While there's something serene about a picturesque home setting in a Home's and Garden magazine, you're probably not likely to go out and buy the exact same furniture setting. It's gorgeous, sure. But it just wouldn't feel like YOUR home. This week we're focusing on incorporating your style and character into your home's decor to showcase your personality and taste. Check out these 5 conversational pieces that'll let your individuality shine in the best way possible!

Chic Vintage Style Chaise Lounge

Style is a big factor when you furnish the rooms in your home, but functionality is incredibly important too. Once you have decided on the larger pieces that work best from our luxury furniture store at the Lake of the Ozarks, it's time to accessorize. Home accents are an excellent way to personalize a space, bringing in your own customized touch of style.

Home decor items are also what will pull the furniture pieces together in a way that makes the overall look unique. Follow these tips from John Elliott Interiors to help you accessorize your home and create rooms that are all yours.


Pay Attention to Scale
Bigger pieces of furniture can handle a large accessory on them, but you don't want the accent piece to overwhelm what it is sitting upon. In a similar fashion, you don't want to place a couple of small objects alone on a large shelf because they will look lost and out of place. It is okay to have empty spaces here and there so that you are not giving everyone too much to look at. A little bit of empty space will add to the balance of the room.

Use Color Creatively
The accessories in a room can be used to bring out a dominant color that is already present, or they can instead enhance it with additional complimentary colors or shades. If the room has a neutral palette, your home accents can be used to add a "pop" of color where there is none. Adding color to a room with only the accessories makes it easy to switch them out when the mood strikes you, giving the space a fresh feel without an entire remodel.  Use What You've Got
Home accessories can highlight your interests or hobbies, or they can tell a story like a trip you took or your family's history. Look around your home for things that you already possess. A seemingly regular object can be displayed in an artistic or interesting way to create an intriguing arrangement. We have many beautiful accent pieces in our home interiors store at the Lake of the Ozarks that will allow you to display some of your keepsakes in a decorative way.

Group Items Together
Clusters of similar items make for a much more interesting display than if you were to take many like pieces and scatter them around the room. Each grouping should have a common thread that ties them together. It could be a texture or color scheme, or it could be a chance to showcase something that you collect.  No Need For Symmetry
You can achieve balance in a room without making everything in it too matchy-matchy. While symmetry is good for hanging wall art (although there are exceptions for arrangements that look excellent a bit off-kilter) your home accents will have a better flow if they are not completely symmetrical to each other.

Use odd numbers of items when you group them, and have taller objects on one side of your mantel with shorter ones on the other. Instead of putting only books on a shelf, break up the monotony by adding home accents between books and even placed on top of a stack of them. 

April is also known as Decorating Month, which is very exciting for us at John Elliott Interiors. The month was given this title in an effort to inspire people to focus on decorating the place where they live in a way that makes them happy, and also to stress that updating the look of the rooms in your home can be fun rather than a chore. Whether you decide to let our interior designers at the Lake of the Ozarks help you make over an entire room or you decide to take on a few small tasks yourself, the following tips should come in handy.


Switch Out Seasonal Decor
Each season has something about it that sets it apart, and you can showcase that through the home accents you display in each room. It's time to put away the heavy winter throws and bring out lighter, spring decorations. Every new season is a wonderful excuse to change things up a bit and give a room an entirely new look and feel.

Display a Prized Collection
Your favorite things can be used in a clever way to decorate a room. It's best to group a lot of pieces of a collection together in one area or two rather than dispersing them individually throughout the space. If your collection is large, you don't need to show it all off at once, but rather choose a few pieces to highlight and switch them out when you feel like it. Your collection of prized possessions are not only terrific for decorating, but they also work as fun conversation pieces.

Change the Room's Layout
An excellent way to quickly freshen up the look of any room is to rearrange the furniture. Switching out the positions of two chairs or simply moving the couch away from the wall is a small change, but it can make a big difference, making your old pieces feel fresh and new.


