Interior design at its core is a work of art. From selecting the perfect furniture from our luxury furniture store at the Lake of the Ozarks, to choosing the right accent pieces, and selecting your paint color, all of these elements work to create a cohesive work of art in your home. Speaking of artwork, adding fine art to your home is an interior design stable. If you don't currently have any fine art pieces in your home, you should consider adding a few visually stunning pieces throughout your home. If you are uncertain why fine art is so important in your interior design, John Elliott Interiors would like to share with you how fine art can make a big impact in your home.

1) Add Texture and Depth

If you want your home to pop, texture is a vital part in the design of your home. When you add a piece of fine art at the Lake of the Ozarks, your space will begin to appear larger and add a unique and interesting look in your home. Vases, sculptures, paintings, etc. add texture to your home which in turn add depth to your space. All of this works together to create an inviting space that feels elegant, comfortable, and makes your home feel larger.

2) Add Color 

If your home is full of neutrals adding a colorful piece of artwork is a great way to add a focal point to any room of your home and diversify your space. Below is a gorgeous wall art we completed that not only adds color but also creates a focal point in the room. If you look closely you will see that we added a mirror to create an extraordinary optical illusion that adds depth to the room.

3) Go Bold 

Fine art is an excellent strategy to go bold in your home. If you have a room in your home that is in need of something interesting, adding fine art is a great way to achieve this. You can go with artwork that expresses emotion, displays scenery you are fond of, or go with something more abstract. No matter what you choose, just go with something that expresses your personality and compliments the design of your home.

4) Allow the Artwork to Create a Color Scheme 

If you aren't particularly great at choosing colors that go well together, picking out a piece of artwork that you like can inspire your color scheme. Artists know what colors work together and what colors don't and when they create artwork they will use their professional skillsets to hand pick a color scheme that works. After you choose your work of art, consider adding a few accent pieces like throw pillows, rugs, furniture accents, etc. that are the same colors as the piece of artwork you picked out.

Art is a major component of interior design and adding fine art to your home is a great way to pull your room together and enhance your interior design. Keeping the ideas above in mind will greatly help you make decisions about the types of fine art you want to include in your interior design. If you are looking for the perfect piece of fine artwork to add to your home, come into our Lake of the Ozarks furniture showroom and our interior design specialists will help you choose the artwork that will work perfectly in your home.

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. 

John Elliott Interiors has the items for your house to turn it into the luxurious and comfortable home of your dreams. Every piece is wonderful on its own, but it's the way that you combine them that truly makes a space spectacular. Our talented Lake of the Ozarks interior designers can help you achieve that. The elements covered below are all things that will enhance the overall look and feel of each room and add to its beauty.


Natural Beauty
Decorating with natural items brings the beauty of nature indoors. Adding greenery and florals to your home decor not only enhances the overall look but can also help to improve the air quality inside the home. If you don't particularly have a "green thumb," the artificial plants at John Elliott Interiors look just like the real thing, so you can still get the look without having to worry about caring for a live plant.

Another element that adds beauty to a room is natural light. It makes a space feel much more open and the sunlight brings a positive energy inside. Drapes act to frame the view which turns the scene outside the window into a piece of wall art.


Pops of Color
In a room with a neutral color scheme, pops of color here and there add lots of interesting places for the eyes to rest. When this is done with accessories rather than large pieces of furniture, it's easy to change the color any time that you like. Of course, a brightly colored chair or sofa placed in an otherwise neutrally colored room gives you a fantastic focal point. For rooms that are already full of color, carefully placed pops of complementary colors can give you some wonderful accents.   


Add Texture
The addition of different textures helps to break a room up and bring extra visual interest. This can be done with items like area rugs, throw pillows, and blankets. Much like color affects how warm or cool a room feels, the textures in it are what can influence the tone and weight of the interior design.


Use Mirrors
Mirrors make a room look bigger by extending what your eyes see. Everything seems a lot more open, especially in a small space. Strategically placed mirrors can beautifully reflect the natural light coming into a room.


