Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Unveiling the Latest Luxury Bathroom Trends

Tips and Suggestions for Crafting Your Bathroom into a Luxe Oasis with Latest Looks

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Photo by Max Vakhtbovcyn

1. Quiet Luxury Timeless Aesthetic – This aesthetic is my favorite – a room that gives you the feeling that it could have been here forever, because it isn’t committed to a particular era, style, or fad. Made of lux materials – think marble and exotic stones combined with luxury amenities such as a steam shower or heated floors, this design brings individual elements together in perfect harmony to create a stunning more time-honored space.

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Interior design by Karen Mills

2. Stained Vanities with Bold Tops such as mitered edges (thick countertops) that often float above the floor to make the space feel grander. Of course, painted vanities are still popular for those that prefer them.

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Photo by Max Vakhtbovcyn

3. Bold Mirrors, often framed in metal are trending hard, but these mirrors are showing up in a variety of shapes from rectangle to round or oval.

4. Accent Lighting – We’re seeing accent lighting appear everywhere in bathrooms from underneath soaking tubs and vanities to backlighting mirrors, stone walls, and countertops.

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Interior design by Karen Mills

5. Warmer Earthy Hues – The color gray has begun to morph into warmer hues in a big way like tan, beige, and warmer whites.

Want to view an amazing lux high-rise bathroom transformation we did a few years ago? Check out my blog below.

From paradise with love,

Karen

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: A Before and After Bathroom Transformation

A DEEP DIVE INTO A DESIGNER’S HISTORIC REMODEL JOURNEY INCLUDING BEFORE PHOTOS 

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MASTER BATH AFTER

As an interior designer I know you will find this master bath remodel amazing not only because of how ugly and dated high rise bathroom built in the early 1900s on the historic Kansas City plaza was before, but also because of the transformation that takes place in such a compact space to make it live larger.

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Master bathroom remodel before

When we first entered this dated bathroom we knew we had a real challenge not only because the space was cut in half by a walled in shower, making the bathroom feel small, cramped, and unappealing but also because we were limited by the restrictions of the historic high rise.

Karen Mills' blog
Master bath remodel before

To make matters worse this ugly master bathroom only had one sink and a dimly lit dressing area that wasn’t necessary.

Floorplan by Karen Mills

To solve this interior design dilemma we ripped out everything except the small existing closet and started over with a new floor plan, keeping the plumbing in roughly the same place to save costs.  As you can see in this new floor plan we expanded the shower into the former vanity area and flipped the toilet to make the bathroom easier to navigate, while also moving the vanity to the former dressing area.

For the new sink area we designed a custom vanity that accommodates two sinks while also adding legs to the vanity to make it appear visually lighter. Drawers that wrap around the plumbing above and below make better use of the space and provide more storage.

Karen Mills' blog
Karen Mills' blog
Interior design by Karen Mills

European style custom shaker cabinets with clean lines also give the room a less fussy look while the wall of tile behind the vanity add to the timeless style of this glamorous master bath that really stands out with a fresh new look.

Karen Mills' blog
MASTER BATH AFTER

By placing the identical Italian marble style tile on the floor and walls of this compact space, the room visually expands to live much larger than before, while the new over sized shower for two, curb less entry, and partial glass front add to the spacious feel.

Karen Mills' blog
Interior design by Karen Mills



To transform your own dated bathroom into a beautiful new space that lives larger and enhances your living experience, just follow our recipe for success by improving your layout, knocking down walls, visually expanding, and adding light.

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: The 3 Secrets to Monochromatic Living Room…

Custom design by interior designer Karen Mills – Overland Park
  1. Choose One Color Hue – When an interior designer says the word hue, we are referring to a color family such as blue, white, or black, for example. By focusing on one color like the white we selected for this family room area, you can make a huge impact. Here the white colors vary from walls and trim to finishes, furniture, and floor coverings.

2Use a softer variation of color hue on upholstery or walls. In this lobby living area space, a darker color of pumpkin grounds the floor, while lighter upholstery fabrics and tile on pillars repeat the color scheme

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Courtesy of Kravet

3Layer in multiple textures.  Textured finishes in fabrics, flooring, wall and furniture can make or break a great interior design. Here in this taupe living room texture has been introduced on pillows, draperies, wallpaper, throws, upholstery, and rugs to create an interesting room that’s inviting but not overdone.

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: 3 Tips for Adding Glamour to a…

Ideas for Softening the Look of Your Cabin

The romantic lure of the rustic style home or cabin is undeniable.  Maybe its because of our rich heritage of building log cabins to protect our families from the weather. Or maybe its the way rustic homes connect us with the outdoors with their rough hewn beams, simple style, and organic materials like stacked stone fireplaces.

But even though we still love our rustic home, sometimes we crave furnishings that are more refined and luxurious to offset the rugged architecture for that perfect mix of masculine and feminine.  If that’s you, here are my 3 tips as an interior designer to help you create the perfect blend.

