Living Large – KAREN MILLS

Interior Design: 3 Ways to Brighten a Dreary Living…

February 20, 2023February 20, 2023

Tips for Creating a More Cheerful Space

Paint walls and ceilings a light color. In this internationally published living space, we designed, we painted the dark walls light, recovered the sofa and chair, slipcovered the armless chairs, and layered a lighter rug underneath the hearth area, completely transforming the space from dark and dreary to light and dreamy.

2. Remove dark window coverings including drapery fabric or hard window treatments that block much of the light. In this hearth living area, the windows are only covered by white blinds, keeping the room feeling light airy.

3. Replace or recover dark upholstery and rugs. In this living space we recovered all the dark heavy upholstery with lighter shades of fabrics and layered in a lighter rug to bounce additional light around the room.

For more great interior design ideas, sign up for our design blog here plus become a fan of Kansas City’s interior designer and former host of the Living Large design show, Karen Mills, on Facebook or Instagram now!

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

New Trends in Home Office Design: The Ultimate Space…

April 28, 2022August 11, 2022

For the first time I am sharing a series of fabulous guest articles written by my former executive producer of Living Large, Andrew Ellenberg. Enjoy!

Deborah rises to the sound of soothing nature sound effects and meditation music gently nudging her to ignite the day. She tells Alexa to turn on the shower and warm up the water temperature to the perfect temperature. As she prepares for another round of carpe diem and Starbucks Espresso, she watches her favorite YouTube newscast in the foggy mirror.

After she pushes a button to rotate dressing options from her wardrobe to her fingertips, she is camera ready to step into her home office, which doubles as a Television and podcast studio.

Once Deborah is ready to kick off another exciting business adventure, she tells Alexa to raise the twin monitors for her computer, silently ascending from under the table in response to her command. Alexa reads her priority emails delivered to an exacting standard of relevance and value per her specifications.

A pleasant audio notification reminds Deborah about an online meeting that she needs to join in ten minutes. The video conferencing app kicks in and initiates the call. Compact Sonos speakers sneak into view.

The green screen pops up; she puts on her anchor face, and two cameras go live. Welcome to the future of home offices!

As we move from temporary home offices to permanent ones, scenes of hilarious real-life photos of video calls conducted from playrooms and makeshift ironing board desks are becoming less relevant.

Corporate executives and owners realize the benefits of foregoing lease renewals and expansions and instead choose to go virtual. Often seen as a way to reduce costs, it can also increase efficiency and productivity. As businesses have become more globalized, the need for physical office space continues to diminish.

Home Offices Aren’t Going Away.

The September 2021 Gallup Poll found that as many as 45 percent of American workers now work from home permanently. That means many of us never want to go back to the office and are finding solutions to make working from home a phenomenal experience.

Big tech brands Google, Microsoft, Twitter, Square, Facebook, Dropbox, Slack, empower employees to work from home and offer flexible work schedules to accommodate family time. As the most innovative sector in the market, tech is always ahead of the curve.

We’re going to take an educated guess here. You are probably motivated more by freeing up windshield time for date night while the kids are getting spoiled at your mom’s house than by reducing your carbon footprint.

Let’s be honest. You can’t work all day and then go home. Your home office needs to be where you do your best work 24/7, so it must accommodate whatever crazy schedule life throws at you.

Do yourself a favor. Get some white noise headphones because they will help minimalize distractions from other conversations so you can maintain deep focus no matter what is going on around you.

If you have children at home, try to set aside some dedicated time when you can arrange to provide entertainment for them, so you avoid distractions. And if you find yourself working odd hours, don’t be afraid to let your family and friends know so they can adjust their expectations accordingly.

Home Office Design is Built into Home Design

Karen Mills, an internationally respected interior designer and Founder of Interiors by Design, says, “Now that people are working at home, they want their office to blend into the living space. They don’t want their homes to look like corporate offices, so all the ugly office equipment must disappear.”

For those using a guest room as an office, the Murphy bed is an excellent choice. Create the desk space when you need it while still having a place for guests to sleep. Soundproofing rooms is another design choice people are making; homeowners want a place to work quietly, close the door at the end of the day, and live in the rest of the house without being reminded of work.

Now that working at home is permanent, workers are decorating home offices. Gone are the pandemic days of sharing the playroom with kids. We’re creating Zoom rooms or spaces in the home where we can do our video calls uninterrupted. But if the dog wanders into the studio and barks during a call, no one cares.

