interior design blog – KAREN MILLS

3 Big European Design Trends for 2024

January 25, 2024January 25, 2024

What’s New and Next in Interior Design

photo example — Photo courtesy of Baker McGuire

As an interior designer I can tell you that the latest interior design trends normally start in Europe and make their way to other parts of the world like the United States. So, today I’m sharing some big trends that are going to rise in popularity.

Circular Shapes – These curves can be seen on everything from table bases and upholstery like shown above to ceramic lighting, also a hot item. And fluting on table bases plus cabinetry is starting to take off.

2. Plush Upholstery – This upholstery trend continues to grow in popularity, especially in edge free designs with ultra plush fabrics.

3. Organic materials/designs – Particularly hot right now are products made of marble or nature inspired patterns.

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: 3 Ways to Create a Healthier Cleaner…

December 17, 2021December 17, 2021

3 Tips for Making Home More Germ Free

As an interior designer I know many of our clients are looking for a home space that is more sanitary without being sterile. Read on for my ideas on how to create a more germ-free home.

Decontaminate the indoor air more efficiently with a superior quality purifier that will clean the air in your home on a regular basis. I’ve personally had the most success with a Volara air purifier in my home but ensure you select an air purifier that will reduce airborne and surface contaminants, dust, and dirt that may contain viruses or bacteria. And don’t forget to introduce fresh air inside your home every chance you get along with having your ducts cleaned.

Karen Mills' blog — Interior design by Karen Mills

2. Remove contaminants before going inside. Start by mounting a motion sensor activated disinfectant cleanser bottle on the wall in your garage or mudroom area to sanitize your hands before entering the remainder of your home.

Then add a rack for shoes nearby to place contaminated shoes or introduce a disinfecting mat that you and/or your family can walkthrough before continuing into the house. Note: Leaving these items in the garage for 24- 48 hours can also be helpful in keeping contamination away.

Placing any contaminated clothing you have on in a hamper or nearby washer and jumping in the shower right after also help fend off germs.

For this bathroom we installed tile on floors and much of the walls that can be scrubbed down along with an adjustable shower head that makes cleaning easier whether it’s kids, pets, or yourself.

Lenova kitchen faucet with an ozone generator

3. Maintain a More Sanitary Home Interior. By keeping the inside of your home more sterile you increase the odds that you will stay healthier. One way to accomplish that feat is by cleaning your home or bringing in a maid. But home products also exist to help you be cleaner.

According to the press release by Lenova, their faucets are the first conventional faucet line that is also an ecologically safe way to clean food and any other water-safe surface without chemicals. A small, thin ozone generator uses regular house current to produce ozone water (aqueous ozone), a natural disinfectant 100 times stronger than chlorine that kills 99.9% of common viruses, bacteria and germs. Adding foot pulls at the bottom of frequently used interior doors provide additional peace of mind.

Brass also keeps germs more at bay than other metals like these solid brass doorknobs shown here. Other ways to keep your home more sanitary would include using the sanitize cycle on your dishwasher and purchasing washable materials – rugs or bedding.

In summary by removing most contaminants possible before coming inside, purifying your indoor air, and keeping surfaces clean you can create a home interior that’s safer overall for the whole family.

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

The Home of the Future

October 2, 2020October 2, 2020

An Interior Designer’s Tips for Building a Home That Can Adapt to Changing Needs

Homeowners are looking for a home of the future that’s not only functional and healthy, but also flexible and inviting whether its a home office (or two) for work/school, a gym, coffee shop, entertainment area (home theater), or a place to vacation at home. Read on for my interior designer tips on how to make your home easily adapt to your future needs.

When you’re designing a new home consider first how to create a clean healthy environment. Some options to consider include:

– a floor plan with a mudroom/laundry area and shower just inside the garage door where family members can get cleaned up before entering the rest of the house

– a high quality air purifying system that removes toxins including viruses and bacteria

– bathrooms with all tiled walls and ceilings that can be hosed down when needed.

– a floor plan that allows great cross ventilation of fresh outdoor air and for sunlight to penetrate further into the home.

