Interior Design/Interior Decorating
Interior Decorating: 3 Steps to Picking the Perfect Color
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Interior Design/Interior Decorating
Interior Design/Interior Decorating
Interior Design/Interior Decorating
Interior Design: 5 Secrets to Buying a Quality Sofa…
If you’re like most buyers, selecting a sofa is confusing and overwhelming because you have no idea how to select one that’a high quality, the right size, and a style that will last. Read on for my five secrets to selecting a quality sofa with staying power that’s just right for you.
Pick the right size – Before shopping start by taking measurements of your room and the other furniture to be used. Then create a floor plan that allows ample space for walkways (3-4 feet) between furniture groupings and walls. Also take into consideration the height or scale of your room along with the other furniture to be used. In addition all of us are unique in our proportions so selecting a sofa that fits your body is key to being comfortable long term on your sofa. Considerations include sofa height, seat height, seat depth, and length if you’re planning to take an occasional nap.
Choose a style with staying power – The sofas with the most staying power often have simpler lines and less trendy details. Avoid trendy looks that may look dated quickly.
Photo courtesy of Baker furniture
Quality construction – Sofas of high quality often have similar attributes in how their frames, suspension, and cushions are made that not only helps them last longer and hold their shape but also be comfortable. Such attributes may include frames made of kiln dried hardwoods, 8 way tied springs with several coils for suspension that you can feel under the seat cushion, corner blocking for frame reinforcement, mortise and tenon joints, fabric patterns that line up at the seams and much more.
Interior design by Karen Mills
Opt for a solid or tone on tone neutral color- By opting for a solid fabric with little or no pattern, you’ll not only tire of the sofa less quickly but you’re also more likely to be able to re purpose your sofa as you change homes or interiors.
Select durable fabric – High performance fabrics are becoming a big hit with interior designers because they won’t fade quickly and spills just bead up. Other durable fabrics can include wool, velvet, some cottons or linens, acrylic, and some blends of natural/man made materials.
Photo courtesy of Bernhardt furniture
Select durable fabric – High performance fabrics are becoming a big hit with interior designers because they won’t fade quickly and spills just bead up. Other durable fabrics can include wool, velvet, some cottons or linens, acrylic, and certain blends of natural/man made materials.
For more information on how to select a quality sofa for you, contact a qualified interior designer that serves your area.
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Interior Design/Interior Decorating
Interior Decorating: 3 Tips for Decorating on a Budget
Do you ever feel like your room is unfinished or undone? Do you have all the furniture purchased for your room, but don’t know what to do next and you’re on a modest budget? Here are 3 ways I recommend as an interior designer to inject personality and interest to your space while staying on a reasonable budget.
- Add color Color can be painted on walls, ceilings, furniture or even brought in with decor like this blue candle and pillow in this room. Color may also be introduced with fabrics on draperies and throws or layered in with a rug.
2. Inject pattern – Introduce pattern with fabrics, draperies, or pillows like this photo of a nursery we decorated on a budget as a surprise for parents from Community America Credit Union. The horizontal stripes of the wall done by the homeowners add dramatic pattern along with the draperies and row of frames we hung with the baby’s initials.
3. Layer in texture – Texture can come through rugs or throws like the room here along with pillows and draperies. Additional texture was added in this room with the small marble tile mosaic inset in the fireplace surround.
In the photo of the nursery, texture was introduced with the pouf, area rug, and fuschia colored pillow. And in the close up of the tray, texture is added with the shell, rope handle, and tray.
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Interior Design/Interior Decorating
Interior Design: 8 Steps to Follow for a Successful…
Like any project that involves money, you need a budget or at least a range before you start. Do some research or bring in the experts – an interior designer, contractor/builder, and/or architect – to give an estimated investment.
- Decide on a design style or mix of styles that will flow with your architecture and existing furnishings you will be re purposing. As an interior designer in Kansas City, I always suggest clients select several photos of room designs they like and make sure any spouse or significant other involved agrees.
2. Determine your color scheme ensuring it coordinates with adjoining rooms and any existing furnishings to be used in the interior design. If you have no idea, take a look in your closet to see what colors you’re drawn too or pull colors out of an inspiration piece such as art, a rug, or fabric.
3. Create a floor plan so you know what fits in your space and the sizes you need. To do that go online and use space planning software or get an expert to help.
