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Interior Decorating: How to Showcase Your Personality with Color

October 5, 2018

Ever wonder what your favorite color says about you and how to use it to showcase your personality?

As an interior designer and color expert, I can tell you that’s not always an easy task because it takes years of experience to learn how colors colors can impact a room in different lighting situations.. No wonder painting is currently listed as the most common home improvement project since countless homeowners waste money having their spaces repainted after selecting a color or combination that doesn’t work.

So here’s some insight on your color’s meaning that may help and ideas for using it in your home.

If you love red like I do you most likely live life to the fullest with spontaneity and excitement like this little girl pictured in a red Halloween costume. But what does a red interior say to others? The color, associated with blood, raises your blood pressure and grabs your attention! So if you don’t want to go completely red, try using it as an accent color to make your space a little more vibrant.

Blue, however, exudes stability and calm, making it a perfect color for bedrooms where you need to unwind. Lovers of this color tend to be dependable, responsible citizens who do the right thing.

Yellow, like a ray of sunshine on a fall day portrays warmth and optimism in a room, making it perfect for a kitchen or a sunny living area, and fans of this color are often optimistic people with a positive encouraging attitude.

Green, the color of nature exudes calmness and warmth, which makes it a good color for bedrooms or spaces where you need a more relaxed feel. And fans of this color are usually warm, kind, and charitable.

Purple fans, often a more complex and creative type of individual, are fascinating individuals but sometimes may seem mysterious or dark to others who don’t understand their creativity.

Orange, the color of hunger and vibrancy fits perfectly into that dining room or kitchen area where you need some life. And if you’re an orange lover, you probably show the same vibrant spirit as the color with your enthusiastic zest for life.

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

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: How to Inject Autumn Orange into Your…

August 31, 2018

Ways to Fall for Orange in Your Home

Injecting fall hues like orange into your home for the season can be as simple as layering in orange toss pillows or artwork over the mantel like this room.

Introducing fall leaves in a glass container or a ceramic vase can also add a pop of orange along with an orange rug and art pictured here.

In this dining room artwork helps create a fall orange vibe along along with velvet covered seats in orange and brown.

But if you want just a pop of orange then you might opt for a couple of toss pillows with orange accents and orange decor on the coffee table like we did here.

Other options might include also include pumpkins or oranges grouped together in a clear glass container or orange decor.

For more great ideas about how to inject orange into your home for autumn, read my latest Houzz article here.

then 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 here!

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: How to Translate Fashion Style into a…

July 13, 2018

As an Interior designer clients often tell me they lack inspiration for their room design. To solve that dilemma we often start by looking at the clothes they love or favorite furnishings. So if you’re having the same trouble deciding what to use for your home’s inspiration why not start with your closet!

On this week’s KCTV5 Better KC show I shared some examples of how to translate your fashion sense into a beautiful interior design. (see link below)

Model and photographer Haley Johnston

Karen Mills — Styling by Summer Ann of Girlsinmadras.com

Haley’s love of florals comes through in the vase of flowers and fresh spring/summer color scheme of fucshia, green, and blues in the accessories on the table and in the glass cabinet to create a classic southern hospitality style.

To successfully transform your room using a favorite outfit as inspiration start by taking the dress or main part of the outfit and using it (color or pattern/color) as your focal point. Then begin to layer in other components as additions such as purses, shoes, and accessories while trying to keep the same sense of style.

The red dress worn by Haley translates easily into this sexy dark and moody entry shown here. The red artwork, a focal point in the room, repeats the color of her red dress while the black wallpapered walls by Ralph Lauren add to the sophisticated style.

While I was on the TV show, the host Alexis Del Cid asked about my dress which is pictured above and how I would transform the dress into a room. Here’s one example of how to take a dreamy ocean inspired summer dress like mine and use it in a room.

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

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: What Happens When Blue Meets Orange!

April 27, 2018

When calming blue meets vibrant orange, it’s complementary color, you will have a dramatic look in your room, especially with a light neutral backdrop. Read on for ways to combine this fun combination to create drama and interest in your space.

Photo courtesy of Wesley Hall furniture

In this living room, blue dominates the space, while orange is shown in the chair/pillow fabric, art, and a flower in smaller doses to keep it from overpowering the space. A light beige sofa, rug, and walls also help neutral the contrast between orange and blue.

Orange chairs frame the bold blue sofa beyond to draw you into the room while a light neutral wall and flooring along with a lucite coffee table help calm the space down.

Here the orange chair with blue accents and matching pillow immediately grab your attention to create an exciting contrast against the calming back drop of light neutral walls and flooring. An orange vase and pattern in the ottoman add more drama to the room’s design.

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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 Decorating: 5 Keys to Profitability When Staging Home…

February 9, 2018

You only get one chance to make a great first impression when selling a home for resale because buyers are visual and often lack imagination. So where do you start? Besides a thorough cleaning, basic repairs and removing clutter (usually 50%+) I recommend focusing on five target areas to make a home more appealing to buyers.

