interior design Archives | Page 8 of 16

Interior Design: 3 Tips for Decorating Your Living Room…

August 29, 2019August 29, 2019

Do you ever feel like your room is blah or unfinished but don’t want to spend a fortune to finish it? Read on for my 3 tips as an interior designer to add a little life to your space.

Add Color Color can be painted on walls and ceilings or introduced with art, furniture or decor like this existing blue painting the client already had. A blue vase enhances the painting while providing an additional punch of color to our interior design client’s entry. Color may also be introduced with fabrics, draperies, rugs, or pillows.

Karen Mills' blog example of pattern — Interior decorating by Karen MIlls

2. Inject pattern – Introduce pattern with draperies or pillows like this photo of a living room. The artwork, drapes, pillows, and flowers also add a pop of color to this dramatic space.

Karen Mills' blog texture example — Interior decorating by Karen Mills

3. Layer in Texture – In this living room, albeit an outdoor one, texture was layered in with flowers, branches, wood trays, and cloth napkin decor. Additional texture in this space includes wicker chairs, a wrought iron table base, a wrought iron bench base, and a stone fireplace.

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: How to Determine Correct Area Rug Size…

August 22, 2019August 21, 2019

rug sizing example — Interior design by Karen Mills

Best Living Room Rug Size – When sizing or calculating the ideal size for an area rug for your living room, try to find a rug that lays underneath ALL of your furniture in the room. But if you want to show off more floor or save money, you can also buy an area rug where only the front feet of your upholstered furniture sits on top of the area rug like shown here.

Karen Mills' rug sizing example — Interior design by Karen Mills

The last option and definitely least preferred by the interior design and rug community is to place a smaller rug in front of your sofa but not under the feet. Please note however, that this example is a larger rug that would actually work under the feet of the sofa and chairs nearby (not shown).

Karen Mills' blog rug example — Interior design by Karen Mills

2. Best Bedroom Rug Size – Interior design clients often have a difficult time understanding this concept but a bedroom area rug should be large enough that it can be laid perpendicular under your bed just up to the edge of the nightstands without sliding under them and still have a few feet showing at the bottom of the bed like shown.

3. Best Dining Room Rug Size – As an interior designer I often see rugs that are just too small under the dining room table. Calculating this rug size can be tricky because you want two feet on each side of the table for room to slide back the chairs, but also need to ensure the final rug size fits into your space like the one shown here.

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: How to Decorate a Smaller Living Room…

July 31, 2019July 31, 2019

Because I’ve personally had to deal with the challenges of downsizing from a house to a much smaller maintenance free space I wanted to share 3 ideas for visually enlarging your smaller living space.

Karen Mills' blog — Interior design by Karen Mills

1. Lighten up Your Color Palette In this living room we went from dark and heavy furniture and finishes to light and airy. Why? Because lighter colors reflect light instead of soaking it up, creating a lighter room that lives larger. Here we reupholstered the chairs in a light neutral color, installed lighter fireplace tile, painted the walls Shoji White by Sherwin Williams, introduced a lighter rug, and then darkened the floors so the furniture would appear to float in this lovely room just beyond the front door. But if you prefer a darker moody vibe, then as an interior designer I recommend you select wall colors and furniture in a similar darker color that will make the walls disappear.

2. Select Furnishings That Seem Visually Lighter. In this living space we reupholstered a dark heavy sofa that overpowered this room into a solid light gray color which makes the sofa here work. In addition we lightened up the fabrics on the dark chairs, and layered in a light color rug along with light walls, a lighter ceiling fixture, and fireplace tile. Then finally we purchased lightweight furniture – a coffee table, end table and mirrored cabinet that don’t take up any more space visually.

2. Add lighting – By placing the large taupe sofa in the sunlight against the taupe gray walls it visually begins to shrink in scale, while the white chairs against the window bounce light around the room. A mirrored cabinet in back and several lamps also add light and life to this space.

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: 3 MUST DOS BEFORE A KITCHEN REMODEL

July 26, 2019July 26, 2019

If you’re considering remodeling your kitchen or even designing a new kitchen, here are my suggestions as an interior designer to consider before signing any contracts or starting construction to avoid costly mistakes.

First I recommend that you look for design inspiration in interior design magazines or online to get ideas of what you like so you can effectively communicate your design vision to the team you assemble.

2. Make a list of items you absolutely must have in your kitchen and another list of things you would like to have. If you’re not sure, make an ongoing list as you use your kitchen on a daily basis for a couple of weeks.

3. Hire a kitchen designer to design a kitchen layout and cabinetry that’s both functional and beautifully designed. An interior designer that specializes in kitchens will also have great resources for contractors/ architects/trades people to help you accomplish your goal, can act as a trusted advisor and/or oversee the design, and will provide help coordinating finishes, assisting with lighting, and giving advice on storage to ensure your kitchen design looks great!

If you can’t afford an interior designer for the whole project, I would recommend hiring a designer for at least a couple of hours to help you create a master plan that makes sense.

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: 3 Tips for Translating Your Fashion Style…

July 20, 2019July 18, 2019

July 13, 2018

I shared this post last summer but just wanted to post again because its a great way to get inspiration for your interior. 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!

Model and photographer Haley Johnston

Here is a great example of how to make a fashion statement into an interior statement.

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.

