Interior Design Blog for Decorating Your Home by Globally Renowned Leawood Designer

Interior Design: Creating Space for a Home Office

March 17, 2023March 17, 2023

How to add a Workspace at Home When You Don’t Have a Dedicated Room

Add French, pocket, or barn doors to close off part of an open floorplan. – In this home office hidden pocket doors slide together to shut off this office space next to the living room to create a cozy area for getting work done without being disturbed.

If you prefer to have your home office in full view, you can also opt for French door style pocket doors that can make your overall living space feel larger like this interior design project we designed.

2. Hide your workspace behind built in cabinetry or in a closet. – As an interior designer I’ve helped numerous clients solve the issue of where to put a home office. One of my favorite solutions as an interior designer was a home office we designed behind kitchen cabinetry as part of a remodel. And we disguised the doors to look like cabinetry which also functions nicely as a safe room.

Other solutions our interior design firm has created includes hiding an office under the stairs, in a niche area on a landing or loft, or inside a step-in closet where you can just shut the door to hide the space.

3. Introduce a piece of furniture that can act as a desk along with storage for your office necessities. Options could include an office armoire or dining table, for example. For one client, our interior design firm helped them take over their rarely used dining room by utilizing the table as a desk for their laptop and custom built in cabinetry on the wall behind to hide everything else. The bottom of the cabinetry held office items, while the top half provided display space for the client.

If you’re looking for more interior design, decorating, or remodeling inspiration, watch our free One Day Makeover video tutorial now.

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 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!

We would love to hear from you and any topics you would like to be covered that haven’t. And if someone you know could benefit from this helpful information, we would love to have you pass it on!

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

ONE DAY MAKEOVER DEMO

January 31, 2023February 1, 2023

A Video on How to Redesign Your Room in One Day Using Existing Furnishings

Hello friends! Our interior design firm has been working on so much these past few months and I wanted to share one of my favorite things we did with you that’s absolutely free! In this fun informative video, I personally teach you some of my favorite shortcuts and secrets to interior design including how to coordinate mismatched furniture, add a pop of color, and decorate your shelves! Click to watch now!

We would love to hear from you and any topics you would like to be covered that haven’t. And if someone you know could benefit from this helpful information, we would love to have you pass it on!

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

INTERIOR DESIGN TRENDS 2023

January 17, 2023January 17, 2023

This Year’s Latest and Ongoing Design Trends for This Year

photo example — Interior design by Karen Mills

LIVING ROOM INTERIOR DESIGN TRENDS 2023 For the living room our interior design firm is seeing several trends some of which are a continuation of last year including:

➢ OPEN FLOOR PLAN WITH INTIMATE ROOMS OR SPACES THAT CAN BE PARTITIONED OFF WITH DOORS
➢ MODERN RUSTIC DESIGN TO CREATE A MORE INVITING ATMOSPHERE
➢ NATURAL FINISHES SUCH AS STONE, WOOD, OR ORGANIC STYLE ELEMENTS
➢ SIMPLE MODERN FIREPLACE DESIGN THAT USUALLY GOES UP TO CEILING
➢ BUILT IN SHELVING, OFTEN SURROUNDING THE FIREPLACE
➢ MORE NATURAL LIGHT FROM EXPANSIVE WINDOWS AND TALLER CEILINGS
➢ WOOD CEILING BEAMS TO ADD WARMTH AND DRAMA

living room photo — Interior design by Karen MIlls

2. FURNITURE/DECOR INTERIOR DESIGN TRENDS For furniture we are seeing a big trend towards sustainable furniture. Sustainable furniture pieces are higher quality items that will last longer and cost less over time instead of cheap throw away furniture. And that makes me happy because as an interior designer I’ve always seen the value in higher quality furniture that’s more comfortable, better looking, and a better value over time. Other trends include:

PERFORMANCE FABRICS ON UPHOLSTERY
➢ TEXTURE OVER BUSY PATTERNS ON FABRICS AND FINISHES
➢ DÉCOR THAT’S MORE FUNCTIONAL OR HAS MEANING

kitchen example — Partial Kitchen refresh by Karen MIlls

3. KITCHEN INTERIOR DESIGN TRENDS 2023 In the kitchen we are still seeing rustic elements to add warmth but combined with a more modern overall aesthetic. Other kitchen trends in interior design include:

➢ COUNTERTOP AS BACKSPLASH WHICH MEANS THE COUNTERTOPS CONTINUE UP THE WALL TO THE CEILING LIKE SHOWN HERE
➢ FOCUS ON HEALTHY EATING
➢ CONTRAST IN COLOR OR FINISH SUCH AS CONTRASTING ISLAND AND WALL CABINETS LIKE SHOWN HERE OR DIFFERENT METAL FINISHES
➢ QUARTZITE NATURAL MATERIAL COUNTERS ARE GROWING IN POPULARITY OVER QUARTZ

4. BATHROOM INTERIOR DESIGN TRENDS 2023 Of course having a bathroom design that feels like a spa continues to be a huge interior design trend, but other trends include:

➢ CURBLESS SHOWER WHICH IS ALSO CALLED A ZERO ENTRY SHOWER LIKE SHOWN HERE
➢ OVERSIZE LIGHT FIXTURES LIKE SHOWN HERE
➢ TEXTURE ON FINISHES OVER PATTERN

5. COLOR INTERIOR DESIGN TRENDS 2023

➢ BOLD COLORS OF YEAR – GREENS AND MAGENTAS LIKE SHOWN HERE
➢ COLOR BLOCKING (CONTRASTING) LIKE SHOWN HERE ON WALL CONTRASTS
➢ NEUTRALS –WHITE, WARM GRAY/CHARCOAL, BEIGE

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!

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

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: 3 Tips to Emphasize Your Free-Standing Bathtub…

December 19, 2022December 19, 2022

How to Enhance Your Free-Standing Tub When Remodeling Your Bath

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

LEARN TO DECORATE AT YOUR OWN PACE FROM A…

November 17, 2022December 1, 2022

A BRAND-NEW ONLINE SUBSCRIPTION FOR TEACHING DESIGN LOVERS HOW TO DECORATE LIKE A PRO

photo of karen designing — THE DECORATING PRO

I LOVE HELPING OUR DESIGN CLIENTS AVOID COSTLY MISTAKES, SAVE TIME, AND REDUCE STRESS, WHILE GIVING THEM THE INTERIORS OF THEIR DREAMS. AND NOW I LOOK FORWARD TO TEACHING YOU HOW TO CREATE A BEAUTIFUL INTERIOR TOO!
Karen Mills

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

7 Tips for Refreshing Your Kitchen Without a Full…

October 27, 2022October 27, 2022

Tips for Refreshing Your Kitchen For Less

Reface or repaint your cabinetry – When your kitchen is refaced the contractor replaces just your kitchen door and drawer fronts, plus adds panels over the cabinetry for a fresh new look while leaving the insides intact. In this kitchen our client opted to repaint their wall cabinetry to give it a fresh new look. Our interior design firm also helped them remove existing cabinetry and layer in shelves, along with adding new counter/backsplash material and new light fixtures.

2. Upgrade Your Countertops By upgrading the countertops in this kitchen we were able to give it a fresher lighter look overall. A mitered (thicker) island counter and wall counters that continue up the wall behind live edge shelving add to the dramatic look.

3. Update your backsplash In this completely renovated kitchen we replaced a dated backsplash with new beveled white subway tile to lighten up the space and bounce light throughout.

4. Install new hanging light fixtures such as pendants, chandeliers, or sconces along with layering in undercabinet and inside cabinet lighting as shown here in this kitchen remodel we did. By adding work and accent lighting to your general lighting overhead you can create an ambiance that’s warm and inviting like this kitchen shown. Lit glass upper cabinets add to the ambiance.

