Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: 3 Biggest Mistakes We Make in the…

Design Tips for Making Your Dining Room More Stunning

Karen Mills' blog
Interior design by Karen Mills as featured in Architecture Today Interior Design and Design Icons books
  1. Lack of emphasis  Creating a focal point with your table in the dining room gives you the opportunity to create a dramatic look, perfect for a dinner table or family gathering. Here in this Mission Hills dining room we began with an existing table and buffet along with selecting a fabulous hand knotted wool rug. Then we took the design to another whole level but introducing more contemporary elements from the stunning Swarovoski crystal chandelier that compels you to take a closer look to the bold abstract art beyond, contemporary sculpture, and rich leather squares on the wall.
Karen Mills' blog
Interior design by Karen Mills as featured in Architecture Today Interior Design book

2.  Cold uninviting space –  One of the most common issues I see as an interior designer are dining rooms filled with hard shiny surfaces such as crystal, glass, or ceramic along with nothing on the floor or walls. To rectify this issue, try warming up your dining space with lots of texture. Here in this Overland Park room the client requested we use their heirlooms – a table and armoire, along with leather chairs. To warm up the space, we introduced a piece of gnarled wood, two handmade looking vases, and a custom cloth runner along with layering in a thick hand knotted rug underneath.

Karen Mills' blog
Interior design by Karen Mills

3. Looks Unfinished  When we walk into an interior design client’s home one of the first things we often see is an undone dining room. To enhance this space and make it more updated, I recommend adding color and items of interest whether with texture or design. In this dining area, we refinished a door in a soft neutral gray, updated the light fixtures overhead, put slipcovers on plain dark leather chairs, and added an interesting centerpiece along with blue art to create an inviting area to eat and relax.

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Interior Design/Interior Decorating

Interior Design: Trending in Winter White

Karen Mills' blog
Courtesy of Century Furniture

The color white has ruled the interior design market for 2016 and I don’t see signs of this dreamy color dying out yet.   In fact there’s nothing I personally love to wear or be surrounded by than white because of the way it bounces light around the room and how fresh it makes me feel.

Karen Mills' blog
White chair by Z Gallerie

Believe it or not the majority of my new projects as an interior designer are still requests for whites and cool light neutrals with a pop of color even in the midst of winter.

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Photo courtesy of Hickory White

Karen Mills' blog
Burma stool by Bungalow5

So today I’m sharing some winter whites that inspire me and giving more insight into this fabulous color from the color experts.

 

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Courtesy of Bernhardt Furniture

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Georgina coffee table from Bernhardt Furniture

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Natalie chair by Christopher Guy

According to former Living Large show guest and color expert Kate Smith color affects us physically in the following ways:

Aids mental clarity

Encourages us to clear clutter or obstacles

Evokes purification of thoughts or actions

Enables fresh beginnings

Karen Mills' blog
Visual Comfort lighting

But that’s not all.  The nation’s leading color expert and former Living Large guest Lea Eiseman of the Pantone Color Institute states in one of her books, “White also signifies innocence.  It is a recall of youth and simplicity, and a longing to be young again.”   No wonder I love white!

Karen Mills' blog
Photo of Brittanicca counters courtesy of Cambria

For more great 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 Facebook here!