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: 5 Tips for Creating an Outdoor Oasis

July 3, 2019July 3, 2019

Want to make your outdoor space more beautiful? Here are 5 ideas for enhancing your outdoor room!

photo to explain point — Photo courtesy of B&B Italia

1. Create a cozy outdoor area for lounging or entertaining by grouping seating in a cozy arrangement. Add end tables, coffee tables, outdoor lamps, and an area rug to make it live like indoors. Here in this outdoor area the seating area is centered around the coffee table to create an inviting place to have conversation.

to explain point — Design by Karen Mills

2. Bring in one of kind vintage items to show off your personality. In this outdoor porch area, my clients introduced a table base they found along with stone top for the coffee table to create a one of kind space.

3. Layer in different textures to keep the space interesting such as wood, metal, wicker, or plants. Here in this outdoor room a wood roof and decking provide texture along with wicker seating, fabric cushions/pillows, woven rugs and a metal table to create a visually compelling space.

4. Add a water feature to create ambiance and to reduce outside noise from neighbors or the street with a small bubbler, hanging fountain, or even tabletop fountain. Here in this outdoor a pool beyond provides the water feature that could also include a waterfall or fountains.

shows example — Photo courtesy of Schumacher

5. Add height to your outdoor space. One of my favorite ways as an interior designer to add height to my client’s outdoor spaces inexpensively starts with tall drapery panels on a pergola or porch or a potted tree that can be brought outside for the season.

For my own outdoor oasis, I designed a beautiful outdoor pergola with grand white Greek columns covered with climbing flowering vines and a curved header between snuggled inside a beautiful berm of trees with thick cushioned seating underneath.

Have a wonderful and safe Fourth of July holiday with your family and friends!

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: 3 Tips for Creating a Restful Retreat…

June 20, 2019June 20, 2019

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 space for restful sleep.

master bedroom retreat — Interior design by Karen Mills

1. Starting with a soothing color scheme

When selecting a color palette that’s soothing opt for muted colors or neutrals when possible. Here in this nationally published master bedroom we decorated the soothing colors draw you in for a good night’s sleep.

Master bedroom retreat example — Interior design by Karen Mills

2. Choose bedding in natural washable fabrics that are soothing. Here in this master bedroom we designed we used washable bedding from Europe that only looks great but can stand up to the wear and tear of children or pets. The soothing muted colors and seating enhance the retreat like feel of this space.

master retreat — Interior design by Karen Mills

3. Provide seating for getting dressed or just relaxing. In this gorgeous master bedroom we designed we added seating not only at the end of the bed and by the window but also in a nearby sitting area that’s set up just for relaxing. A muted color scheme on the leafy wallpaper, watery area rug, and seating for fabrics enhance the relaxing feel of the space.

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: 8 Ingredients of Timeless Design

June 6, 2019September 17, 2020

So if you would like to avoid trendy decorating and have a more enduring design too, here is an informative article I wrote for Houzz . (Click link below to read)

8 Rooms with Staying Power

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: Transforming an Ugly Duckling Bath into a…

May 30, 2019May 23, 2019

Master bath before remodeling

As an interior designer I think you will find this master bath remodel quite amazing not only because of the transformation of this historic high rise built in the early 1900s but also because of how it lives so much larger in the same space.

When you entered the master bath as shown here the space was chopped up by a walled in shower placed in the middle of the room making the space feel cramped, small, and unattractive.

To the right of the shower was a dimly lit dressing area with a small amount of storage that didn’t function well.

To solve this interior design dilemma we ripped out everything but one small closet and started over. By pushing back the shower we gave the bathroom a bigger sense of volume and were able to expand the vanity to accommodate two people instead of one just like the shower.

As you can see the transformation was amazing! By placing the same marble style tile from Italy on the floor and walls the room suddenly visually expanded into a beautiful timeless space with an over sized shower for two. To help the bathroom live even larger we also eliminated the shower curb and placed a solid glass panel along the front so the shower space virtually disappears.

For the former dressing area I designed a double vanity that included usable top drawers that wrapped around the plumbing for more storage.

The result? A gorgeous bathroom that ended up in Kitchen Bath Design News – the national design magazine for kitchens and baths. Click now to read article!

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: 3 Ways to Create a Rustic Glam…

May 23, 2019May 23, 2019

As an interior designer I’ve noticed a huge trend over the past several years towards creating simple spaces that are a wonderful mix of rustic and glamour. Here are my 3 tips for creating your own style of rustic glam.

Introduce weathered furniture/furnishings

Weathered style furnishings could include anything from antique/vintage brand new furniture in weathered finishes and styles that remind you of a farmhouse look.

In this great room a rustic wood coffee table and wire bin end table on wheels were introduced along with the casual cotton covered sofa and chair.

2. Add touches of white

By juxtaposing the white chairs in the eating area against the rustic table finish and shimmery light fixtures, a wonderful symphony is created that undulates between masculine and feminine in this relaxing space.

The family room beyond continues the rustic glam theme with its beach elements on the coffee table contrasting nicely against the tufted sofa and gold mirror beyond which feel more glamorous.

3. Layer in a glamorous element

In this kitchen area matching mini chandeliers provides the perfect glam touch to this older kitchen with updated finishes. The rustic table juxtaposes nicely against the marble in the kitchen to create just the right amount of tension.

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