We had the pleasure of sitting down with Kansas City Interior Designer, Laura Coleman of LC Interiors, LLC, to chat design trends, design pet peeves and more. We’ve talked a lot in the past about how important staging a home can be for the sale of your home. So let’s dig into some design specifics.
Is wallpaper here to stay?
Photo by Alex Qian from Pexels
Laura lets us know that wallpaper today isn’t what we envision from the 1980s or even our grandparents wallpaper-caked homes. There is so much more variety available with wallpaper these days: you can buy temporary, peel and stick, wallpaper, just paper an accent wall or even utilize wallpaper that you would swear is paint. Laura says it’s here to stay, but in a more modernized way.
In addition to wallpaper, wall treatments are big right now too, including board and batten or other wood treatments that you add but paint so that you’d alway think they were part of the wall.
Where are kitchen trends going?
If you’re wanting to update your kitchen but can’t afford a full kitchen remodel, here are some things that are really hot this year that won’t break the bank but will leave a big impact.
- Cabinet door style. If your home was built in the 90s and no one ever brought the kitchen cabinets into this decade, you can save money by just replacing the cabinet doors and leaving the frame of the rest of the cabinets.
- Colored kitchen cabinets. While you’re changing out the cabinet doors, you might as well paint them! Dark, moody colors are very in and can make a bold statement in your kitchen.
Photo by Charlotte May from Pexels
- Open shelves. This isn’t a new concept, but we’re seeing more and more people get rid of upper cabinets and create a more open moment for their beautiful dishes. You can do a fun tile behind the open shelves or continue the countertop up the wall for a seamless feel.
Pockets of Cozy
Laura loves creating spaces that she calls “pockets of cozy.” These are areas in your home that may be overlooked – like some built in shelves in your living room or a reading area in your hearth room. These are areas that Laura likes to get her hands on. Again – small projects that make a big impact on the look and feel of your home.
How to work with open concepts
Clients usually want an open concept but it’s important to break up the spaces. Create a defined dining area and living area while still open to the kitchen. Area rugs and sectional couches are a great way to make this happen. Everything should still coordinate since it’s technically the same room, but again, make your own “pockets of cozy” within the larger space.
Photo by Alberto Castillo Q. on Unsplash
Laura also shared that if you’re looking to sell, it’s still a good rule of thumb to go lighter on wall colors. No one has to do a tan or beige throughout the house, but a light gray, cream or white will do the trick, too! Sometimes a bright pink kid’s room, or that sexy dark green in your master bedroom can scare people away.
She also squashed the myth that you don’t have to be a millionaire to hire an interior designer. Most of her clients are working people that may get a bonus each quarter and let her know she has $2500 to work with – what can she do with it? Just think in terms of saving for a project or using extra income, like a bonus, to rework a single room in your house. Little by little, it can all be tackled!
If this has motivated you and excited you about making some design changes in your home, please reach out the Kansas City Interior Designer and all around design goddess, Laura Coleman of LC Interiors, LLC. You can follow her on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok and check out her website at lcinteriorsllc.com.