Accessorize
Once all of the big pieces are in place, adding accessories to a room lets you show off your own personality and style. Just like you add accessories to an outfit, home decor accessories give a room that special "something extra." Look around at areas in the room that seem like they could use some additional interest, like side tables, bookshelves, or blank wall space, then come into our Lake of the Ozarks home interiors store and browse through the showroom until your eyes settle on a piece that seems to speak to you. The best part about these is the fact that they can easily be switched out with the season, for holidays, or when you just feel like a change.


The key elements covered above will go a long way in helping you add beauty to any room in your home. The specialists at our luxury furniture store at the Lake of the Ozarks are also here to help you find those perfect pieces you are searching for and put them all together in the most attractive way. When you're ready to spruce up your current living space, head on over to John Elliott Interiors and we'll get you started.

'Tis the season to pull out all of those holiday decorations you've had in storage since last year and start decking the halls. Over time, a person tends to collect more than they actually need, so eventually, you will need to find a way to get rid of some of the "old," especially if you're bringing in more of the "new." 

As you begin to decorate, it's important to evaluate what you have to make sure that the style still matches your home and the quality is up to par. This will not only help to keep the holidays merry and bright but will add to your peace of mind when you decorate with only the things you love. Here are a few tips from John Elliott Interiors to help you weed out what can stay and what should go. 


Unused Decorations
Every year when you are finished decorating for the holiday season, do you have a few items that are still left in your storage box, unused? If you don't like it enough to display it, you really don't need for it to take up storage space for another year. Just in case you're worried that you might change your mind next year, store all of the items you don't use and can't bear to part with inside a special box until next year. If once again you don't use anything from that box the following year, that means you're safe to part with it. 

Merry Multiples
Whether you found it in the clearance aisle last year or you bought one, found another, and were gifted yet another, there's really no reason to keep more than one of certain items. Take stock of your inventory and if you find that you have duplicates that won't be used or needed for a replacement piece, let them go. For example, if you have more wreaths than spaces to display them, save the storage space and give away the extras. 

"Vintage" Greeting Cards
It can be hard to throw away Christmas cards received from years past. You may think there is too much sentimental value attached to allow yourself to get rid of them. When you have some free time, fix a cup of hot cocoa and spend an afternoon going through all of those old cards. If they are only signed with a name, there's really no need to save it, but if there is a handwritten note inside that brings a smile to your face, that one may be worth keeping. You could even make it a holiday tradition to re-read those special memories every year. As for the rest of the old cards, either throw them away or use the pretty card fronts to make a useful decoration. They also make wonderful gift tags.  

Outdated Seasonal Clothing 
Your closet is another area where you are likely to find a lot of pieces that never see the light of day. Winter clothing is bulkier than most, so if you won't be wearing it, it's best to clear the space for other items. Something you wore to a holiday party years ago may have been perfect for the time, but styles change, and the only item that might be used again eventually is an ugly Christmas sweater. Still, how many of those do you really have time to wear in a month? Also, take stock of outerwear like coats, hats, scarves, and gloves. It's good to have a backup or two, but you don't need 10 for each per person, and definitely get rid of pairs that are missing their match. 


Out With the Old, In With the New
Once you've made some extra space by getting rid of all of those seasonal items you no longer have any need for, you just may discover that you have room for something shiny and new! You'll find a large selection of home decor items at the Lake of the Ozarks inside our showroom in a wide variety of styles and sizes. Whether you're looking to fill a large space in a room or a small section of a side table or bookshelf, you're bound to find something to fit the spot beautifully at John Elliott Interiors. 

Although red and green are the two most popular colors associated with Christmas time, there are quite a few different color schemes that show off your holiday spirit beautifully. Choosing which holiday colors you will decorate your home with could be personal preference, an attempt to work with the current color scheme of the room, or you could choose to reinvent an entire space with an entirely new look. John Elliott Interiors has a few festive ideas for you in today's blog.


Red & Green
You simply can't go wrong with the classics! Bright reds and greens always bring a festive feel to any holiday display, like the glorious shade of Santa's suit and the consistent look of an evergreen. This will probably be the easiest color scheme to find Christmas decorations in due to the popularity of this pairing, allowing you to mix and match decor you have used in the past with new items. 