Karen Mills' blog
Interior design by Karen Mills.
  1. Select a muted color scheme that picks up the hues reflected in your finishes.  By picking up existing colors in the home’s architecture for the furnishings, the overall design style is strengthened and the furnishings connect better with the hard surfaces .  Here in this great room we pulled out the beautiful gray blue and taupe color scheme from the hues found in the nearby stone fireplace.   Then select furniture and an area rug in a lighter color and softer materials in the same hues to create a more inviting comfortable feel that also adds interest to the space. 3 Ways to Create a Rustic Glam Style

2. Keep it simple  Because of the rugged nature of this style it’s important to balance rough elements shown here with furnishings that have cleaner lines and softer edges to create the perfect balance of rugged and sleek. Here in this living room the softer lines of the sofa and tables help balance the rough hewn fireplace and stone columns in the background.

Karen Mills' blog
Interior design by Karen Mills/Photography by Nick Schale

The same is true with this family room where the textural pillows, shag rug, and light neutral swivel chairs add texture and light to the darker hard surfaces of the fireplace, floors, and leather sofa. 7 Steps for Creating a Room Design

Karen Mills' blog
Interior design by Karen Mills

3. Layer in organic materials that coordinate with the room’s rugged finish to soften the room such as natural cottons as seen in the bedding and the casual fabrics on the chairs.  The textural rug also adds light and interest to the room.

The beautiful simple pale blue shimmer wallpaper in an organic pattern also provides a nice juxtaposition against the stone columns and paneled wood ceiling.

In review by toning down the dramatic tile, stone, and wood throughout this rustic lodge with lighter muted colors, softer textures and organic elements you’re able to achieve a more inviting look.

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: 3 Tips for Creating a Cozy Bedroom

Often we take sleep for granted until we start to have problems with concentration, alertness, or our overall ability to function well. Then good sleep becomes more of a priority. Read on for 3 ways to create a nest like atmosphere in your bedroom that’s conducive to better sleep.

Interior design by Karen Mills featured in international book titled Architecture Today Interior Design
  1. Simpler Bedding and Patterns As an interior designer in Kansas City I’ve used simple tone on tone patterns and texture in bedrooms for years in everything from fabulous washable linens from Italy to textured velvet or sheared fabrics like we’ve seen recently in fashion wear. Here in this Overland Park bedroom Italian bedding from Terrasi Home on the Plaza in simpler patterns, textural finishes and clutter free space create a stress free environment where we can unwind and relax.
Karen Mills' blog
Interior design by Karen Mills featured in international book titled Architecture Today Interior Design

2. Cozy Beds  Beds that envelope us will continue to be popular whether its are a four poster bed, an upholstered bed like this guest room in Mission Hills, or a fabulous combination of both. In this guest room calming colors and patterns, low lighting, and clean lined furnishings enhance the overall feel, creating a beautiful interior design.

Karen Mills' blog
Interior design by Karen Mills featured international book titled Design Icons

In this bedroom a four poster bed creates a cozy feel
while the wallpaper, area rug, upholstered bench, and simpler fabrics on the chairs beyond enhance the relaxed inviting feel of this beautifully designed master bedroom in Mission Hills.

Karen Mills' blog
Photo courtesy of Curated Kravet


3. Textured Walls  Painted accent walls have been a craze for years but wrapping the whole room in textural walls will gain popularity again this year. In this interior design space featured by Curated Kravet an upholstered bed, area rug, bench, throw, and bedding add to the cocoon feel created by the gorgeous textural walls enveloping the space.

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

For more information on how to get better sleep and create a healthier environment, learn more at SLEEP BETTER LIVE BETTER now!

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

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: 3 Ways to Remodel Smaller Kitchens to…

An Interior Designer’s Perspective on How to Make Your Kitchen Remodel Appear Bigger

As an interior designer who specializes in kitchen remodels, I often get called on to make a kitchen live larger. Read on for my 3 expert tips on how to do just that.

Interior design by Karen Mills – Kansas City
  1. Paint cabinets white or a light neutral color to reflect light around the room so the kitchen appears larger and cabinets seem to disappear. In this kitchen remodel natural light and interior lighting also give the room a larger feel.
Interior design by Karen Mills – Leawood

2. Incorporate open shelving or another design element to make cabinetry not appear so overwhelming. In this kitchen partial remodel we ran beautiful white quartz counter tops by Cambria up the wall as a back splash behind the shelving to offset the dark cabinets and lighten the room.

Interior design by Karen Mills – Kansas City

3. Glass front shelves, preferably lit, help open up this kitchen remodel to make it live larger by visually shrinking the cabinetry. Great interior lighting, sunlight, light neutral painted kitchen cabinets, white granite counter tops, and open shelves add to the larger feel.

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: 3 Tips for Fall Decorating Using Existing…

Styling by Karen Mills
  1. Mix together unexpected elements to create interest Here I created a one of a kind place setting using items I found around my house – a layer of two chargers and a place mat stacked on top of each other with a fossil napkin ring, berries, and a fashionista type coaster that makes a statement all its own.
Karen Mills' blog
Styling by Karen Mills

2. Repeat an Accent Color to Add Emphasis In this example I used things I had around the house starting with a rustic crate with evergreens and then layered pops of bright color with a beautiful pumpkin and fall foliage along with a couple of real mangoes.

