houzz Archives | KAREN MILLS

Interior Design: 8 Secrets to Creating Interiors That Stand…

February 8, 2019February 8, 2019

How to Design Spaces That Are More Enduring

Karen Mills' blog — Interior design by Karen Mills

As an interior designer I’ve been fortunate to have the innate ability to create living experiences that are more enduring whether its a living room like this one or a work space like the shower in the next photo. In this living space quality upholstery, less patterns, and simple lines create a lasting appeal.

Even though finishes on furniture are important the most critical element to making an interior more timeless begins with finishes that are classic and enduring like this marble type tile we used on this bathroom high rise to make it last for years to come.

To read all 8 of our secrets to creating spaces with staying power that we wrote for HOUZZ, including specific examples of each, click on the link below.

For more 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
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8 Rooms with Staying Power

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: 3 Ways to Decorate Your Outdoor Area…

March 3, 2018

If you’re ready to get outside and enjoy the weather here are 3 tips for setting up your outdoor porch, pergola, or open seating area to enjoy for months to come.

1. Create a Comfortable Seating Area

High quality seating and a “L” or “U” shaped configuration like this outdoor room by Lexington Furniture help create a comfortable and inviting outdoor space. Here the yellow chair color repeats again on the sofa pillows while the patterned pillows on both upholstered pieces add to the cohesive look.

2. Introduce Fun Accessories

Some of my favorite accessories are bold pillows, live flowers or plants, and trays for the outdoors like shown in this photo.

3. Layer in an Area Rug to Create a Cozy Grouping

Placing an area rug underneath a seating area helps define the space and make it feel more like the indoors like this outdoor room. Interesting accessories in turquoise add to the finished look along with the pillows and tray on the table.

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

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

and if you have a porch to decorate, check out my latest article on Houzz titled Get Your Porch Ready for Spring Sitting below

https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/95204125/list/get-your-porch-ready-for-spring-sitting

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: How to Coordinate Mismatched Upholstery

August 11, 2017December 21, 2017

Do you have a room with mismatched furnishings that you’re not sure how to decorate? Then read on for my 3 interior designer tips for creating a cohesive look in your room that includes a recent TV INTERVIEW on KCTV5 I did last week along with a Houzz article I wrote on a similar topic.

Interior design by Karen Mills/Photography by 29Pixel Studios

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.

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 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 I place the taller narrower items at back with shorter wider items at the front.

3. Layer a rug underneath – Placing a rug underneath your upholstery not only creates a grouping of furniture but can also help bring the two disparate colors together by introducing both of them in your rug. In this photo above the magenta red pillow picks up the color in the chair on the banquette along with the rug, while the cream white from the rug is also repeated in the banquette pillow and upholstery legs.

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!

Watch my KCTV5 interview on Better Kansas City on the same topic last week

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: 5 Tips for Refreshing Your Kitchen For…

July 21, 2017

Kitchens can be a huge investment so countless homeowners across the United States are choosing to just refresh their kitchen to save costs instead of remodeling. Read on for my 5 tips as an interior designer for refreshing your kitchen. Then watch my live interview on

1.Paint kitchen walls along with kitchen cabinets. In this photo we painted the walls an almost white color to lighten up the dark space that didn’t get much light and kept the original footprint of the floor plan to save costs since she needed new cabinets. When painting kitchen cabinets, remember to replace exposed hinges with hidden ones beforehand and update your pulls/knobs.

2.Replace back splash along with counter top – After working on over 1200 interior design projects we’ve noticed that homeowners doing a budget kitchen remodel usually plan to replace only their counter tops and that’s a problem because the old back splash often makes the kitchen still look dated and less desirable. In this kitchen we opted for a linear glass, marble, and stainless tile that would make the kitchen pop.

Photo courtesy of Design Within Reach

3. Introduce new bar stools New stools that contrast well against your island or peninsula can completely change the look and feel of your kitchen without spending a large sum of money.

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

5. Layer in accent color with accessories, rug, or art – When I’m styling a space for an interior design project, especially a kitchen, I love to introduce a fun accent color that can be layered in on everything from napkins or a rug to platters and art. In this photo the client showcased their beautiful collection of red and turquoise dishes on the live edge shelves to create a “wow” factor.

For more information check out my recent TV interview about How to Refresh Your Kitchen plus

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

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

ALso here’s an article we recently wrote – Ideas for Refreshing Your Kitchen for Less

https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/80705354/list/ideas-for-refreshing-your-kitchen-without-remodeling

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: Clever Ways to Disguise Your Flat Screen…

June 2, 2017August 9, 2023

photo example — Interior design by Karen Mills

Let’s face it. Even though we often love the convenience of a large flat screen TV, we don’t always want to showcase them because they can detract from our spaces. As an interior designer, I rarely put TVs on display in living rooms, because they compete with the beautiful interiors we design. So if you’re looking for a way to hide your television in the living room or family room, here is a link to a recent article I wrote on 7 Clever Ways to Conceal Your Flat Screen TV for Houzz.

https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/84546202/list/7-clever-ways-to-conceal-your-tv-in-the-living-or-family-room

For more great photos and interior design sign up for my blog here. Or to learn more about DIY interior design, check out our online interior decorating membership – The Decorating Pro.

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