Silver & Gold
This color pairing is so perfect for the holidays, it even has a song honoring it! These metallic colors bring an upbeat energy to your holiday decor. They are neutral enough that you can choose just about any pop of color to go along with them if you like. Many silver and gold decorations are perfect for carrying you through a New Year's Eve celebration too.

White Christmas
Here is yet another gorgeous idea for your holiday decorations that has a song named after it! Bring the snowy look of the outdoors inside when you choose to decorate everything in a crisp, clean white. Alone this color can be absolutely breathtaking, but it is also a great color scheme for allowing you to add pops of color here and there. The best part is that you can leave many of your snowy decorations out all winter long. 

Blue & Silver
Winter wonderlands not only have snow but plenty of icicles too. Shiny silvers and icy blues are a good way to duplicate those naturally shimmery decorations of the outdoors.


Purple & Gold
If you prefer a bolder, more royal look during the holidays, purple and gold pull this off beautifully. Purple and yellow are complimentary colors on the color wheel, and shining up that yellow to a glorious gold makes everything seem a lot more merry and bright.

Green & Brown
If you'd like to incorporate a more rustic look of the outdoors, the green of the evergreen needles and brown from the bark give you just that. Other natural elements like firewood, pine cones, jute string, and more lend to the natural feel of it all. Pops of red plaid ribbons also look beautiful alongside this type of decor. 

Cranberry & Cream
Muted shades of red and white offer a soft, cozy feel to any room. Off-white and cream decor paired alongside cranberries, poinsettias, and other classic holiday red items give off a very warm and inviting vibe in any room.


If you simply can't make up your mind about which color scheme you want to incorporate this year, go all out and decorate every room in your home with a different one! You can find many beautiful accent pieces in our home interiors store at the Lake of the Ozarks that not only fit into your holiday decorating plans but also look beautiful on display every day of the year. Come into John Elliott Interiors and have a look around, and if you don't see exactly what you have in mind, don't hesitate to ask for help.

It can be difficult to figure out new and exciting gift ideas for everyone on your holiday shopping list, so today John Elliott Interiors has a few helpful suggestions for you. No matter whether you are looking for a small gift for someone or something big and extravagant that will really knock their socks off, the best home interiors store at the Lake of the Ozarks is a wonderful place to shop.


Small Gifts
In this case, we're talking about presents that are small enough to actually wrap up and deliver to the recipient yourself. (Many furniture items are a little too big for that!) We carry an excellent selection of home decor to fit every style in our Lake of the Ozarks luxury furniture store. Our wall art selection is especially impressive, including hundreds of one-of-a-kind pieces. We also have lots of gorgeous statues to be beautifully displayed on coffee tables, mantles, or shelves.

We also carry a fantastic selection of area rugs and throw pillows to bring exquisite texture and color to any room. You'll find just about every type of lamp imaginable, and we also feature many lovely artificial plants to bring the look of the outdoors inside. 


Bigger Gifts
If a simple bow is enough for you to present a larger gift with, then you should take a look at the amazing luxury furniture we have to offer at John Elliott Interiors. Throughout our showroom, you will discover many interior decorating ideas for every room in the home. We have lots of impressive pieces to fill an office too. Even though we have most of our furniture paired in sets, each piece is available individually for sale. If you don't happen to see exactly what you have in mind, just ask us about it. We are happy to search for something that meets your size, color, and style needs.


Gifts to Really "WOW" Them 
For those people on your list that you truly want to treat extra special this year, consider redecorating an entire room for them! (This would be a wonderful "family" gift that you even get to enjoy yourself!) The thought doesn't have to overwhelm you because our interior design specialists at the Lake of the Ozarks will be there to help you every step of the way. You can find a few real-life examples on our website, but the very best way to discover the perfect interior design is to browse through the showroom in person and talk to our talented interior designers. That's a gift that will get to be enjoyed every day for a very long time!
 

Of course, if you are buying something from our Lake of the Ozarks furniture store for a person whose design style you aren't quite sure about, you can always pick up a gift certificate from John Elliott Interiors for them. That way you get to give them something very special for the holidays this year and they get to pick out exactly what they want, and everybody is happy!

Becoming an adult usually means that you are sharing your home with a spouse and possibly children. That may leave you longing for a space that you can have all to yourself. One that allows you to get away occasionally, enjoy some personal time, and focus on hobbies you enjoy. Today John Elliott Interiors has a few suggestions on how to create this personal getaway.