We all understand the challenges and beauty of working at home. We’re adding color, art, photos, plants, and lighting to our permanent workspaces. We’re investing in office chairs like we would a new couch or bed because we want to be comfortable while we work.

Families make space in playrooms, bedrooms, and dining rooms for work. Sometimes it means sharing space and dividing it with a partition. Room dividers are back in fashion; you can use them as an accent wall or add color to an office setting. No one needs to know that’s the guest bed behind you!

When you’re not working, how does your home function? It’s an important consideration, especially if you’re thinking of buying a new home or renovating your current one to be more functional for your lifestyle. Creating a work-life balance seems to be the new American Dream.

Meditation and Exercise: Rooms for Work-Life Balance

To support work-life balance, we’re rethinking how the home functions for our families. Dining rooms are now meditation and exercise spaces. Music is piped throughout the house to create a sense of peace or to pump up the energy on long workdays.

Patios are now offices. Pets are coworkers who join us for at-home yoga classes and an occasional video call—each of these needs a convertible or dedicated space that works for you and your family.

As you consider your next home, think about how you want to optimize your space and what you want the house to be for your family. The remodeling options are virtually unlimited, from home offices to rooms for work-life balance.

Life in Style, the weekly Publication from Team Real Estate is dedicated to helping homeowners make intelligent decisions about their homes and lifestyles. It features original news, commentary, tips, and analysis from leading industry experts. To be considered for inclusion in future stories, email lifeinstyle@teamre.com

If you’re looking for more custom interior design, decorating, or remodeling inspiration, ideas, and photos, sign up for our weekly interior design blog here

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

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: 3 Steps to Creating a Finished Look…

February 17, 2022February 17, 2022

Do you have a collection of mismatched furniture that feels undone? Read on for my 3 interior designer tips for creating a more cohesive look in your living room.

1. Use Repetition – To coordinate two pieces of mismatched upholstery, unify both upholstery pieces by repeating one color from one piece of furniture to another with a pillow or throw, for example. Here the blue green color of the ottoman was repeated in the pattern on the pillows, while the artwork brings everything together including the gray velvet sofa in the foreground and the new tile on the fireplace to create a cohesive feel.

2. Introduce a new design element – By introducing a pillow with blue and tan accents on the chair the same color scheme is now picked up in the tan tray that holds white coral and a blue candle, tying both furnishings together.

When creating vignettes of accessories in your space whether its for a tabletop or shelves, try to place objects of various heights, sizes, texture, and shapes together to create a cohesive whole. Normally placing the taller narrower items at back with shorter wider items at the front works best as shown on this tray.

photo example — Photo courtesy of Curated Kravet

3. Layer a rug underneath – In this living room the striped area rug underneath helps brings together the white sectional and brown chair plus ottomans to create a cohesive feel.

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

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

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: 3 Design Tips for Cozying Up Your…

November 30, 2021November 30, 2021

Ideas for Creating a Comfortable Nest at Home

Karen Mills' blog — Interior design by Karen Mills.

1. Comfortable seating. As an interior designer I recommend selecting high quality upholstery with upgraded cushions that will provide comfortable seating for hours at a time, while also making sure the sofa fits your body type from the seat height and depth to level of cushioning desired and style of seating cushion needed.

In this room we went with high quality custom furniture that you can sink into while enjoying the incredible views. We included a branch style fabric pattern on the sides of the chairs to tie them into the outdoors beyond. 3 Tips for a Budget Living Room Makeover

rug sizing example — Overland Park interior design by Karen Mills

2. Create a Cozy Conversation Area When we put together a floor plan for a living area, we should focus on designing intimate seating areas like this one shown to create a relaxing comfortable space. Adding an area rug underneath helps define the space and cozy pillows enhance the feel. 3 Big Design Mistakes We Make in Living Rooms

3. Layer in texture Texture can be added with fabrics, soft window treatments, decor, rugs, or art. In this intimate living area, drapes, pillows, and a throw bring texture into the space along with a fabric ottoman, tray, and artwork.

Looking for more great ideas that you can implement? Sign up for our weekly interior design blog here

Plus become a fan of Kansas City’s interior designer and former host of the Living Large design show, Karen Mills, on Facebook or Instagram now.

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: How to Use Your Favorite Hue at…

August 5, 2021August 5, 2021

Tips for Injecting Your Favorite Color into Your Interior

example — Interior design by Karen Mills featured by Design Icons book

Did you know that your favorite color gives experts insight into your personality type? As an interior designer who’s been in over 1200 homes I can get an immediate sense of someone’s personality just by looking at the styles and colors of clothing in their closet or by walking through their home interior when we first meet.