1. Curb Appeal – The majority of buyers won’t leave their car if the house lacks curb appeal. Stand outside and take an objective look at your house ensuring your yard is manicured and the entry inviting including a freshly painted door, welcoming doormat and perhaps a pot of flowers, weather permitting.

2. Inside Foyer – As a state certified staging for resale instructor and interior designer I always tell homeowners to think of their entry as an advertisement for what’s to come in their home. Start by creating a wonderful ambiance with an inviting entry rug, nice looking furnishings, a table lamp, and a neutral wall color.

3. Living/Dining Room – Arrange your rooms to emphasize your focal point such as a fireplace or view outside, while adding pops of color with accessories such as pillows or throws to draw your eye through the space and create interest, while removing personal items such as photos that make it clear its not the buyers home.

4. Kitchen – Clear the counter tops except for a couple of large vignettes of accessories, clean the kitchen thoroughly, and add a dab of vanilla extract on your light bulbs to give the sense that something just came out of the oven.

5. Master Suite – Set the stage for an inviting retreat in the bedroom that includes organized closets and clutter free floors/tops. Create an inviting bed with light colored washable bedding in simplistic patterns, add a seating area, if possible, and create a spa feel in the bath with thick white towels.

For more great ideas on interior decorating 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 here!

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: 3 Tips for Designing a Restful Bedroom

February 3, 2018February 3, 2018

A good night’s sleep can be difficult enough without adding a room design that’s not relaxing and calm. Read on for three ways to decorate a bedroom that’s a wonderful place to sleep.

1. Starting with a soothing color scheme

When selecting a color palette that’s soothing opt for muted colors or neutrals. In this bedroom by Circa furniture, the grayed out blues of the bedding, bench fabric, and drapes help calm down the room while also adding a touch of color to the gray walls and white rug.

2. Choose bedding in natural washable fabrics that are soothing

In this bedroom, we selected washable Italian sourced bedding, wallpaper and furnishings in muted colors with minimum pattern to keep the room’s interior design from getting too busy. I love washable bedding because it cleans up easily when children or pets make a mess to reduce the worry.

Here the blue of the accent pillows on the bed repeat again on the chair’s pillow while the warmth of the bed’s wood is picked up again by the chair and carpet.

3. Provide an inviting seating for getting dressed or just relaxing

In this room by Century seating abounds from the large tufted ottoman and bench to the chairs for sitting and reading. The neutral color palette creates a soothing feel while the plants add life and color.

For more great ideas on interior decorating 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 here!

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: 3 Color Scheme Options for Your Living…

January 26, 2018January 26, 2018

One of the biggest questions I get asked as an interior designer is what color scheme to use in decorating or designing a space. If you’re not sure what color is best, trying shopping your closet for inspiration because often your favorite outfits or jewelry are the colors that look best. Read on for three possibilities for your living space.

1. Blue and Orange

Here in this photo I snapped before the rug was placed to tie everything together, we incorporated cool turquoise pillows to calm down the bold pops of orange along with introducing pillows with both colors to lessen the impact.

This living room is another example of how to decorate with blue and orange. Our inspiration for the color scheme came from the existing water blue and orange artwork over the mantel. To bring it all together we started with a light neutral sofa and coffee, then layered in custom blue draperies and fun toss pillows to create a cohesive color scheme with the artwork.

2. Blue and Red

In this living space blue and red has been used quite effectively to create a little drama. By starting with a neutral base of white and blue gray that’s more relaxing, red decor – tables, pillow patterns, and accents, can be added without overpowering the space.

3. Taupe gray and beige

When you have a room that already has bold patterns and color in its finishes like this one, you might want to introduce lighter neutral colors with little or no pattern. Here we introduced lighter upholstery and an area rug with interesting textures and less pattern to create a calming effect.

For more great ideas on interior decorating 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 here!

and check out our latest interior design article on Houzz here

https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/97946595/list/redecorating-lite-6-quick-updates-to-liven-up-your-living-spaces/

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: Tips n Tricks to Creating a Closet…

August 4, 2017

Do you ever cringe at the disorganized mess you call a closet? Read on for great tips and ideas for creating a beautiful closet that you can enjoy every day.

Add storage whether that’s adding built ins or simple as simple as free standing shelves with bins/baskets and/or a storage unit with drawers to your space.
Photo courtesy of Doctor Closet
Organize your clothing and accessories for easy access. Personally as an interior designer when I speak to groups about how to organize I recommend you begin by pulling everything out of your closet, trying it on, and only putting back what you love. When placing items back in your closet, separate your spring/summer clothing from your fall/winter clothing if you’re in a climate that dictates different wardrobes. Then take it a couple of steps further and separate by type of clothing and then by color.
Photo courtesy of Easy Closets
Style Your Closet – Click below to read the article I recently wrote on styling for Houzz – We Can Dream: Turn a Walk In Closet into a Glam Dressing Room below.

https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/54686783/list/we-can-dream-turn-a-walk-in-closet-into- a-glam-dressing-room

Plus sign up for our weekly interior design blog here so you don’t miss out on ways to improve your home and life

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

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: 3 Tips for Decorating on a Budget

May 12, 2017

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.

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

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