4. Set a timetable. At this point you might want to bring in an expert – interior designer and/or contractor/builder- to review your design plan/timetable because investing a few dollars for a master plan and viable timetable can help avoid thousands of dollars in costly mistakes from bad decisions or huge delays.
5. Design and order custom furniture and any built in cabinetry after consulting with your interior designer or tradespeople if you’re managing the project yourself. At this point all custom designs need to be finalized and ordered. In addition permits need to be pulled for construction.
6. Select and order all plumbing, flooring, tile, and general lighting needed.
7. Design any custom draperies, bedding, rugs, wall/floor/ceiling finishes, or pillows needed along with choosing hard window coverings, light fixtures, and any ready made furnishings. Then order.
8. Purchase artwork, hardware pulls, lamps, and all other furnishings needed.
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Interior Design/Interior Decorating
Interior Design: 3 Tips for Creating an Outdoor Space…
When I daydream about the beach, it’s usually one of my favorite vacations like this one on St. John’s island with great views, fabulous restaurants, and wonderful friends.
When you’re planning your own outdoor space, why not recreate one of your favorite vacation spots that you can enjoy in your own backyard whenever the weather permits. I did and here are my 3 tips accomplishing that.
Tip #1 Create a dedicated space outdoors with the feel of a room – floors and maybe a ceiling or walls. Then add seating and possibly a table for meals.
Here in this photo above, the floors are tiled and a roof lingers overhead along with pillars that become the walls of the space.
In my own backyard, I designed a pergola to recreate that look but made one that was my own style. I still mimicked the round pillars at St. John’s and a partial roof overhead for a similar feel. Then I layered in palm trees and tropical flowers to recreate the laid back island vibe.
2. Select a look or style that reminds you of one of your favorite vacations. To accomplish that look in my own backyard space, I mixed in found antique metal seating fitted with custom white cushions along with a couple of new wicker chairs to achieve a more collected aesthetic. Then I threw in a weathered old trunk on wheels for a coffee table and placed a tray of shells from diving trips and walks on the beach on top.
3. Add a specific element that reminds you of your favorite spot. That element for me was a touch of romance so we added LED lights at the top of the pillars to create a wonderful ambiance at night and accessories in turquoise to remind us of the blue blue ocean.
Plus become a fan of Kansas City’s interior designer and former host of Living Large, Karen Mills, on Facebook here!
Interior Design/Interior Decorating
Interior Design: 3 Tips for Creating a Sophisticated Rustic…
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 a beautiful blend.
- 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 photo, we pulled out the beautiful gray blue and taupe color scheme from the hues found in the stone fireplace. By selecting furniture with a softer hand and more luxurious feel, the room also took on a more timeless complex look that adds interest.
Layering in an area rug with an organic pattern in those same hues brings everything together while the lighter colors of all the furnishings help bounce around much needed light in the room.
2. Keep it simple Because of the rugged nature of the rustic interior, to create a sophisticated feel its important to balance the mega sized fireplace, wood columns, and other rough elements with furnishings with cleaner lines and softer edges to create the perfect balance of rugged and sleek. Here the softer lines of the sofa and tables help balance the rough hewn fireplace and stone columns.
The same is true with this family room where the textural pillows, shag rug, and airy swivel chairs add texture and light to the darker hard surfaces of the fireplace, floors, and leather sofa.
3. Layer in organic materials that coordinate with the room’s rugged finish to soften 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.
A beautiful simple pale blue shimmery wallpaper in an organic pattern provides a nice juxtaposition against the stone columns and paneled wood ceiling.
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Interior Design/Interior Decorating
Interior Design: 5 Tips for Injecting Spring into Your…
The first day of spring has arrived in the United States and it’s a joyous time for most of us in the colder climates because it marks the end of a season of cold, ice, and snow.
As I walked through my yard this last weekend I saw green buds appearing everywhere from bushes and trees to perennials. So of course that motivated me to perform my semi-annual tradition of packing up heavy winter decor and ushering in spring with lighter decor. If you would like to lighten your interior too, here are 5 tips for injecting spring into your home.
- Add life with fresh flowers and seasonal plants like this photo by Jonathan Charles furniture above. Lighter finishes also help enhance the spring feel of this room along with an infusion of sunlight.
2. Add fresh pops of color in pillows and decor like the room above. The shell and lantern beach inspired decor also add to the warm season feel.
3. Replace dark heavy items like rugs with lighter options like shown above or go with a natural rug like a sisal. If that’s not possible, opt for removing the rug altogether.