You may be wondering how that’s possible, but all of us experience color in different ways as we progress through life creating an unique color story that’s all our own. Lea Eiseman, the world’s leading color expert and a regular guest on my former design show Living Large, shared why that’s true in one of her renowned color books, “…much of color knowledge is based on instinctive responses, cultural conditioning, and those aspects of color that we seem to absorb without much conscious thought.” Read on to gain insight about your favorite color, what it says about you, and ideas for injecting that color into your home’s interior.

RED

If you love red like I do you live life to the fullest with a passion and intensity that others don’t possess. You’re exciting, daring, and spontaneous, but also have an inner drive to excel at everything you do. So how does that color translate into an interior design? The color red that we associate with blood, instantly raises your blood pressure and grabs your attention so remember that a little bit goes a long way in a room!

In this great room orange red pillows and flowers pop against the white sofa creating an exciting tension and bold contrast, while the custom blue draperies we designed introduce a secondary color that’s cooler and more restful.

Alternately, soft pink lovers tend to be charming, peace loving, and romantic types who carry some of the same traits as the red/bright pink.

example of comfortable seating — Interior design by Karen Mills featured in *Architecture Today Interior Design* book

BLUE

An extension of sky and water, blue exudes stability and calm making it a perfect color for bedrooms or other areas where you want to unwind and relax. Lovers of this color tend to be dependable, responsible citizens who do the right thing. No wonder blue still remains the favorite color of men!

In this close up photo of a family room we designed, a watery blue pillow and candle join forces with rustic beach elements – a shell and rope – to create a wonderful ocean vibe in this space.

YELLOW

Yellow like a ray of sunshine portrays warmth, cheerfulness, and optimism making it a wonderful hue for a cheery kitchen, sunny living area, or any interior lacking sunshine and warmth. Huge fans of yellow are optimistic, warm, and playful, while also being inquisitive and encouraging to others.

ORANGE

As an orange enthusiast you share an enthusiastic zest for life, outgoing personality, sense of humor, bright outlook, and longing for adventure. Orange, known as the color of hunger, fits perfectly into a dining room or kitchen eat in area where you need some energy or more life. But that’s not all as you can see in this foyer where we sourced an original Mattini painting and pulled out the orange hue as as the main accent color on our custom designed rug, original ceramic art piece, and flowers, while also repeating a golden hue from the art on the wool rug and and handmade chevron wallpaper to add more interest.

Interior design by Karen Mills featured in Design Icons book

GREEN

Green, the color of nature exudes calmness and warmth, which makes it a great color for bedrooms or spaces where you need a more relaxed feel like a sun room, den, or library. Enthusiastic fans of green are usually warm, kind, and charitable people who like to give back to their communities. Green fans also bring stability and loyalty as additional attributes.

Here in this stunning foyer we designed that was featured in the international Design Icons book, we repeated the blue green plates with branches overlaid on the white shelves to create a dramatic but also calm entrance into this third floor foyer aptly named The Flat after our client’s London home.

PURPLE

A complex and creative type of individual, purple lovers are fascinating observant individuals who often have a generous spirit and artistic flair. Purple, the favorite color of most children, also has a mysterious air about it making it popular with artists or creatives too. In interiors purple usually works best as a light or a very dark almost neutral hue wall color or as an accent in any shade.

Interior Design by Karen Mills featured in Architecture Today Interior Design Book

BROWN

Brown personalities tend to be down to earth, stable, and in harmony with life around them, while still appreciating quality. Brown lovers like to keep things simple, secure, and peaceful, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t cosmopolitan. Brown hues work great for your interior if you’re looking to create a grounded space that’s also cozy and inviting whether its a living room, dining room, den, or even a bedroom.

Beige, a lighter version of brown speaks of someone who is warm, reliable, and doesn’t often rock the boat. As a light neutral this color can be introduced almost anywhere including combining it with gray for a cool/warm color combination.

Here in this stunning rustic great room we designed that was featured in the international book Architecture Today Interior Design, warm browns wrap around the room like a big hug, creating a welcoming feel.

White

Did you know that white is the sum of all other colors combined? Isn’t that amazing? As an interior designer I love that white can do so much in a room’s interior design from creating more contrast and bouncing light around a room to visually expanding it. But white also signifies innocence, cleanliness, and purity so you may notice that white hue lovers sometimes have the same characteristics in their neatly organized and well kept homes or crave the innocence of their youth.

