Interior Design: 5 Easy Steps to Space Planning Your…

May 7, 2020May 7, 2020

5 Secrets for Creating a Cozy Inviting Living Space Using Existing Furnishings

blog post example — Shawnee Interior design by Karen Mills

Make it Functional – The first question I ask interior design clients who want us to space plan their living room is how they will use the room and what they need. For example if they entertain regularly how much seating do they need or if they take a nap how long does the sofa need to be. In this great room a coffee table and sofa table provide surfaces to place things while a nearby end table holds a much needed lamp.

to explain point — Prairie Village Design by Karen Mills

2. Determine Your Focal Point – In this outdoor living room the focal point is obvious because we put it front and center but if you don’t have a fireplace a great outdoor view or a furniture vignette created to be a focal point can work also such as a table, artwork, and lamp arrangement. Click here for 3 Ways to Make Your Living Space Bloom for Spring

rug sizing example — Overland Park interior design by Karen Mills

3. Place your sofa or largest upholstery (seating) facing your focal point. Here in this great room the sofa faces the fireplace, the focal point of the room while the other chairs sit nearby adding the to cozy appeal. Click here for 3 Tips for Refreshing Your Living Room for Less

Karen Mills' blog — Interior design by Karen Mills

4. Make furniture arrangement inviting and cozy but not too crowded. In this living room the sofa is facing a focal point, the view out the window. A round ottoman helps create a more spacious feel in this cozy room. Click here for How to Mix Up Furnishings in Your Home to Create a Fresh New Look

5. Layer in tables and a rug. Tables are critical in your room for lamps and to place drinks or other items. In this hearth living space we designed a comfortable rug was layered underneath bringing all the furniture into a cozy grouping.

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 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.

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Interior Design: 5 Tips for Selecting a Sofa That…

November 21, 2019November 21, 2019

As an interior designer I realize how little most homeowners know about selecting a sofa that will fit them. Here are my top 5 secrets to selecting a perfect custom sofa for your home!

Determine the style and size of sofa needed for your space. If you have tall ceilings and supersized furnishings, you will need a sofa that’s in proportion to the room’s design and if its a smaller cozier space you need to make sure the sofa doesn’t overpower your space.

2. Make sure you select the right cushioning for your sofa style and your personal preference whether it’s foam and down, all down, allergy free, or a combination of materials on the seat and back of your sofa.

3. Ensure the sofa fits your body type and height so your feet aren’t dangling above the floor or you aren’t unable to lean back comfortably in the seat because it too deep.

4. Select the correct material for your sofa. If you will be using the sofa regularly then you will need a higher double rub count for durability and if you have dogs or cats, try to avoid a fabric that can be snagged easily. Also keep in mind how easily the fabric will clean and if it will go will with your room’s design and other fabrics.

5. Solid or Tone on Tone Sofa Color As an interior designer, I prefer a solid color or tone on tone sofa because it’s usually one of the biggest items in your room and can seem overpowering if you select a busy pattern or even a color that’s too bold. Of course rules are meant to be broken but only if you are a professional interior designer or have a keen eye to know what works and what doesn’t

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Interior Design: 3 Tips for Creating a Relaxing Living…

October 10, 2019February 13, 2020

Nothing’s better than coming home to an inviting relaxing home. That’s why my focus as an interior designer has always been as much about function as beauty. Read on for three tips for creating a comfortable interior design.

1. Comfortable seating. Select upholstery cushions that are comfortable for long periods of sitting, ensuring your feet are able to touch the floor and the seat depth is right.

2. Layer in texture Texture can be added with area rugs and/or soft window treatments along with accessories like pillows or throws. Here an ottoman, tray, throw, pillows, drapes, and art work add layers of texture.

3. Create a Cozy Conversation Area When interior designers put together a floor plan for a living area, they focus on designing intimate seating areas like this one shown. Adding an area rug underneath helps define the space.

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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.

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 Decorating: 3 Tips for Coordinating Mismatched Furnishings

October 26, 2018October 25, 2018

Do you have a collection of mismatched furniture that feels unfinished or undone? Read on for my 3 interior designer tips for creating a cohesive look in your room.

1. Repetition – To coordinate two pieces of mismatched upholstery, unify both pieces by repeating a color from one piece to onto another with a pillow or throw. Here the blue green color of the ottoman was repeated in the pattern on the pillows, while the artwork brings everything together including the gray velvet sofa in the foreground and the new tile on the fireplace.

2. Introduce a new design element – A piece of artwork overhead or nearby accessories with both colors can also serve as a way to bring two different colors of upholstery together effectively. Here in this family room the blue center of the pillow is repeated in the blue candle nearby while the white seashell picks up the white upholstery.

When creating vignettes of accessories in your space whether its for a tabletop or shelves, try to place objects of various heights, sizes, texture, and shapes together to create a cohesive whole. Normally placing the taller narrower items at back with shorter wider items at the front works best.

3. Layer a rug underneath – Placing a rug underneath your upholstery helps create a cozy grouping of furniture like this living area but it may also pick up colors from one or several pieces of upholstery. Here the brown chair color is repeated on a pillow accent color and coffee table while the yellow and gray hues in the rug are mimicked again on the sofa and pillows.