Create a Focal Point
Every room should have one piece of furniture or a design element, such as a fireplace or large window, that serves as a focal point. It brings your focus to a certain point in the room and gives you a wonderful starting point for designing the rest of the space. It is a good idea place your focal point where it can be seen easily when entering the room, feeling as if it is drawing you in.

Pay Attention to Scale
You may fall immediately in love with a large, gorgeous piece that looks incredible in our luxury furniture store at the Lake of the Ozarks, but if you are trying to place it into a small room, it probably won't give you the same feeling. The same goes for the opposite. Trying to display a small home decor item by itself in a large room will cause that piece to get overlooked and seem out of place. Make sure all of the pieces that you choose fit the size of the room you are decorating and that they work well with each other.

Add Something New
The very best way to make any space look brand new is to add something that truly is new to your home. We carry a fantastic selection of furniture, home accents, artwork, and much more, and the variety of styles that we feature make it easy to find something that will work perfectly with the pieces you already have. Whether it's a bold new rug, and fashionable side chair, or an entire set of furniture, you'll find something perfect at John Elliott Interiors.

Paint
Adding a new color to a space can change the look up nicely. You can go all out and paint every wall in the room, or simply paint an accent wall to add a little excitement. Adding color to the backs of open shelves is also a great way to shake things up a bit.


If you are insecure about taking on the project of redecorating on your own, the talented designers at our Lake of the Ozarks home interiors store are happy to step in and help you out. We have lots of exquisite ideas at John Elliott Interiors for every room in your home. Come in soon to talk a few of them over with us and see all of the wonderful things we have for you to decorate your home with.

A coffee table often becomes a piece of furniture that quickly gathers the clutter of everyone living in the home. Not only is this displeasing to the eye, it also hides that gorgeous table you found at our Lake of the Ozarks home interiors store. 


If you take the time to stage a small scene with decorative accessories on the top of your coffee table, this could help to discourage people from leaving random items laying around, and it will give your home a more pleasant and inviting overall look. John Elliott Interiors has a few ideas for the accessories you may want to use. They can be purely decorative, possibly showing off a part of a collection or providing an interesting conversation piece, they can be functional items that come in handy in the room, or even better, a mixture of both. 

Stacks of Books
Using accessories of different heights can help to guide a person's eye and add interest to the overall decor on your coffee table. Stacks of books used as bases to hold other display items lets you do this, plus it keeps interesting reading material close at hand. It's also easy to switch out the books with others from your collection whenever you feel like it without changing the overall display too much.  

Trays
A wonderful way to contain a portion of your coffee table display is to use trays to hold the accessories. They can help to give your room a less cluttered look. This also allows items to quickly and easily be removed from the table if you need more open space, and the tray can come in handy if you are serving refreshments to guests.  


Pops of Color
Coffee table displays are the perfect place to add interesting pops of color that can be switched out easily whenever your mood or the season changes. It's best to stick to a unified color palette so that all of the items used appear as if they were meant to be displayed together. For smaller rooms, white accessories offer a clean, bright palette that can help to open up the room, plus they will always work well with any pops of color you choose to add.  

Natural Elements   
In addition to color, texture is an excellent tool to use to bring interest to your interior design. Natural elements are perfect for this. Accessories made of wood, glass jars holding collections of stones or seashells, or even a tabletop fountain will work well for this. Potted plants and freshly cut floral arrangements fall into this category too.    

Candles
Another excellent way to incorporate accessories of different heights is to add a cluster of candles of various sizes. They allow you to add color, and when lit, give an inviting and warm glow to the room. Using scented candles also gives you the chance to affect the overall ambiance. 


Ultimately, you want to create a look on your coffee table that stands alone as a beautiful area in the room, yet still works cohesively with the overall interior design. The first step is to pick out the perfect coffee table from our vast collection at John Elliott Interiors. Once that's done, our talented interior designers at the Lake of the Ozarks can help you find the gorgeous accessories that will decorate that table to reflect your personal style. 

As you prepare for a redesign of your home, the color and style isn't the only thing you have to think about. One of the most important steps is going to be clearing any clutter so you can start with a clean slate. Every room will require a different level of decluttering, but it's important to take a few steps to make sure it's done right. Here are a few tips to help you stay organized and get rid of the clutter before bringing in your new decor.