5. Replace pulls and/or knobs on your cabinetry. New pulls in this renovated kitchen stand out, adding to the fresh new look.

6. Paint your walls. In this kitchen we not only painted the dark walls and cabinetry white, but also redid the wood floors, replaced the backsplash, upgraded the counters, replaced the light fixtures over the table and slipcovered the chairs to create a more updated look.

7. Add a small island – with wheels ideally or a bar height table for more work space in the center of your kitchen, if needed. If you don’t have room for a permanent island and need more work space, a tiny island on wheels to hold your extra items might be just what you need. And when not in use, you can roll it off to the side out of your way.

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!

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

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: How to Dress Your Living Room Shelves

October 6, 2022October 7, 2022

Three Tips for Effectively Styling Shelves in Your Living Areas

Space plan your shelf layout. As you can see in this luxurious living room the furniture is placed in the room so it’s well balanced in the space with the bigger sofa flanked by smaller chairs to create a cohesive whole. On the shelves objects of similar shapes and sizes are balanced on each side of the shelving unit.

2. Create cohesiveness with color. In this family room we used the color scheme from the rug – orange, blue green, and tan on the shelves using both existing client decor and new introductions to create a unifying design on the shelves that brings the whole room together.

3. Create vignettes (groupings). For this clients’ shelves, we layered in existing decor and photo frames for family photos, while introducing some pottery in the same color scheme and greenery to add texture.

For more great interior design ideas, sign up for our semi-monthly design blog. 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! And if you feel someone you know could benefit from this helpful information, please pass it on!

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

THE DECORATING PRO MEMBERSHIP

September 27, 2022October 6, 2022

Helping interior design lovers avoid costly mistakes, save time, and reduce stress by teaching them how to decorate like a pro.

This may come as a bit of a shock but after years of being asked by clients and realtors to teach design/staging we finally said “YES!”

Dreaming about designing your space like a pro? Considering a career in decorating or staging? Come join us today as an exclusive Founding Member in this exciting journey to make our homes more beautiful and a safer place to live as we donate a portion of our profits to help rescue trafficked children.

We have limited spots available for our Founding Members with early access to our training materials and a low-price guarantee for life so don’t miss out!

Find Out More

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: 5 Tips for Dressing a Sofa with…

August 25, 2022September 27, 2022

How to Decorate Your Sofa with Pillows

photo of sofa with pillows — Interior design by Karen Mills

Start by pulling your pillow colors from your room’s color palette. In this room the colors are black, white, blue, and a warm red.
Using your sofa fabric as a reference point, look for pillow fabrics that contrast against your sofa color for a dramatic look like shown here.
When coordinating pillow fabrics ensure you mix in different textures as shown on the solid turquoise pillow.
Layer larger pillows (usually 22″ or larger minimum) in back and smaller pillows in front (usually around 20″) as shown on this sofa.
When selecting a mix of pillow fabrics ensure you mix smaller and larger patterns like seen on the black chevron pillow, red abstract pillow and floral pillow shown here which demonstrate a range of pattern sizes.

example of contrasting pillow colors — Interior design by Karen MIlls

4. Layer larger pillows in back and smaller pillows in front as shown on this sofa. In this more calming color scheme, the blue pillows on top create a texture variance from the base pillow by introducing a layer of sparkle texture over the base fabric. 3 Tips for Creating a Finished Look

5. When selecting a mix of pillow fabrics ensure you mix smaller and larger patterns and/or a mix of pattern styles like shown here with the large stripe base pillows and blue pillows in a stylized floral pattern that’s small in size or scale.

Designer Tip: Always use down inserts for your pillow covers so you can punch down the top middle of each pillow to give it a finished look and help it stay in place.

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! And if you feel someone you know could benefit from this helpful information, please pass it on!