If you’re like most homeowners, after taking down your holiday decor, you’ve noticed your interior space needs a bit of a refresh.  But your budget may not allow for all new furniture, right?  So what’s the solution?  How about a one day makeover using your existing decor.

Staging by Karen Mills

Even though I spend the majority of my time on custom design projects, when I have a spare hour or two, I enjoy helping homeowners redesign their space using existing furnishings or stagea their home for resale and they absolutely love it!  Why? Because for only a fraction of the cost, their favorite things look fabulous and fresh instead of drab and dull.

Staging by Karen Mills

Want to try it yourself before calling an interior designer for help?  Here’s how it’s done.

1. Shop your  house for furniture or furnishings that you can use in your room, ensuring you don’t rule out anything because it looks worn or an ugly.  Then keep those items in mind as you start to put together your room.

2. Create an inviting floorplan that emphasizes your focal point by creating grouping of furniture around it.  And if you don’t have a focal point, design one yourself by grouping items together such as a sofa table or chest with a piece of artwork overhead and a table lamp and/or tabletop decor, for example.

Staging by Karen Mills

3. Repaint or repurpose furnishings and surfaces to give them new life.    For example a chest could repainted and moved to your entry, used as a focal point, or even placed behind a sofa.  An ottoman could be upholstered and tucked under a sofa table for extra seating, used as a coffee table or pulled up to a comfy chair.  

Staging by Karen Mills

Looking for more great budget friendly decorating ideas?  Then don’t miss my interview with interior decorator and author Christopher Lowell along with another one day makeover expert this Sunday at 10AM CST on Living Large with Kansas City’s interior designer Karen Mills on News Radio KMBZ on 981.FM or 980AM.  (also streams live on kmbz.com)

And if you’re looking for the latest interior design trends, then tune in this Saturday at 10:30AM on the KMBZ Business channel on 1660AM to hear HGTV host Kim Myles reveal what’s hot and what’s not on Living Large with Karen Mills on the KMBZ Business channel on 1660AM.

Plus join us on Living Large on Facebook or Twitter now!

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