Think About Your Space

A redesign can provide a great opportunity for really looking at your space and deciding if it's working the way you want. If you are redecorating an office, does it function properly, or are other rooms bleeding over into it? The same can be said of your bedroom, kitchen, living room and more.

Once you decide what you need this space to do, you can evaluate whether the items in the room are fulfilling their purpose. Exercise equipment in your bedroom or lounge chairs in your kitchen are probably not making the space all that it can be. The same can be said of office supplies in your media room - if you find that things don't belong in a room, start by moving them where they belong.

Evaluate Your Belongings

Now it's time to evaluate what you have in the room. If you find that you have a lot of clutter, now is a great time to go through it. Stacks of papers, piles of books, too many office supplies, overabundance of pillows - all of these are items that you may not need because they aren't adding to your space. There are many methods for decluttering. Some say only to keep what brings you joy, while others have you pull EVERYTHING out of the space, and only put back what you want to keep. Find a strategy that works for you, and stick with it!

Decide How You'll Get Rid of Clutter

Sometimes, you'll find that items need to be thrown away or recycled. Those items that are broken, papers with sensitive information, or things that have been used up (like old pens that don't work). Other times, you'll find that the items are in great condition, you just don't use them. These items could be clothes you don't wear, organizational supplies that don't work the way you expected, and decorations that aren't your style anymore. Those items could be donated to a thrift store or shelter, or sold in a garage sale or online marketplace. Figure out the best way to get rid of the items, and put a date on the calendar to get rid of them.

Redecorate!

This is not only where we come in, but also the FUN part! Redecorating a Lake of the Ozarks home is a fun excuse for decluttering, and a great way to add new life to a space. If you aren't sure where to start, our interior decorators at the Lake of the Ozarks would be glad to help. We can help you find the right colors and pieces of furniture to make the most of your space. Even if you already know what you want to do in your room, a walk through our furniture showroom at the Lake of the Ozarks can be a great way to get some inspiration as well! Stop by and see us sometime, our team would be honored to help you make your house a home.

The winter months are here, the holidays are passing by, and there’s no place like home! If you want to enjoy a few cozy evenings cuddled up in your home enjoying your family and your comfy couch - here are a few ways you can enjoy a silent night and your home as you finish out the holidays and start the winter months.

Sit By the Fire

If you have a fireplace in your home, now is a great time to light it up and enjoy it. Make s’mores, drink hot chocolate, read your favorite book and snack on your favorite treat. There’s just something about a blaze that makes the winter nights feel idyllic, so if you have a fireplace, we hope that you can take time to enjoy it this season.

Quiet Nights at Home

If you’ve had an especially busy holiday season, maybe what you really need is a silent night. Put the kids to bed, light some candles, make a cup of tea or coffee, and relish in the silence. Sometimes all you need is a refreshing night where you make very important plans - plans to sit and do nothing. After the holidays are over can be a great time to think about all of the things that you're thankful for, and the people in your life who mean so much to you - and a silent night in your beautiful home is perfect for that.

Play Games

Your family could really benefit from and enjoy a good old fashioned game night! Pop some popcorn, make hot chocolate, and have some friendly competition. From board games to video games, there are many ways you can enjoy family time, and still have a little bit of fun competition.

Make Music

Do you have a musical family? Make some very special winter memories by gathering around the piano or guitar and singing some tunes. You may have to gently encourage a few family members who think it’s cheesy, but it can be a very wonderful memory for everyone. Not to mention, a fun way to enjoy a part of your home that may get overlooked during the busy times of your life.

Have a Dance Party

If you have young kids, they will especially enjoy this way of loving your time in your home! Crank up the tunes and have a dance party! Not to mention, this is a great way to burn some holiday calories and wear the kids out before bed - so you can have that silent night!

Happy Holidays from the Team at John Elliott Interiors

We love what we do, because we help you create a place that everyone wants to come home to. Making memories, enjoying time with family, and celebrating your beautiful home are the reasons we sell the best furniture at the Lake of the Ozarks and provide the best interior decorating services in mid-Missouri. We hope you and your family had a very merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and that you get to enjoy some much needed time in your beautiful Lake of the Ozarks home.

