KMD Interior Blog

In working with my clients, I find they often discount the impact of surrounding themselves in an environment that creates peace.   For example, their master bedroom, the space that should be their private retreat, a place to escape to at the end of the day, is often the last room on their list to decorate.

This past week we moved into a new home. It has been a crazy but bittersweet time. It's always hard leaving behind the cherished memories of an old home and embracing a new space. There have been so many late nights trying to transform this new place into something that feels like our home.

Without adding your personal touches, unique style, and cherished mementos, a home is just an empty shell waiting to be "lived in”.  The reality sinks in when you stand back and look at the now empty home you’re leaving. It can feel as though that house, your former home, has now lost its soul.

In decorating our new home this week, I found peace as I realized that not only was I creating our home, I was nourishing its “soul” by surrounding us in items that truly spoke to us, brought a smile to our face or just made us feel at peace. 

Living in the same home for 10 years, I had accumulated so much stuff!  Rather than donate or throw out items over the years, they somehow found their way to the basement to only sit there and get buried under more “stuff”.  There is a freedom that comes when you can say good-bye to those items that are no longer serving you and either find a better home for them or realize their time has passed and simply throw them away. 

I had to tell myself, “It’s OK to let go of those things that no longer provide value or peace for you.”  This is something I discuss with my clients all the time but to come to that moment myself was definitely emotional for me. 

I firmly believe that everything in our home has energy and that energy can either create a positive or a negative response.  It’s so important that we surround ourselves with only those items that connect with us and evoke positive energy for us.  To not do so, allows that negative energy to come into our life, even subconsciously, and begins to steal the peacefulness of our surroundings.

Over the years, I’ve become more holistic in my approach to design.  I’ve realized I’m most creative when I am at peace.  That’s when ideas truly flow and my best ideas come to mind.  That process is no different for anyone.  When you surround yourself in a peaceful environment, you internally are at peace and can be at your best.  Don’t ever discount the impact of your surroundings and never compromise on what you place in your home.  If it doesn’t evoke a positive emotional response, it’s time to get rid of it.  Live only with what you truly love and don’t get stuck on the quantity of items in your space or settle for something you really don’t love.  Sometimes it’s only one cherished peace that creates that sense of “home”.

Vibrant and fun, Z Gallerie has easily become one of my favorite places to shop for accessories. Admittedly, I am extremely excited to spend a blog post devoted to sharing some of the pieces I've used in client's homes and in my own.

For example, during a recent VIP Design Day I recommended this mirror to a client for their dining room.

Rey Mirror

Beautiful, right? The mid-century modern styling is so fun and the finish is gorgeous. This piece is going to create just enough contrast style-wise with the other pieces in her dining room, bringing some added movement and a touch of elegance to the space.

Then there are these vases.

Sequence Vases

These vases were used in another projecct for a client who had a contemporary edge to her style. They proved to be the perfect addition to the fireplace hearth in their family room.  And don’t let the picture fool you! These are actually fairly large in size, ideal for the scale and proportion of their large two-story family room.

While placing the order for these vases, these moose heads caught my eye:

Moose Head

Unsurprisingly, they are now perched above my desk and my assistant’s desk. They help to keep us grounded when things get a little stressful or serious around here.

Glass spheres have become my go-to when a space needs just a hint of reflection or something small and decorative that doesn't compete with the other elements. What do you know? Z Gallerie has just the thing.

Glass Spheres - Clear

These look great grouped atop a small stack of books or even placed alone on a small side table. They add the perfect decorative touch!

This vase has been an all-time favorite of mine:

Ceramic Filigree Jar

Standing at 23 ¼” tall, it’s a great piece for high impact and often provides that “wow” factor in a space.  It’s simple yet elegant styling makes it work with almost any décor. 

If you’re looking for accessories to complete your space, you will definitely want to check out Z Gallerie.  They offer unique pieces, quality that can't be beat and fabulous price points.  Happy Decorating!

Friday has become my day of mindset blogging. It's an opportunity to journal about the thoughts that have been nagging to be addressed throughout the week. This week has revealed the power of gratitude, how a simple thank you or show of support can make a huge difference. 

