Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: 5 Tips for Dressing Your Sofa

  • August 17, 2023

How to Decorate Your Sofa with Pillows

living room example
Interior design by Karen Mills

  1. Pull pillow colors from your room’s color scheme. In this room the colors are white, citrine green, fuchsia, and red.
  2. Try to select pillow fabrics that contrast against your sofa color for a dramatic look like shown here.
  3. Mix in different pillow fabric textures as shown on the solid citrine green pillow.
example of contrasting pillow colors
Interior design by Karen MIlls


4. Layer larger pillows (usually 22″ or larger minimum) in back and smaller pillows in front (usually around 20″) as shown on this sofa. In this more calming color scheme, the blue pillows on top create a texture variance from the base pillow by introducing a layer of sparkle texture over the base fabric. 3 Tips for Creating a Finished Look

Interior design by Karen Mills

5. When selecting a mix of pillow fabrics ensure you mix smaller and larger patterns and/or a mix of pattern styles like shown here with the large stripe base pillows and blue pillows in a stylized floral pattern that’s small in size or scale.

Designer Tip: Always use down inserts for your pillow covers so you can punch down the top middle of each pillow to give it a finished look and help it stay in place.

For more great interior design ideas, sign up for our 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  and Instagram now! And if you feel someone you know could benefit from this helpful information, please pass it on!

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

ONE DAY MAKEOVER DEMO

  • January 31, 2023February 1, 2023

A Video on How to Redesign Your Room in One Day Using Existing Furnishings

promo

Hello friends! Our interior design firm has been working on so much these past few months and I wanted to share one of my favorite things we did with you that’s absolutely free! In this fun informative video, I personally teach you some of my favorite shortcuts and secrets to interior design including how to coordinate mismatched furniture, add a pop of color, and decorate your shelves! Click to watch now!

For more great interior design ideas, sign up for our 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  or Instagram now!

We would love to hear from you and any topics you would like to be covered that haven’t. And if someone you know could benefit from this helpful information, we would love to have you pass it on!

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

INTERIOR DESIGN TRENDS 2023

  • January 17, 2023January 17, 2023

This Year’s Latest and Ongoing Design Trends for This Year

photo example
Interior design by Karen Mills
  1. LIVING ROOM INTERIOR DESIGN TRENDS 2023 For the living room our interior design firm is seeing several trends some of which are a continuation of last year including:

➢ OPEN FLOOR PLAN WITH INTIMATE ROOMS OR SPACES THAT CAN BE PARTITIONED OFF WITH DOORS
➢ MODERN RUSTIC DESIGN TO CREATE A MORE INVITING ATMOSPHERE
➢ NATURAL FINISHES SUCH AS STONE, WOOD, OR ORGANIC STYLE ELEMENTS
➢ SIMPLE MODERN FIREPLACE DESIGN THAT USUALLY GOES UP TO CEILING
➢ BUILT IN SHELVING, OFTEN SURROUNDING THE FIREPLACE
➢ MORE NATURAL LIGHT FROM EXPANSIVE WINDOWS AND TALLER CEILINGS
➢ WOOD CEILING BEAMS TO ADD WARMTH AND DRAMA

living room photo
Interior design by Karen MIlls

2. FURNITURE/DECOR INTERIOR DESIGN TRENDS For furniture we are seeing a big trend towards sustainable furniture. Sustainable furniture pieces are higher quality items that will last longer and cost less over time instead of cheap throw away furniture. And that makes me happy because as an interior designer I’ve always seen the value in higher quality furniture that’s more comfortable, better looking, and a better value over time. Other trends include:

PERFORMANCE FABRICS ON UPHOLSTERY
➢ TEXTURE OVER BUSY PATTERNS ON FABRICS AND FINISHES
➢ DÉCOR THAT’S MORE FUNCTIONAL OR HAS MEANING

kitchen example
Partial Kitchen refresh by Karen MIlls

3. KITCHEN INTERIOR DESIGN TRENDS 2023 In the kitchen we are still seeing rustic elements to add warmth but combined with a more modern overall aesthetic. Other kitchen trends in interior design include:

➢ COUNTERTOP AS BACKSPLASH WHICH MEANS THE COUNTERTOPS CONTINUE UP THE WALL TO THE CEILING LIKE SHOWN HERE
➢ FOCUS ON HEALTHY EATING
➢ CONTRAST IN COLOR OR FINISH SUCH AS CONTRASTING ISLAND AND WALL CABINETS LIKE SHOWN HERE OR DIFFERENT METAL FINISHES
➢ QUARTZITE NATURAL MATERIAL COUNTERS ARE GROWING IN POPULARITY OVER QUARTZ

bathroom photo example

4. BATHROOM INTERIOR DESIGN TRENDS 2023 Of course having a bathroom design that feels like a spa continues to be a huge interior design trend, but other trends include:

➢ CURBLESS SHOWER WHICH IS ALSO CALLED A ZERO ENTRY SHOWER LIKE SHOWN HERE
➢ OVERSIZE LIGHT FIXTURES LIKE SHOWN HERE
➢ TEXTURE ON FINISHES OVER PATTERN

living room

5. COLOR INTERIOR DESIGN TRENDS 2023

➢ BOLD COLORS OF YEAR – GREENS AND MAGENTAS LIKE SHOWN HERE
➢ COLOR BLOCKING (CONTRASTING) LIKE SHOWN HERE ON WALL CONTRASTS
➢ NEUTRALS –WHITE, WARM GRAY/CHARCOAL, BEIGE

For more great interior design ideas, sign up for our 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  and Instagram now!

And if you feel someone you know could benefit from this helpful information, pass it on!

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Decorating: How to Dress Your Living Room Shelves

  • October 6, 2022November 30, 2023

Three Tips for Effectively Styling Shelves in Your Living Areas

Interior design by Karen MIlls
  1. Space plan your shelf layout. As you can see in this luxurious living room the furniture is placed in the room so it’s well balanced in the space with the bigger sofa flanked by smaller chairs to create a cohesive whole. On the shelves objects of similar shapes and sizes are balanced on each side of the shelving unit.
Interior design by Karen Mills

2. Create cohesiveness with color. In this family room we used the color scheme from the rug – orange, blue green, and tan on the shelves using both existing client decor and new introductions to create a unifying design on the shelves that brings the whole room together.

Interior styling by Karen Mills

3. Create vignettes (groupings). For this clients’ shelves, we layered in existing decor and photo frames for family photos, while introducing some pottery in the same color scheme and greenery to add texture.

For more great interior design ideas, sign up for our semi-monthly design blog. Plus, become a fan of Kansas City’s interior designer and former host of the Living Large design show, Karen Mills, on Facebook  and Instagram now! And if you feel someone you know could benefit from this helpful information, please pass it on!

Interior Design/Interior Decorating

THE DECORATING PRO MEMBERSHIP

  • September 27, 2022October 6, 2022

Helping interior design lovers avoid costly mistakes, save time, and reduce stress by teaching them how to decorate like a pro. 

photo of karen designing

This may come as a bit of a shock but after years of being asked by clients and realtors to teach design/staging we finally said “YES!”

Dreaming about designing your space like a pro?  Considering a career in decorating or staging? Come join us today as an exclusive Founding Member in this exciting journey to make our homes more beautiful and a safer place to live as we donate a portion of our profits to help rescue trafficked children. 

We have limited spots available for our Founding Members with early access to our training materials and a low-price guarantee for life so don’t miss out!

Find Out More

For more great interior design ideas, sign up for our semi-monthly design blog. Plus, become a fan of Kansas City’s interior designer and former host of the Living Large design show, Karen Mills, on Facebook  and Instagram now! And if you feel someone you know could benefit from this helpful information, please pass it on!