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: 3 Big Mistakes to Avoid with Your…

September 14, 2020September 14, 2020

One of our biggest fears as a homeowner is that we will make a costly mistake when remodeling, especially one that could cost thousands of dollars. Read on for 3 HUGE MISTAKES I see repeated over and over as an interior designer who specializes in bathroom remodels

Poor Layout – One of the biggest keys when space planning your bathroom is to ensure it functions well for you. Not only do you need adequate space to move around and access what’s needed without bumping into things but you also want a beautiful bathroom that invites you in for a bathing experience. Here in this gorgeous custom bathroom, we added glass shower walls to make the space feel larger and lighter, while also creating a focal point beyond with a free standing tub and beautiful chandelier with plenty of space to maneuver around.

2. Too Trendy – Even though I love timeless spaces, I have to admit its fun to add a trendy element that’s new. But I only recommend adding a trendy finish if it either enhances the design and if its easily replaced without much expense like a back splash, wall paint, or light fixture.

In this lovely spa bathroom remodel not only did we open up the closed off spaces in this tiny master bathroom in a historic high rise, but we also went with a classic marble finish to create a more timeless look that could last for years instead of adding trendy accent tile that often dates a bathroom quickly.

3. Wrong Finishes – Wrong finishes can be anything from the wrong color, size, or pattern to how all the finishes (cabinetry, paint, tile, light fixtures, etc) come together to create a cohesive whole. The biggest problem I see as an interior designer are the homeowners who chose to do it themselves, but don’t have an eye for design. The final result? Thousands of dollars of investment in what may be beautiful cabinetry, tile, and lighting that just doesn’t play well together.

Here in this calming bathroom we selected finishes that were classic and simple in style to create a calm inviting space that will appeal for years to come.

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: 3 Tips for Adding Glamour to a…

May 28, 2020May 28, 2020

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.

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.

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

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 Design: 5 Decorating Tips for Enlarging Your Living…

April 23, 2020April 23, 2020

Read on for how to make your room feel bigger without remodeling

example — Overland Park interior design by Karen Mills

Unify Your Wall Color – When our interior design clients ask how to the visually expand their living spaces I always recommend starting with painting the walls all one color – usually lighter . In this hearth room we painted the dark dated walls Sherwin William’s Shoji White to lighten up the room and make it appear larger.

2. Bring in More Daylight – Begin by removing dark furnishings and window coverings to bounce more light around. Introducing mirrors also brings more natural daylight into your space. Here we recovered a dark sofa and chairs to to a light neutral palette plus replaced light fixtures to bring in more light, making the space expand. 3 Tips for Refreshing Living Room for Less

3. Place furniture on an angle – By placing all your furniture on an angle away from the walls like this living room, you visually expand the size of your room. Round items like a rug or a piece of furniture like this ottoman we designed make your space feel larger. 3 Tips for Coordinating Mismatched Furniture in Your Living Room

4. Introduce Round Furnishings By bringing in a round ottoman like this space we visually expanded the room but you can create the same effect with a round rug or circular furniture.

5. Lighten up Your Floors – When I’m talking about interior decorating I don’t mean that you should re stain wood floors light, but go with lighter area rugs or carpet to bounce more light throughout to make it larger. Here our client opted for a plush rug that would feel good with bare feet while enlarging this smaller room.

In summary by removing dark furnishings, painting your walls lighter, and layering back in lighter furnishings you can visually expand your living room. 3 Ways to Make Your Living Space Bloom for Spring

If you would like to re decorate you living spaces right now check out our interior design and decorating options that we have whether its for remodel/new home builds, a design dilemma, or just decorating.

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: 3 Ways to Make Your Living Space…

April 2, 2020April 2, 2020

How to add life to your living room design

If you’re like me you’re ready for warmer weather and cheerful colors. Here are 3 ways to make your room feel lighter and happier.

1. Add bold pops of spring color in your favorite hue(s).

One of the easiest ways to add spring color begins with introducing bright pillows in happy colors. Other simple ideas could include removing dark heavy drapes, adding white cotton slipcovers to your upholstery, or replacing a heavy darker rug with a visually lighter one like sisal or a light neutral cotton one.

In this room we did for an interior design client the graphic blue and white pillows contrast nicely against the chairs while also picking up the cobalt blue color in the ottoman. A light cotton rug sits underneath.