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: 3 Tips for Creating a Beautiful Bedroom

August 9, 2018

If you’re getting tired of your dated or uninviting master bedroom, then its time to incorporate my top 3 tips for designing a beautiful bedroom.

Select a color scheme and design style that fits how you want to feel in your bedroom. After working on over a thousand home projects as an interior designer, I would say that most of you want a comfortable cozy inviting space where you can unwind. One of the most popular choices for a relaxing bedroom are the variations of blues, blue greens or greens, but neutrals and even dramatic colors can still work in a calm environment. If you’re looking for another feeling in this space, though, then listen to your heart and create exactly what you are dreaming about for your room.

2. Create an eye catching functional floor plan

Normally it’s best to place the head of your bed on the longest wall and in a position where it can be seen from the entrance. Add end tables and lamps for functionality and ambiance along with a chair or bench for seating.

3. Texture Texture Texture To accomplish this feat consider adding different textures around your room from walls, bedding fabrics and window treatments to furniture and accessories because variety in texture is what keeps a space from being too cold. Plus as an interior designer, I recommend keeping busy patterns to a minimum because if overdone, you’ve suddenly created a room with competing patterns that can be unnerving.

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Interior Design: Bold Color Forecast for 2018

December 6, 2017

If you’ve been paying attention to interior designers or the fashion runway this fall you may have noticed bold colors popping up everywhere from red and yellow to bold blues. Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore have announced their exciting bold new colors of 2018 but Lea Eiseman with the Pantone Institute has yet to reveal their color of the year which impacts all types of industries from fashion and design to autos and appliances.

Do you think Pantone will select the hot new mustard yellow color or something else?

Benjamin Moore’s color of the year 2018 is a bold hue and one of my favorites! I especially love it contrasted with white like the room shown above.

Bold blue hues like this also look great with beige colors, red, and orange along with citrine, a yellowy green.

In the room above we incorporated a bold blue hue on the ottoman to give the space pizzazz.

Benjamin Moore selected Caliente Red AF-290 as their color for 2018. Of course red has been a favorite color of mine forever because its such a vibrant unexpected color that instantly creates drama!

What’s your favorite color for 2018?! Post in the comments.

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: Soothing Laundry Room Color Palettes

September 13, 2017September 13, 2017

If you’re like most homeowners the laundry room may be the last place to get a makeover but its still important because a pleasing paint color on the walls can be soothing for what’s often a daunting task. And what better time of year to repaint inside than fall!

Click below to read the popular article titled 7 Laundry Room Color Palettes to Make Washday More Relaxing that I wrote that was recently featured in Houzz’s newsletter

https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/89436594/list/7-laundry-room-color-palettes-to-make-washday-more-relaxing

plus sign up for our weekly interior design blog here

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 Design: 7 Easy Ways to Style Your Foyer

June 30, 2017

Front entries are the first impression you make on guests so why not create an inviting space. As an interior designer I tell my clients to think of their entry as an advertisement for their home and what’s to come. The entry should hold some of their favorite things and introduce the color scheme for their home’s interior design, revealing a little about their personal style. Read on for 7 simple ways to create a beautiful foyer.

Introduce a Sofa Table or Case piece – Start with a piece of furniture that fits easily in your entry and ideally can also hold decor. Examples of case pieces could include a chest like this photo, a curio, sofa table, desk, etc. A chair adds pattern and color to create a more interesting look.
Freshen Up with Live Flowers or a Plant – In the photo above the texture of the flowers and branches balance out the cold surfaces of the mirror, chest, and vases, bringing the outdoors in.
Layer in Artwork or a Mirror – Introducing artwork can add texture and reveal a bit of your personality, while a mirror is not only functional but also makes a style statement and can bounce light around from a lamp placed in front.
Ground Your Entry with a Rug – Layering a rug underneath adds warmth, color, and style to your foyer. In this photo the rug also picks up the colors of the chair and flowers.
Photo courtesy of Schumacher
Light it up With a Lamp – Lamps not only provide function and ambiance, but they can introduce more style to a space like the demure pink lamp in this photo of a sofa table grouping that’s actually part of a living room. The gold color throughout creates a cohesive element, while the pattern of the sofa table, stools, and branches add style and interest.
Replace Your Overhead Lighting – This photo provides a great example of how to dress up an entry with a stunning light fixture. Of course an actual entry chandelier might be smaller but this fixture adds style without competing with the rest of the furnishings.
Photo courtesy of Motif Designs
Tell a Color Story – You don’t have to be as bold and bright as this entry photo, but every space does have a color scheme even it’s neutral. The red color of the sofa table and vase do add more sizzle to the blue lamp and wallpaper, but their simple lines and lack of pattern help calm the space to keep it from being overwhelming. Fresh leaves give life while the mirror helps bounce light and visually enlarge the space.

To learn about color options for your foyer, read my Houzz article titled 7 Color Palettes for a Pleasing Entryway –

https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/…/list/7-color-palettes-for-a-pleasing-entryway

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

and sign up for our weekly interior design blog here

5 Secrets for Creating a Cozy Inviting Living Space Using Existing Furnishings

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

Designer Tricks for Picking a Sofa to Perfectly Fit Your Room and Body Type

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.

https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/89436594/list/7-laundry-room-color-palettes-to-make-washday-more-relaxing