Light pillow covers in natural fabrics also add to the appeal along with fresh flowers and light upholstery. If you don’t have light upholstery, consider adding a slipcover for spring/summer weather like the dining chairs we had slip covered below.
4. Lighten up in the bedroom by replacing heavy dark bedding with light natural fabrics in cotton and consider using sheer drapery panels instead of heavy drapes.
5. Spring Clean Remove all the extra items that have accumulated over the winter months and do some spring cleaning so your room feels fresh and fabulous. Now you’re ready for spring!
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Interior Design/Interior Decorating
Interior Design: 3 Tips for Warming up Modern Living…
As I’ve matured as an interior designer I’ve come to love clean simple design that stands on it’s own. Of course it’s much more difficult to attain a modern look because each piece of the design has an important role and you don’t want the room to become sterile. So if you’re looking for more simplicity in your life without sacrificing warmth, here are 3 tips for creating an inviting contemporary look.
- Add texture to your room. In this living space shown above a textural rug was layered underneath to ground the seating area along with a throw, books, and plant. Textural fireplace tile, art, and wood logs also add more interest to the room.
In this modern contemporary living room below texture is introduced through the fabrics on the upholstery and pillows along with the sisal and fur rugs underneath. Wood furniture also plays a key role in adding warmth.
2. Introduce live elements like the branch cutting shown in this living room create a more inviting feel. Other live elements you can introduce include fruit, flowers, and plants. Pops of color also help warm up this living room along with a book, art, and color.
3. Use Color to warm up a room especially if its a orange sofa like the space above. The tree in the corner, wooden spools, and pillow also add warmth to the room.
In this modern living room above the leather chair, pillows and sofa all add texture and warmth along with the rug and wood topped coffee table.
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Interior Design/Interior Decorating
Interior Design: 5 Tips for a Budget Kitchen Makeover
If you want to update your tired old kitchen but don’t want to invest in a full remodel, here are 5 tips for freshening up your kitchen for less.
1. Refurbish your existing kitchen cabinets. If your cabinets are in good shape and not too dated, sand, repaint and seal them. In this kitchen above we painted the cabinets different colors, added a mitered (thicker) edge island counter top, and replaced some upper cabinets with live edge shelving to create a more interesting look.
If your cabinet door styles are dated, have them refaced with new doors and fronts. You can also add glass inserts, replace your dated moldings and add crown molding overhead to completely transform them. Plus pull out those dated appliance garages housed in the corner.
2. Replace your dated or worn appliances with more updated ones you can find for less in a clearance section or replace appliance fronts only if that updates the look. In this kitchen above we also painted the cabinets, added a vintage chandelier the homeowner already had for a Hollywood Glam feel along with new light fixtures above the table which she had finished to a more grayed out rustic look.
3. Update your hardware finishes by replacing pulls or knobs, your sink faucet, and light fixtures. If you don’t have the budget for new light fixtures, have your old ones spray painted or do it yourself.
4. Replace your dated counter tops and back splashes ensuring you add under cabinet lighting to show them off.
5. Refurbish your existing floors by refinishing hardwoods or by replacing flooring with stone tile found on clearance and install yourself. As an interior designer, I’ve used faux wood tile more than once on kitchen remodels to create a cozier rustic feel when wood isn’t an option.
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Interior Design/Interior Decorating
Interior Design: 3 Secrets to a Comfortable Living Space
 Is there anything better than a comfortable relaxing space at the end of a long day? Not for me. That’s why my focus at home and with interior design clients is just as much about comfort and function as beauty. So here are my three tips for creating a comfortable interior design. 1. Comfortable seating. To begin make sure that you’re selecting upholstery that’s comfortable for long periods such as the custom furniture shown. When seated on a sofa or chair ensure your legs are able to touch the floor and that your thighs fit the seat depth so you’re not having to lean back uncomfortably. Plus consider adding an ottoman for a late afternoon snooze or to relax while watching TV.
 2. Layer in texture in everything from area rugs and/or soft window treatments to accessories like pillows or throws remembering that each layer of texture creates a cozier feel.
 3. Select a color scheme that includes elements of warmth whether that’s on walls, ceilings, floors, windows, or accessories. For example on a wall you might add textural wallpaper or go with a warmer color. On the windows you might introduce a bamboo window shade under draperies. And finish off the room with textural pillows.
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