interior design client Archives

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

Karen Mills' blog — Overland Park interior design by Karen Mills

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.

If you’re looking for more custom interior design, decorating, or remodeling 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
INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK here!

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: How to Mix Up Existing Furnishings in…

April 16, 2020April 16, 2020

Tips for Giving Your Living Room a One Day Makeover While You’re Nesting at Home

I’ve noticed as I’ve been working at home the past several weeks helping interior design clients with their remodeling and new home build projects that I’ve become more acutely aware of my surroundings much like those of you also working from home or just at home. That’s why today I want to share my top 3 tips for refreshing your space!

1. Create a floor plan that emphasizes your focal point like we did in this great room by placing furniture in a U shape towards the fireplace. If you don’t have a focal point, then design one yourself by grouping items together such as a sofa table/chest with a piece of artwork overhead and a buffet lamp with tabletop decor on your table or chest.

Before you start I recommend emptying your living room of all furnishings so you can have a fresh perspective on your room’s possibilities without the distraction of furnishings and decor. For more tips check out our blog post 3 Big Design Mistakes We Make in the Living Room

In this great room we introduced a new custom designed sofa and rug before layering in existing wing back chairs we had upholstered in two different designer fabrics along with an existing coffee table, sofa table, and end table.

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.

Here in this room our interior design client didn’t have anything appropriate for this coffee table or sofa table so we purchased decor for them to enhance the overall look of their space.

Interior design by Karen Mills

3. Add a pop of color with accents throughout your room with pillows, art, drapes, decor or an area rug. Remember, you can repaint or re purpose items to use in your room too. In this great room our interior design client had asked us to use an existing family heirloom piece they had so we placed on the wall with a painting we found in another room. Then we topped the chest off with a newly purchased lamp and vase to complete the look. Click here for 3 Tips for Creating a Relaxing Living Area

If you would like to refresh your living space right now but know that’s beyond your capabilities, check out our virtual design options that we have for interior design clients whether its for remodel/new home builds, a design dilemma, or just decorating.

Looking for more great budget friendly decorating ideas that you can implement this summer? 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!

or instagram here!

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Remodel Workbook: Master Bath Renovation

April 9, 2020April 9, 2020

Critical Steps and Timely Tips for Planning Your Bathroom Remodel

photo example — Lenexa interior design by Karen Mills

1 Get Inspired – As an interior designer I always recommend that you find at least three photos of bathrooms that you love because they will reveal your style preferences.

Since our clients were inspired by the beach, a favorite vacation destination of theirs, we designed their master bathroom remodel around a color scheme of watery blues, white, sandy beige, and warm rustic grays.

Click here to read our blog post 3 Ideas for Luxury Bath Design with Free Standing Tubs

2. Evaluate Your Needs -Now that you’re motivated to get started on your bathroom remodel, its time to step back and decide on what’s most important to you functionally. If you’re not sure think about-

A. What can you do to make your space more functional for you??

B. Why are you remodeling in the first place?

C. Do you need to move plumbing? If not, that can mean big savings.

D. Will you be aging in place (retiring) in this bathroom?

E. What are your priorities – tub, shower, or both?

In this bathroom, we needed to enlarge the usable space in the closet area and since there wasn’t room for pocket doors we layered in barn doors which also added a fun unexpected design element.

Click here to read our blog post How to Remodel a Tiny Bathroom into a Visually Larger Space

3. Determine a Budget – Now its time to decide how much you can invest into your bathroom remodel. I always suggest to our interior design clients to consider the neighborhood, how long they will stay in the house, and resale.

If you have no idea of costs, you can go online to get a rough idea but remember that many online companies post estimates that are way too low and that’s why I recommend that you reach out to a professional to get a better idea.

In this master bath remodel located in a million dollar high rise apartment we needed to create a wow look on a reasonable budget so I covered the floors and walls with a marble look tile from Italy to give it a wow when you walked in the bathroom.

4. Reach Out to Professionals – Now that you’ve gotten an idea of your style, figured out your needs, and determined a budget, its time to reach out to a professional interior designer who specializes in bathroom remodels so they can create a design concept, often using sketches, finishes, and floor plans to help you visualize the final project while also helping you determine if your budget will work or not.

Now that you’ve have an interior design plan, its time to reach out to a contractor and/or architect to give you a remodel budget estimate based on your design and schedule a time to start your project.

5. Finalize Design and Select Finishes– Now that you’ve found inspiration, determined your needs, set a budget, and contacted a professional interior designer, its time to finalize everything that’s part of your project including paint colors, flooring, plumbing, tile, back splash, mirrors, light fixtures and more.

Click here to read our blog post about the 3 Biggest Mistakes We Make in the Bathroom

If you’re looking for more custom interior design, decorating, or remodeling 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
INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK here!