For example, this past week I had a chandelier installation on Wednesday (What an event!) and then a carpet install yesterday. Although one install went smoothly and the other far from it, both experiences had one major thing in common – the gratitude of my clients. I often say I work with the best clients in the world. I just seem to keep striking gold with clients who come from a place of gratitude.

Ironically, the installation I had feared most  (a 7 foot chandelier to be raised 21 feet) went so smoothly whereas the seeming slam dunk of a carpet install became the installation that wasn't. The carpet never even left Georgia to arrive in time for our Thursday install – ugh!  My client WAS scheduled to have furniture delivered today so we had worked out a doable schedule to prep her home for it's arrival, slotting it between painting and carpet delivery and install. Alex Painting came through magnificently, completing the paint job right on schedule. It wasn't until a Wednesday afternoon call to confirm the carpet delivery that my worst fear materialized.  Needless to say, I was feeling anything but gratitude at that moment! 

I took a deep breath and dialed the digits of my client, preparing for an understandably angry response.  Instead and quite welcomely, I was met with such patience and understanding on the other end of the phone that all I felt was extreme gratitude to be working with such amazing clients.  She realized, while not ideal, in the bigger scheme of things this is just a hiccup. Absolutely amazing perspective and response! I’m actually welling up with gratitude once again as I type this.

This week has reminded me of the importance of being grateful in every single moment, good or bad.  The good moments may bless with feelings of happiness and palpable excitement. But it's the bad ones that can actually challenge us for the better. It's the bad moments that we offered the opportunity to learn and grow. 

In the hurried pace of life, we often forget to take a moment and say a simple “thank you” to someone or just let someone know how grateful we are for their presence in our lives.  I used to begin and end each day writing down five things that I am grateful for but have since fallen out of the habit. Today, I am re-committing to an attitude of gratitude in all that I do and will take the time to acknowledge my blessings each morning and evening.  I hope you’ll join me in doing the same!

Seven feet tall and 50 inches in diameter, the chandelier of all chandeliers found a home in my client's family room yesterday. Although quite an undertaking to install, the size of the chandy was perfect for the 21' ceiling space. We needed something that wouldn't get lost, yet also be functional as a light fixture. The existing recessed lights just weren't cutting it down at "sea level" .

Aptly named the Colossus, the chandelier we used in the space is from one of my favorite lighting vendors, Currey & Company. They have some of the most unique lighting fixtures in top quality finishes and styling. They've even started to venture into furniture and rugs as well.

Colossus Chandelier by Currey & Company

Don't be fooled by the smooth installation process often portrayed on HGTV shows. As any designer will tell you, no install is complete without some sort of twist or turn.  My amazing contractor Ruben Aristondo of R.A. Home Improvement and his crew arrived at my clients home promptly and had the scaffolding built and ready for when Colossal was delivered. Then came the snag, that infamous installation twist/turn. My phone rang. It was the the receiver, EZ Movers. I was told  

"The truck we had rented for this move was actually rented out from under us.  We're in the process of locating another truck now."

Given the size of Collosus plus the added element of crating, a large truck was the only option for transport. Suprisingly enough, Bo and Richard of EZ Movers, found a truck big enough within the hour putting us practically back on track. 

The chandy of chandeliers arrives and we are instantly thrown our next challenge – how to get this huge and very heavy piece from truck to clients' family room.

It took some effort and the work of five strong men to carry it in but Colossus successfully made it to Point B.

Next challenge: hoisting Colossus up to it's new home at 21 feet. Ruben, a pure genius, came up with an ingenius idea. Using a strong rope, the muscles of his crew, and my prayers that we don't all become chandy pancakes, Colossus was hoisted up to the proper height.

Now if there was ever a moment to 1) be confident that you've made the right selection for the client and 2) know exactly what height this piece needed to hang this was that moment. Once Colossus is hung, Colossus is hung. Period.

Two hours later, we found glorious success and I found a moment of realization that I'd been holding my breath for two hours and felt physically drained and I was only holding the ladder. I’m sure Ruben and his crew would look at me and say “??!!”.   In the mix of coordinating the delivery and install, I managed to forget the lightbulbs. Of course. A quick trip to Home Depot and back to grab the most obvious component and Ruben was able to give Colossus the finishing touch.