Styling by Karen Mills

3. Create a vignette or grouping of fall decor items on a tray or in a container to give it more importance. Here I used items found in the woods behind my house along with berries and glass vases.

Styling by Karen Mills

For more great ideas on holiday decorating and photos, sign up for our weekly interior design and decorating blog here

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: 3 Tips for Coordinating Mismatched Furnishings in…

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

Interior design by Karen Mills

1. Repetition – To coordinate two pieces of mismatched upholstery, unify both pieces by repeating a color from one piece to onto another with a pillow or throw.  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.

2. Introduce a new design element  – A piece of artwork overhead or nearby accessories  with both colors can also serve as a way to bring two different colors of upholstery together effectively.  Here in this family room the blue center of the pillow is repeated in the blue candle nearby while the white seashell picks up the white upholstery.

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.

Karen Mills' blog
Photo courtesy of All Modern furniture

3. Layer a rug underneath – Placing a rug underneath your upholstery helps create a cozy grouping of furniture like this living area but it may also pick up colors from one or several pieces of upholstery.  Here the brown chair color is repeated on a pillow accent color and coffee table while the yellow and gray hues in the rug are mimicked again on the sofa and pillows.

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

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

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: 7 Tips for Creating a Delicious Dining…

Karen Mills' blog rug example
Interior Design by Karen Mills

1. Select Your Personal Design Style –  If  you have no idea what style you are start by finding inspiration photos online or in print.  Then notate your favorite elements from each room to get a sense of your style.

Using existing furniture, we added personality to this room by introducing a stunning crystal chandelier by Schonbek along with an original abstract painting and sculpture, hand knotted rug, custom seat covers, and wallpaper.

Karen Mills
Styling by Summer Ann of Girlsinmadras.com

2. Pick  a Color Scheme –  Most of us don’t spend much time in a dining room so have fun in here and pick colors you love.  Bolder colors can go on decor, rugs, chairs, or even walls but if you like to change up your style often, you might consider neutral walls and floors that give more flexibility when you want to change your color scheme.

3. Add Dining Table and Seating –  The dining room table and chairs along with the items directly behind them are the focal point of your room.   Begin by determining how many people you need to seat and ensuring you have room for the table you want.  Plus remember that your chairs don’t need to match your table, just enhance them.

If you opt for a dramatically styled table, then consider simpler style chairs and backdrop.  Or if you go with a simpler style table, you might bring in drama with a wall covering or beautiful buffet with art above.

Karen Mills' blog
Interior decorating by Karen Mills

4. Consider Including Additional Furniture –  The majority of dining rooms benefit from functional storage furniture like a buffet and curio cabinets or an antique armoire like shown in this photo, but remember sofa tables, tea carts, and other furnishings can also enhance your room and provide handy surfaces for lamps, platters, trays, or display.

 5. Introduce a Dramatic Element – A bold element can range from a gorgeous piece of art and beautiful buffet to a stunning light fixture over a painting or interesting chair backs and wallpaper like shown here.

Photo courtesy of Kravet

6. Layer in Texture  – Adding texture softens all the hard surfaces of the table, chairs, buffets, and hard flooring.   Texture can be introduced with an area rug, drapes, fresh flowers, and live trees/plants like shown here in this beautiful space.

7.  Add lighting –  Table lamps on a buffet or sofa table look beautiful behind a dining table along with a stunning chandelier and/or sconces on the wall behind. In this dining room courtesy of Kravet, the over sized chandelier commands attention, while the sconces on the right enhance the overall lighting and design scheme.

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

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: Backsplash Trends 2019

What’s New & Next for Kitchen & Bath Back splashes

Walker Zanger tiles from Virginia Tile

Since I specialize as an interior designer with remodels, especially bathrooms, kitchens, and basements, I’m in tile showrooms constantly always looking for what’s new and next in tile. Of course personal style still dominates as a huge trend but read on for some of the other new trends I’ve been noticing for the past couple of years that are still trending into next year.

1. Go Bold or Go Home – The tiles shown may look small but they are actually closer to 10″ square. Big contrasts like the gold border on the black tile are another trend along with mixing up sizes.

3D Walker Zanger Tiles from Virginia Tile

2. 3D Designs including Graphic Patterns – Three dimensional designs may have been around for a few years but they’ve gotten bolder, especially with a solid tone on tone color. We’re also getting more options in shapes giving homeowners and interior designers an opportunity to play with the tiles like puzzle pieces to create one of a kind designs like this triangle shape shown here.

3D Tiles from Virginia Tile
Walker Zanger Tile

You may have noticed how much I love this graphic 3D design here and that’s because it adds so much style and interest without overpowering the room. Will be sharing a recent kitchen remodel project completed with this tile in the coming weeks so stay tuned!

3D Yosemite Tiles courtesy of M&S Distribution
Yosemite Glass Tile from M&S Distribution

3. Organic Tile Designs – Don’t know about you but I never tire of design that relates to what I see in nature, especially this fabulous large glass tile panel that reminds me of ocean waves rolling in.

Tiles from M&S Distribution

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