Man Caves & She Sheds
The room we are talking about is often referred to as a "man cave" or "she shed." This space should reflect you and the things you love to do most. It's where you will keep your hobbies and favorite things so they are ready and there for you when you have the time to enjoy them.

If you want to get completely away from the house, you can build a nice shed in the backyard. (These have been greatly upgraded from tool sheds of the past.) If this is the case, you will also want to work on the "curb appeal" of it as well. Your private space can also be a room inside the house, or possibly an entire floor if you have a basement or loft that isn't being used for another purpose. If you don't have to worry about others in the home running through and interrupting you, it will work!

Here are a few questions to ask yourself before you start thinking about the interior design of your personal man cave or she shed. 


How Will It Be Used?
What activity do you wish you had more time and space to do? This room could be a quiet place where you can escape into a good book or catch up on a pile of magazine subscriptions. You may be desiring a space where you can work on art or craft projects where you can leave your work out without worry of it being disturbed. This room could be where you set up a great sound system for watching movies or sporting events, or it could be where you enjoy playing games of your own like pool or poker.

Deciding exactly how you want to use this space will help you decide which pieces you will need from our luxury furniture store at the Lake of the Ozarks to decorate it with. Function is key, but comfort is a priority too. If you will be installing a large item, such as a pool table, use that as a focal point and work the rest of the interior design in around that.


How Many Should It Hold?
Decide if this is an area that you want to use as your private getaway, all by yourself, or if you will use it to entertain friends. This will make a big difference in the amount of seating needed, as well as other items you will want to have on hand.

If you are the only person allowed, a giant comfy chair or a cozy chaise lounge or loveseat that you can spread out in can be perfect. For rooms where you'll be inviting others to join you, in addition to extra seating you may also want to have a bar area set up or maybe even a table you can all sit around.


Do You Have To Share It?
If space is limited, you may have to share your man cave or she shed with your spouse or roommate, or it may be a spare room that needs to be used for overnight guests occasionally. This can be done, even if you don't expect to use it for the same purpose. (The hardest part may be working out a schedule!)

In this case, make sure there are plenty of storage options so that your hobby items can be kept separately and also out of the way when the other person is using the room. Multifunctional pieces will go a long way in making sure you both have what you need in the room to accomplish your goals.


When you were a kid, if you were lucky enough to have a bedroom to yourself, it was a wonderful, private oasis where your personality shined. In a way, man caves and she sheds are the adult version of this.

Whether you are getting to set up your personal getaway in a fancy shed away from the house, a basement or loft, or a spare room in the home, our Lake of the Ozarks interior design specialists can make it work for you, turning it into an oasis you will truly enjoy. You should be able to find the perfect furniture and decorative items you need right here at John Elliott Interiors. Stop by and take a look around. It may be just the inspiration you've been looking for!

According to a very popular holiday song, "It's the most wonderful time of the year! There'll be parties for hosting..." If your home is the one hosting any of those parties, the stress of planning everything could take some of that "wonder" out of your holiday. Never fear, because John Elliott Interiors has a few helpful tips to share that will allow you to stay organized, be prepared, and enjoy the season along with the rest of your guests.


Make a List
...and of course, check twice to make sure you haven't missed anything! Having a plan and staying organized is the best way to get everything accomplished that needs to be done. Without a list, you may be rushing around last-minute taking care of things you forgot about.

As a matter of fact, you may need a few lists, but keep them together with the main to-do list either in a binder or with a digital program. Examples of list you'll need could be "Favorite Foods" that you want to gather recipes and ingredients for, "Family Traditions" you don't want to miss out on, "Guest List," "Rooms to Ready" if you'll be using more than the kitchen and dining room, etc... You get the idea. Once you write it down, it's a lot more likely to get done, plus it always feels good when you get to cross finished projects off of those lists!   

Get a Head Start
There are many tasks on your holiday entertaining to-do lists that can be done ahead of time at your own pace. That way they are ready and waiting when the guests arrive. Many foods can be prepared ahead of time and frozen, allowing you less time in the kitchen during the party and more time with your guests. If you tackle one room a day throughout your house, there will be no need for last-minute day-before deep-cleaning. 