When all was said and done and breaths were had, I remembered how important it is to have both  a great crew to work with and a great client who is willing to go the extra mile to see your bigger vision for their space. She absolutely loved it and Colossus looks so perfect in the space.  All in all, a very good day!

I love, love, love grasscloth!  It brings so much texture to a room, especially when decorating with a tone-on-tone palette.  It suddenly makes the tones pop and brings added dimension to the space.

Thibaut Grasscloth

I always like to do something unexpected in a room like in this project  where I used grasscloth on the ceiling.  It captured the light so well, letting it dance and really shimmer in the space!

As with anything in nature, grasscloth is unique to itself and therefore the seams will show.  I know the appearance of the seams can feel disconnected at first given our eyes are trained to look for uniformity. But give it a few days after install to adjust to the appearance and it's inherent beauty will emerge.  It plays with the light and reflection in such a unique and beautiful way that brings such character and depth to a space.

Grasscloth inherently has visible seams given it is natural grass.

Grasscloth has evolved sooo much over the years.  The array of colors, and more recently prints on grasscloth, leave you with endless possibilities. For example, look at a few of the latest introductions I found at the Phillip Jeffries showroom at High Point Market:

Chinois Our Way by Phillip Jeffries - It was love at first sight when I saw this in their showroom.

Imperial gates by Phillip Jeffries - Such a great graphic print!

Tease by Phillip Jeffries - How fun is this?!

 

Pattern Name: Grasses

Pattern Name: Andros

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No one captures the special bond of motherhood better than super talented photographer and friend Nikki Incandela. Given that Mother's Day is this Sunday, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to share some of Nikki's amazing work with you.

Nikki and I met several years ago sitting next to each other at a conference and we've stayed in touch ever since. She has such an incredible gift of conveying the human spirit and emotion through her camera lens. You know that moment when you meet someone and you just know, without a doubt, that they are living their purpose? That's Nikki! Nikki embraces life as much as she embraces her work. Be prepared to be moved by these pictures. They will definitely touch your heart!

She sent me this picture card a few years ago – it still sits on my desk to this day!

I love the stillness and peacefulness of this picture. A quiet moment between mother and child…

That special bond between mother and child is so perfectly captured here.

I don't think any mom can ever forget that special feeling as your newborn snuggles into you and falls asleep – totally secure and totally loved.

To see more of Nikki's work, visit her site at www.nikkiincandela.com. I promise you'll be in for a special treat! Wishing you a very special and wonderful Mother's Day!

Hugs,

Karen

P.S. – If you'd like help creating a space that is uniquely yours, contact me about our design services and setting up an inquiry call to learn more. You can also follow KMD Interiors on Facebook and Twitter.

I'm in Atlanta for the week attending a conference and staying at the W Midtown.  I can't tell you how many people, upon hearing that I'm a designer, tell me I have to visit a W Hotel. Now, I understand why.

The hotel is bursting with incredible design inspiration at every turn!  While the conference is focused on business, I'm having more fun snapping pictures and gathering inspiration for future projects.   Who knew a business conference could be this inspiring? .   Here are just a few of my finds:

And those are just a few of the design surprises around every corner at the W Hotel in Atlanta. Now it's my turn to say, "Go visit a W Hotel."

Hugs,
Karen 

P.S. – If you'd like help creating a space that is uniquely yours, contact me about our design services and setting up an inquiry call to learn more. You can also follow KMD Interiors on Facebook and Twitter.

I have three projects right now with one thing in common – all three clients want me to specify a color for their laundry room that's fun and energizing. Could it be that doing laundry is not "fun" enough?

It seems like laundry is that one task that we can never fully wrap our arms around and see it to completion.

Perhaps if we had a surrounding that spoke to us and embraced us, we could muster up the time and energy to get it all done. Ha! File that thought under the "nice try" category.
 

On second thought, the laundry room really is the perfect place to have some fun with color and pattern.

Or, you can dress your laundry room up in a more serene look and soften the palette.