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The kitchen is the heart of the home, your entire family will generally gather there at some point in the day, if not several times a day. From getting ready for school and preparing lunches to gathering at the end of the day to make dinner and discuss the day. Because so much time is spent in the room, it’s important that it gives off the correct vibe through the colors of the room. Here are a few things you can keep in mind as you choose the BEST color for your Lake of the Ozarks kitchen.

Green

This can be a great shade to use in your kitchen, especially because there are so many shades to choose from! Some of the popular shades are mint and apple green. These two shades also pair beautifully with white and wood trim - so you won’t have to repaint your accents. Greenery is the color of the year from Pantone, so if you are bold and want to choose something bright and exciting, you could try that! This color should be a jolt of energy, and even if just used as an accent wall, for your cabinets, the island or even your floor.

Blue

Clean, romantic, country kitchens are picking up in popularity, and a light shade of blue can really add to that style. Blue is such an invigorating shade, and it works best when you use it in accents instead of an entire room because it can quickly overpower a space. To help balance this color out, you can use a lot of neutral accents like white and gray. This will keep your kitchen from feeling too intense or dark.

Yellow

Imagine how cheery a yellow kitchen would feel every time you walk into it. It can instantly brighten a space making it feel both warm and inviting. Some also believe that yellow can make you feel hungry, so that should be perfect for your kitchen! White and gray accents are perfect pairings with yellow, as well as some wood accents also. This color can make a room feel bigger and brighter, so if you have a small kitchen, yellow may be the perfect color.

Gray

Gray has taken an extremely popular role in home design lately thanks to some modern television shows and the quaint country feel that many are trying to achieve. While it often gets categorized as being a cold shade, the right color can do wonders in your kitchen. The best part is that it can pair with such a wide variety of colors and is an ideal base to build on, but also allows you to change your mind periodically when you want to change out the accent color.

Updating Your Kitchen

At John Elliott Interiors, we are most known for our living room and bedroom decor. From furniture to accents, we have everything you need to create a beautiful interior design at the Lake of the Ozarks. What you may not have realized though, is that John Elliott Interiors will design new or renovate existing spaces, from top to bottom in your home. With over fifteen key partners John Elliott Interiors can do the ‘whole shebang’. From granite custom cabinets, audio visual, high-end appliances, flooring, window treatments, painting, and faux painting - we’ve got you covered. Whatever your interior needs, we can handle it quick, easy and right for you. Visit our website to learn more about our home interior store at the Lake of the Ozarks, and how we can help you create your perfect space.








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From sectionals to love seats, there are many different styles of seating for your living room. When you're ready to upgrade to a new couch, you'll want to know exactly what you're looking for so you can explain it to the best furniture shop at the Lake of the Ozarks. Here are a few of the most popular styles, and a few obscure ones to get you started on your search.

Sectional Sofa

The sectional sofa is a popular and multi-functioning piece. It generally comes in three to five pieces and can be arranged in a number of configurations. Because it's picked up in popularity, you can find sectionals in many styles and designs with many materials to choose from. While some can be huge, others are small so that you can find the perfect size for your space. L-shape and U-shape are the most common ways to arrange them.

Chesterfield

A Chesterfield sofa is most commonly known for its quilted or tufted style. While many only have the tufts on the back and arms, some also have them on the seating cushions as well. It can still be a popular style, especially among millennials who are trying to achieve a vintage look. When it's covered with leather, it looks like the type of sofa you would find in a lawyers office.

Lawson-Style Sofa

Are you looking for a comfortable couch? The Lawson-style sofa is ideal. It has a signature design element, and the back is made with large pillows that are still separate from the frame. This style of sofa still remains incredibly popular, and you can find it in many sizes, colors, and materials.

Camel Back

The camel back sofa is most known for its main design element - a higher back in the center that descends in a flowing line into the arms of the sofa. They have exposed wood legs, as well as exposed wood on top of the back and arms (though, not always). This is a classic design with a contemporary feel and even antique in style.