2. Introduce fresh flowers, plants and/or nature inspired decor

Nothing says spring like a bouquet of fresh flowers, a beautiful orchid or live plants. Here in this outdoor living room the orange flowers pick up the color in the napkins, creating a cheerful spring look while branches in a blue vase beyond bring the outdoors in.

Karen Mills' design blog — Interior design by Karen Mills

3. Swap out dark furnishings for lighter ones

Light neutral slipcovers, light area rugs, and eliminating dark heavy drapes can do wonders for your living room in spring. Painting the walls a lighter color can also make a huge difference along with adding table/floor lamps and introducing more white hues into your room.

In this family room we reupholstered dark upholstery – sofa and chairs, in fresh lighter hues along with swapping out the rug for a lighter one, and introducing light decor including white coral, a rope glass lantern, lighter pillows/throw, and a plant on the chest beyond.

In summary by replacing visually heavy or dark furnishings with lighter ones and introducing items from outdoors you can create a space that’s fresh and spring ready.

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

3 Tips for Refreshing Your Living Room for Less

February 21, 2020February 21, 2020

Tips for Updating Your Living Space with Budget Savvy Ideas

If you haven’t updated your living room for 5 years or more, it may be time for a refresh. If your budget doesn’t allow you to start completely over, why not opt for a one day makeover or refresh instead with a local interior designer or decorator? Read on for my top 3 tips for updating your space for less.

1. Create an inviting floor plan that emphasizes your main feature whether its a fireplace, a view outside or another prominent feature. If you don’t have a focal point, design one yourself by grouping furnishings together like a sofa table or chest with a piece of artwork overhead and a table lamp and/or tabletop decor.

In this room our interior design client started with a favorite piece of art over the mantel to emphasize the focal point and we helped them select a new fireplace tile, chair fabric for existing chairs and a new ottoman to support the color scheme in the art.

2. Shop your entire house for furniture/furnishings you can use in your room. Keep those items you discover in mind as you start to put together your room, bringing ones you think might work to a staging area nearby.

As an interior designer I often re purpose items to make them work in a space such as this family room where we reupholstered the sofa and chairs along with layering in a new rug, repainting the walls, adding a new light fixture, tables, and decor.

3. Add a pop of color with accents throughout your room ‘s interior design with pillows, art, drapes, decor or an area rug. Remember, you can repaint or re purpose items to use in your refreshed room also.

For example, a chest could repainted and moved to your entry, used as a focal point in a living space, or even placed behind a sofa. Ottomans can be upholstered and tucked under a sofa table for extra seating, used as a coffee table or pulled up to a comfy chair.

In this fabulous ocean blue living room, our interior design firm began with existing mermaid art as inspiration, then introduced bold blue and orange pillows along with custom blue drapes.

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: 3 Biggest Mistakes We Make in the…

February 6, 2020February 13, 2020

1. Lack of a Focal Point – Often as an interior designer I walk into a bedroom to discover a stark cold space that has no focus. Your bed is the focal point of the bedroom and the area you want to emphasize.

Here in this beautiful inviting bedroom we enhanced the existing poster bed with crisp white bedding, a gorgeous calming textural leaf wallpaper, and a warm hand knotted wool rug.

2. Uninviting – Often a bedroom becomes a dumping ground for everything we need to put away or even worse our home office space so to begin remove everything that’s not bedroom related.

In this space by Kravet, simple timeless bedding, a cozy bed that envelopes you and simple furnishings help create an inviting space.

3. Too Cluttered or Crowded – In this smaller attic bedroom we didn’t want the room to feel crowded or cluttered with the king size mattress the clients needed so we designed a bed that didn’t overwhelm the room. Floating tables we designed along with light fixtures we adapted to hover over the tables gives a more open airy feel to the space.

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: 3 Tips for Designing a Monochromatic Living…

December 27, 2019February 13, 2020

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 whites vary from walls and trim to finishes, furniture, and floor coverings.

2. Use 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

3. Layer in multiple textures. Even though we created custom upholstery in a solid neutral brown, the soothing gray blue green color scheme selected still makes a strong statement while evoking a calming vibe. A darker contemporary wool rug we designed grounds the room, while the custom pillows and throws we created enhance the monochromatic hue along with blue walls beyond.

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