The point is to make it a space that really does speak to you in some way.  Add a cool light fixture or bold pop of color.  Most importantly, make it work for you! Ensure that you have proper lighting, adequate surface area to sort and fold, and plenty of shelf/cabinet space to organize and avoid the mess and clutter.

Splurge on some luxury laundry soaps or fabric softeners.  I personally love the entire line of laundry soaps and fragrances from The Good Home Co.  It really does feel like your pampering yourself when you use any of their products.  The Beach Days scent really does whisk me away to our vacations in Charleston, SC – the scent puts me right on the beach!

So, what did we decide for my clients? Still awaiting a verdict on one but two clients have decided to go with bolder colors.

So remember, have fun when it comes to decorating your laundry room.  Be willing to go outside your comfort zone and experiment.  You might actually fall in love with the results and maybe even enjoy doing the laundry!

Hugs,
Karen 

P.S. – If you'd like help creating a space that is uniquely yours, contact me about our design services and setting up an inquiry call to learn more.

Sometimes God's presence comes in the least expected ways.  I was walking our dog Toby this morning and my mind was racing with the "what if's" related to a big decision that's in front of me right now.  I could feel God's presence telling me to relax and trust – it will be all right.

I then asked God to give me a sign, to let me know He's there and that what I'm sensing isn't just more mind chatter.  I then came across this…

Drawn by one of the neighborhood kids, it reads: "I am awesome. Don't denie." So cute how they misspelled "deny." Misspelled or not, the message certainly wasn't lost on me. I somehow knew I was meant to see it.  A gentle reminder from God that He is awesome and we should not deny His presence in our lives working everything to our greater good.

He is always taking care of us and will give us the strength to handle whatever "what if" may come to pass. We just need to proceed with trust that He will guide us through.

I was also reminded of this today:

While I don't like asking for signs, every now and then I need one.  Thank you God for giving me a powerful reminder this morning of not only your presence but your power to see what we can't see and our need to trust in that.  Yes God, you are awesome!

Hugs,
Karen 

P.S. – If you'd like help creating a space that is uniquely yours, contact me about our design services and setting up an inquiry call to learn more.

House Beautiful recently posted an article called "10 Life-Changing Paint Colors" and it got me thinking about my own personal favorites. I think it's probably safe to say that every designer eventually stumbles upon their own list of favorites, those colors that have proven themselves time and time again. Here's a peek at a few of mine:
 

Caliente Red – Benjamin Moore AF-290

I stumbled upon this red a few years ago at Pottery Barn. It was the feature color behind their service desk and I instantly fell in love with it. It’s the perfect shade of red – not too bright, not too strong and it reads true on the wall.
 

Rainwashed – Sherwin Williams SW 6211

This is an absolutely gorgeous light turquoise color that instantly brings a sense of calm to a room. It’s a color that visually whisks you away to that peaceful place. Perfect for a bedroom or master bath.

Borrowed Light – Farrow & Ball

This is one of my all time FAVORITE colors!! Our home office ceiling is painted this color and I’ve recently specified it for two projects – LOVE IT!!  It’s such a soft and soothing blue and a perfect ceiling color. Barry Dixon sums it up best: "It feels as if you've taken the roof off the room and the sky and the clouds have mixed together."

Coastal Fog – Benjamin Moore 976

This seems to be a color I’m always going to when my clients have a neutral or gray-toned color palette.  It’s a nice warm gray color with a very subtle undertone of green.  It’s the perfect color for layering neutrals when you're trying to create added depth and dimension in a space.

Decorator’s White, Benjamin Moore

I think this white is on every designer’s list and there is definitely a reason why.  It’s a true white that works so well with any color.  While some whites can cast a yellow, pink or gray undertone, this one stays true to color and always looks bright and fresh.  I personally love it on ceilings and trim.

Relaxed Khaki. Sherwin Williams SW6149

Again, this is one of those colors that just seems to work in any space.  It fits right in with a neutral palette, bringing added depth but can also help balance a palette of stronger, more saturated colors.  As the name implies, it’s one of those colors that just feels “relaxed” in any space.

Hugs,
Karen 

P.S. – If you'd like help creating a space that is uniquely yours, contact me about our design services and setting up an inquiry call to learn more.