Chaise Lounge

You will often find a chaise lounge in many luxury homes today. They are still quite popular, especially in massive master bedrooms. Some chaise lounges have an arm on one side, while others have no arms. The chaise lounge is also popular among patio furniture styles, especially placed next to a pool.

Loveseat Sofas

This is a generic term for a sofa that is made for two people. They are often a part of a living room set with a regular sized sofa along with it. Loveseats come in many styles and materials, just like your average sofa.

Divan

This is not your grandma's couch ... it's actually a very distinctive style of sofa! A diva is a sofa without a back, which means that it must be placed up against a wall with pillows arranged on the back for comfort. They aren't always practical because you are required to place them against a wall, but they do offer some variety when you arrange the pillows. Did anyone else's grandma refer to her sofa as a divan, even if it wasn't?

Interior Design at the Lake of the Ozarks

Are you looking for the perfect sofa style for your living room? Stop by John Elliott Interiors and talk with any of our interior designers at the Lake of the Ozarks. We would love to show you some of the styles that we have in our furniture showroom at the Lake of the Ozarks, as well as discuss the best materials that would work for your lifestyle. Want to redo your entire home? We can help with that, too! Come see us sometime!






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As an interior design store at the Lake of the Ozarks, we have many clients come in with all different types and styles of homes. We help all of our clients create a space that they love, from large luxury homes to cute and quaint vacation condos - and each type has their challenges. In a vacation town, though, we have many clients who want to update the style of their vacation condo, while still making it a functional and usable space when they come for a visit. Here are a few tips to make the most of a small space - whether it's a vacation condo or your tiny home!

Think Up - Not Out

When you have a smaller space, it's important to keep everything moving in an upward direction. It can be even easier if you have nice vaulted ceilings which can be popular among lake homes. Opt for tall bookcases that keep your collection moving towards the ceiling, and if you have decorative shelves or groupings of artwork - keep them moving vertically instead of horizontally.

Find Smart Furniture

There are many pieces of furniture that can create a beautiful style while still improving the usability of your space. Whether you look for bed frames with storage drawers and shelves in it or a hallway cabinet that can store your linens or organize your paperwork. It's important to make sure that your furniture is working with you when creating a beautiful style.

Grow Your Space With Mirrors

Just like magicians use mirrors to create an illusion - create your own illusion with the use of mirrors. Hanging mirrors in small spaces, like a half bathroom, or a small hallway will help make the space feel larger while also making the light even brighter.

Hang Them High

See a common theme here? Keep everything moving upwards! A little trick to make your ceilings look high (even if they aren't) is to hang your curtains as close to the ceiling as you can. The extra height will create a taller illusion and make the ceilings look tall.

Swap Out for a Settee

In small spaces, you can make large pieces of furniture work - but that doesn't always mean it's the best use of your space. If you have a small living area, try swapping your large couch or sectional for a smaller settee to increase the floor space while still providing a space to relax and entertain.

Decorating. Organizing. Living.

At John Elliott Interiors, we want to make your space a place that you can come home to - and feel like you're home! From adding accents to finish the design, adding new furniture, or a complete overhaul of your home and starting fresh, we can help! Let our interior design store at the Lake of the Ozarks be your one stop connection for beauty and style.

There’s something fresh and beautiful about a home design at the Lake of the Ozarks that is filled with living plants. They liven up a space, add color and texture, as well as help improve the air quality. Of course, if you don’t have a green thumb, you probably aren’t as inclined to try your hand at indoor plants. Even if you haven’t been successful in the past, we have a few tips that may help you this time around as well as a few plants that do excellent indoors!

Does Your Plant have Water?

Providing enough water for your plants can be challenging even for those with a green thumb, but if you keep a few things in mind, you should be on your way to a well-hydrated plant. The one thing you want to be sure of is that your don’t over water your plant. Try sticking your finger down in the soil a few inches, and if it’s dry, your plant needs some more water. Come up with a good watering routine and stick to it, every plant is different, so it could be every week or every few days.

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