In this hearth area renovation we darkened the floors to contrast against the white walls and trim we introduced. Then we continued the white theme by slip covering dining chairs, upholstering arm chairs, layering in pillows with white backgrounds, putting in white/gray marble tile, and adding a table we had white washed that was formerly a door.

Gray

The gray personalities that I’ve experienced are content to be calm, cool, and collected. They prefer to stay out of the limelight, opting instead for safety, security, and practicality. That’s why I believe as an interior designer that gray color schemes have become so popular at home for years because this color creates a calm respite from the outside world and works well in almost every room.

In this gorgeous high rise master bathroom we designed, gray from the Italian marble style tile repeats again on the custom designed vanity and walls. White quartz counters, square knobs and a tiled wall enhance the look of this small but stunning space.

BLACK

Don’t know if you aware of this little known fact, but black is completely void of color, the opposite of white. Of course we all know that the black suit signifies sophistication and status in the business world, but black color hue aficionados are also confident in their ability to hold a conversation, clever in their communication abilities, and make security a top priority in their lives. Black is a wonderful color for interiors, especially when combined with white and can used throughout your interior from living, dining, and powder rooms to home theaters, or on doors/trim to create a dramatic look.

So what if your favorite color is a combination of two colors. If that’s the case, simply combine the traits associated with each color for a picture of your personality.

To summarize, colors whether worn or used in your interior reveal insight into your personality and life story. And when you utilize your favorite color in your home it can bring back wonderful memories that cradle you in comfort whether its on the walls, ceilings, floors or furnishings.

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

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

If you feel someone you know could benefit from this helpful information, pass it on!

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: 3 Tips for Selecting the Right Size…

July 15, 2021July 15, 2021

A Designer’s Secrets to Picking the Right Rug for Your Room

Best Living Room Rug Size – When calculating the ideal size for an area rug for your living room, try to find a rug that lays underneath ALL of your furniture in the room. But if you want to show off more floor or save money, you can also buy an area rug where only the front feet of your upholstered furniture sits on top of the area rug like shown here.

Karen Mills' rug sizing example — Interior design by Karen Mills

The last option and definitely least preferred by the interior design and rug community is to place a smaller rug in front of your sofa but not under the feet. Please note however, that this example is a larger rug that would actually work under the feet of the sofa and chairs nearby (not shown).

3 Tips for Getting Cozy with Area Rugs

Karen Mills' blog rug example — Interior design by Karen Mills

2. Best Bedroom Rug Size – Interior design clients often have a difficult time understanding this concept but a bedroom area rug should be large enough that it can be laid perpendicular under your bed just up to the edge of the nightstands without sliding under them and still have a few feet showing at the bottom of the bed like shown.

3. Best Dining Room Rug Size – As an interior designer I often see rugs that are just too small under the dining room table. Calculating this rug size can be tricky because you want two feet on each side of the table for room to slide back the chairs, but also need to ensure the final rug size fits into your space like the one shown here.

For more design ideas and photos, sign up for our weekly interior design blog here

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

If you feel someone you know could benefit from this helpful information, pass it on.

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: 3 Biggest Bloopers Made with Basement Remodels

July 1, 2021July 1, 2021

An Interior Designer’s Insight on How to Make Your Basement Live Large

One of the first things I normally see when entering a finished basement are the obvious signs that I’m in a basement. But that’s not what you want. You need to think of your finished basement as professional finished main level living space instead to create the ideal interior design. Read on for my 3 ways to improve the visual appeal of your remodeled basement.

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

2. Not hiding the telltale signs of a basement living space. –When finishing your basement ensure that you hide all horizontal ledges behind dry wall, disguise obvious duct work in the ceiling design, and cover all concrete wall 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 real wow factor.

Remember lighting is a major key to success when creating a basement interior design because lighting draws you into the rooms along with a professional finished look.

For more great ideas and photos on basement interior design or remodels, sign up for our weekly interior design blog here

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

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: 3 Tips for Picking the Perfect Paint…

June 17, 2021June 17, 2021

A Designer’s Suggestions for Selecting Paint Colors for Your Interior

Paint color, one of the biggest issue faced by homeowners starting an interior design or interior decorating project is often an overwhelming task so today I’ve broken it down into three manageable steps for you to implement. 3 Reasons Why White Kitchens Stand the Test of Time

View color swatches on a white background – When you’re ready to select paint colors for your interior, start by placing the color swatches on a solid white background to get a true reflection of the color before painting a large sample of the paint on your wall in the room where you want to paint. While making selections, ensure you’re wearing neutral clothing and don’t have bold colors nearby on walls or furniture that could reflect on your paint sample.

