granite counter with white mitered (thick) quartz counters on the island and ran the same quartz up the walls behind the cabinetry instead of traditional backsplash tile to add drama and interest. Then we painted the existing cabinets three different shades of gray, added new mini chandeliers, and tore down a few upper wall cabinets so we could layer in live edge shelves to create a fun focal point.

3. Introduce new counter or bar stools In addition to the new live edge shelves the client in this kitchen purchased contemporary counter stools that really pop against the gray and white color scheme while adding a little warmth with the wood tone. New stools that contrast against your island or peninsula can have a huge impact on your kitchen without a big investment.

4. Replace dated chandeliers or pendant lights – By updating your light fixtures you can make a great impression walking into your kitchen where the fixtures are usually front and center over an island or table like shown here.

To help these new mini chandeliers and the drum shade beyond in the hearth area blend seamlessly with the existing chandelier in this Overland Park kitchen the client wanted to use in this space, we went with lighter finishes – champagne on the mini chandeliers and silver on the drum shade.

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: You Know You Need to Hire a…

February 14, 2020February 14, 2020

How to Avoid Costly Mistakes with Your Interior Design, Decorating, or Remodeling/New Build Project

After completing over 1200 interior design and decorating projects as an interior designer I’ve learned a thing or two about how people think and at what point they usually call for help, which is often too late. So today I’m going to reveal those times when you definitely need to hire an interior designer to avoid costly mistakes, have regret, or end up with an interior design that’s either not functional, ugly or both. Read on for my 7 tips for knowing when it’s time to hire an interior design firm for your project.

You know you need to hire an interior designer when you’re on the verge of divorce from fighting about about your project. You may laugh at this reason why but I have to tell you that our interior design firm gets called on frequently to quietly settle disputes while also helping clients come up with a plan that works for everyone.

2. You know you need an interior designer when you’re about to make a large furniture purchase you will regret the rest of your life. Interior design firms not only help you design your interior but they also help you avoid costly mistakes by ensuring the furniture purchased is better quality, functional, and a good fit for your body type unless throw away furniture is what you want.

a. poor quality – Most people mistakenly believe that because a furniture store is expensive or popular that they have quality furniture not realizing that often much of the company’s investment goes towards advertising instead. Interior design firms check not only the quality of the frames of upholstered furniture but also ensure the fabric will hold up in your space.

b. wrong size – Can’t tell you how many times clients have asked me to resolve their space planning dilemma when its too late because the furniture they just purchased doesn’t fit into the room or through a doorway like the basement.

c. doesn’t fit – Have you ever purchased a sofa or chair only to find out too late that it doesn’t fit your body type or its uncomfortable? Unfortunately that’s one of the most common mistakes I see clients make that interior designers help you avoid.

3. You know you need to hire an interior designer when the bad color choice(s) you made are still on the walls. Interior design firms use their expertise and experience with color to help you make better color choices that flow with your designed interior overall.

4. You know you need to hire an interior designer when you are second guessing your decor selections in the middle of a project like a remodel, new build, or decorating project.

5. You know you need an interior designer when you know what you like but have no idea how to put the interior design project together

6. You know you need an interior designer when your space hasn’t been updated for 15-30 years because you can’t make a decision. That’s what interior design firms call analysis paralysis and it simply means you need a professional to help guide you through the process.

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Interior Design: How to Remodel Your Bathroom to Look…

October 3, 2019February 25, 2021

Remodeling a Tiny Bathroom into a Visually Larger Space

Master bath before remodeling

As an interior designer I think you will find this master bath remodel quite amazing not only because of the transformation of this historic brick high rise built in the early 1900s, but also because of how it visually lives so much larger in the same size space.

When we entered the master bath shown here the space was chopped up by a walled in shower placed in the middle of the room making the space feel cramped, small, and unattractive.

To the right of the shower was a dimly lit dressing area with a small amount of storage that didn’t function well.

To solve this interior design dilemma we ripped out everything but one small closet and started over. By pushing back the shower we gave the bathroom a bigger sense of volume and were able to expand the vanity to accommodate two people instead of one.

As you can see the transformation was amazing! By placing the same marble style tile from Italy on the floor and walls the room suddenly visually expanded into a beautiful timeless space with an over sized shower for two. To help the bathroom live even larger we also eliminated the shower curb and placed a solid glass panel along the front so the shower space virtually disappears.

For the former dressing area I designed a double vanity that also included usable top drawers that wrapped around the plumbing for more storage.

The result? A gorgeous bathroom that ended up in Kitchen Bath Design News – the national design magazine for kitchens and baths.

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Interior Design: 3 Biggest Mistakes We Make in Basement…

April 25, 2019April 25, 2019

1. Not taking advantage of natural daylight – In this recent basement design we situated the bar area in a spot surrounded by natural light to make the space feel like the main level of the home. To further enhance the light airy feel we designed the bar with white counter tops and lighter paint colors to bounce more light around the room.

2. Not hiding the telltale signs of a basement living space. –When finishing your basement ensure that you hide all ledges, duct work, and niches or anything else that screams basement. Here in this space we added wood flooring, artificial light, and and accent lighting to give this basement a first floor feel.

3. Lack of adequate artificial light – As an interior designer I can’t emphasize enough the importance of artificial lighting. Here we started with general can lights, added task lighting over the island, and then topped it off with accent lighting inside the shelves and under the cabinets to create a wow factor.

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Interior Design: 3 Kitchen Trends for 2018

February 22, 2018

Whether you’re designing a new kitchen or simply doing a kitchen remodel it’s important to know what kitchen trends in your city. As an interior designer I’m consulting with 2-4 homeowners weekly on kitchen design or remodels and here’s what I see as the biggest kitchen trends for 2018 so far.

1. Transitional Style with Rustic Glam

Transitional style translates to cleaner lines and less pattern overall, creating a calmer feel like this kitchen. Rustic touches might come through in textures like the live edge shelves we did in the kitchen in the following kitchen or other rough textures and glamorous elements that might show up in light fixtures and marble style counters like this kitchen.

2. Quartz Countertops

Granite countertops have been popular for year but as an interior designer I’m noticing a huge trend towards quartz countertops and I believe its because homeowners are craving calmer environments. In this kitchen we not only covered the island and perimeter cabinets in quartz but also ran the quartz up the wall to create a dramatic feel.

3. Storage

Even interior design clients on a tight budget usually opt for at least one storage/waste option to help their new kitchen feel less cluttered whether its a cabinet to hide appliances and have a coffee station like the gray cabinetry at the back of this kitchen we designed or pull out racks for spices.

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: Why White Kitchens Stand the Test of…

September 29, 2017

If you’re like the majority of homeowners around the world, you love the ethereal feel of white kitchens, especially warm inviting ones with layers of texture and interest like this kitchen photo where the table top, formerly a door, was refinished in gray and leather chairs were slip covered in a washable fabric.

Some of you I know will disagree about the appeal of white kitchens but this kitchen has been featured repeatedly in the news, both in national print and on television, plus its a favorite of our clients. And I think its because of its simplistic, light, classic design and marble counters even though existing cabinets weren’t replaced during the remodel.

As an interior designer who specializes in remodels I believe we secretly crave these airy white spaces to work and play in because they not only feel clean and fresh but also reflect light from outside and around the room, enhancing the way we look and often feel when entering the space.

One of the other reasons I believe white kitchens are popular is because can go with almost any accent color and can easily be changed to another color scheme when we tire of the original one.

Interior design by Karen Mills

But if you’re looking for something different besides a simple white, you might consider having your kitchen cabinets painted with a white that has been tinted with a favorite color like this photo where cabinets and walls have a hint of green.

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