2. Make your color selection during daylight light hours. And if its a cloudy day, look at the paint sample again on a sunny day to get the full range of changes that color will make as you transition from sunlight to cloudy to dark. 3 Color Scheme Options for Your Living Room

When selecting trim and ceiling paint colors, look to the lightest end of your paint strip for options along with whites.

3. Paint large swatches of your paint selection on a backed poster board – All too often I walk in as an interior designer and see clients who’ve painted a light neutral over another color on the wall and the original color is bleeding through or distorting the new color. Once you have the board painted, place it against a neutral white background so you can view it during both daylight and after dark.

But what if you don’t even know where to start with paint colors. Then pull inspiration from your closet, artwork, or a rug, for example. Then let the fun begin!

For more great tips on color and how to use it become of fan of our weekly interior design blog here

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: 5 Questions to Ask a Remodeler Before…

May 20, 2021June 17, 2021

Things to Consider When Procuring a Remodeler Besides Cost

Unfortunately as an interior designer I’ve heard countless stories from homeowners who’ve selected a contractor based on lowest price that resulted in shoddy work, an unfinished project, or even thousands of dollars of un reimbursable damage to their home because the contractor lacked liability insurance or they didn’t ask. Read on for my tips on what to ask a contractor before hiring.

What qualifications/experience do you have with my type of project and can you provide references? For example 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 should 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 so you’re not liable.

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.

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

Interior Design: 5 Mistakes to Avoid in a Kitchen…

March 11, 2021March 11, 2021

Tips for Creating a Functional and Beautiful Kitchen Design

If you’re thinking about remodeling or designing your kitchen read on to learn about some of the biggest mistakes homeowners make when designing a kitchen.

Work Area Not Functional – Creating a functional layout is the first step to kitchen design whether you’re designing for a new home or doing a kitchen remodel. Here in this kitchen a work area with the stove, refrigerator, and sink easily accessible within a few steps of each other makes cooking easier and less frustrating.

2. Wasting Potential Storage – Countless storage options exist so there’s no reason to waste space in the kitchen especially with the adaptive kitchen storage units that make drawers and cabinets more functional from trash pullouts to roll out shelves. Here in this fabulous historic Walnuts condo where space is at a premium, we added pegged drawers under the stove for pots/lids, hidden pop open storage under the island. and used the extra space we gained straightening out a crooked back wall to create a coffee bar and pantry cabinet that’s draws you into the space.

3. Work Area Too Crowded- As an interior designer I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve walked into a home that didn’t have enough work space. Even though the recommended distance between an island and wall cabinetry is at least 42″ I usually I find that the minimum required distance of 36″ is often the reality of existing kitchens which creates a cramped space that’s not very functional. Other issues I often encounter with interior design clients who have existing kitchens already are drawers or refrigerator doors can’t open fully to function correctly.

Here in this kitchen we widened the walking area and made sure counter space was provided where needed whether to set down groceries, place dishes from the dishwasher or a space to simply bake a pie.

4. Lack of right lighting – If your new kitchen doesn’t have a mix of general, task, and accent lighting, it will tend to be a little lackluster in appeal and possibly function too. Here in this kitchen design, I created a kitchen with can lights in the ceiling for general lighting, puck lights tucked away inside the glass cabinets for accent lighting, plus introduced mini chandeliers over the island that not only provide accent lighting but also task lighting for working in the kitchen.

5. Not bringing in a professional – Hiring a professional kitchen designer with experience who creates kitchens and bathrooms for a living can help you avoid costly mistakes, free up your time, and create the space of your dreams, while ensuring your space is functional. In this kitchen refresh where we reused most of the existing cabinetry, we were able to introduce new elements that created a wow factor – bigger airy light fixtures open shelving, counters that continued up the wall, a mitered edge island counter top, and bold cabinetry colors. The result? A fresh new look that showed off our client’s creative spirit while ensuring the space would function well for them.

For more inspiration, ideas, and photos, sign up for our weekly interior design blog here.

Become a fan of Kansas City’s interior designer and former host of the Living Large design show, Karen Mills, on
INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK here!

Or give us a call at 913.764.5915 to discuss your kitchen project.