Keep It Simple
Don't set your expectations higher than what you can comfortably accomplish. Design magazines and sites like Pinterest show off amazing holiday ideas, but realistically, many of those can only be pulled off by professionals. The goal of the get-together is to spend quality time with your family and friends. You don't need a big production to accomplish that, just good food, comfort, and great company. If you do want to try something that is going to involve a lot of work, don't be too shy to ask for help. Working with someone else can make it more fun and less stressful.


Stock Up
In addition to pre-planned holiday parties, this time of year it's not unusual to have people drop by with short notice or even none at all. Keep your kitchen stocked up with easy to prepare snacks. It can be as simple as cheese and crackers, a bowl full of nuts, or a tin full of cookies. Don't forget the drinks too. Coffee and hot cocoa can be whipped up quickly, and make sure your favorite spirits and mixers are stocked up for adult drinks. You may want to keep a few extra bottles of wine on hand too. Anything unused (and unopened) can even be given as a gift when you find yourself in need of an extra present.

Set a Timeline
As your event gets closer, set up a day-before and day-of timeline. List detailed information about when everything needs to be done so that your party can start on time and run smoothly throughout. Go easy on yourself with the timeline. Use help when it's available and allow a little more time than necessary for each task so you have some wiggle room if something doesn't go as planned.


Those tips will help you prepare to entertain family and friends in your home. If your home itself needs some decorative preparation, head on over to our luxury furniture store at the Lake of the Ozarks. Our showroom is filled with many styles of gorgeous furniture, decorative art, and inspirational layouts to show you how our home interiors can fit together to make a beautiful room. The last tip about the holidays we will leave you with today is to remember to enjoy every minute of them! As long as you are having fun, it's going to be a wonderful holiday season.

The outdoors in autumn becomes a colorful landscape of rich hues and intriguing shades. This time of year it's a wonderful idea to bring some of that fall beauty to the inside of your house. Our home interiors store at the Lake of the Ozarks has a few ideas to share on that subject.

Although the weather keeps getting colder this time of year, the landscape is full of warm, rich shades that seem to counter that fall chill. Take color cues from the leaves as they turn to bring a seasonal look to your interior design.


Deep Reds
Darker reds bring a beautiful depth to a fall interior design color scheme. You'll find wonderful shades to mimic the leaves of the trees outside. Other places to find the perfect red hues for this time of year come from common seasonal items like cranberries, cinnamon, or a red mulled wine. Rust-colored reds often used for rustic decor work perfectly too. 


Yellow & Orange 
While understated shades of most colors reflect nature best this time of year, you can add a few bright pops of color like the bright yellow and orange leaves that emerge before they fall off the trees. Of course, deep mustard yellows and burnt oranges look incredible too. The many different hues found in campfires offer lots of inspiration as well, and orange is abundant in the pumpkins you see everywhere from Halloween to Thanksgiving. 


Forest Green
The ever-present evergreens last throughout each season, so working a forest green color into nature-inspired decor can work well year-round. The richness of this color especially complements the other tones that give the shades of autumn their warm look and feel. 


Browns
Rich earth tones also work beautifully with the colors we have already mentioned above. Once the leaves fall, you see more of the bark of the tree limbs, and those campfires not only have the fire but the logs needed to build them. Brown shades make an excellent base color that works wonderfully with pretty much every accent color.


Simple Ways to Add Seasonal Colors
It's easy to change a few things in your home's interior design without replacing everything in the room. (Of course, when you are ready for a total room makeover, you'll find all of the best home decor and luxury furniture at the Lake of the Ozarks inside our showroom!) Use the colorful leaves from outside to decorate by placing them under a glass coffee table or in a frame. Bowls of pine cones, mini pumpkins, and gourds are lovely natural decorations on bookshelves or as centerpieces.

Accent pillows and throws let you layer fall colors over your current interior design. You can easily change out curtains and lampshades with each season too, and consider keeping a collection of art that allows you to replace pieces to match the seasonal looks of each room. Plaids are popular this time of year. Patterns and textures always add depth to any decor. You can even bring in a few metallics with rich coppers and bronzes.


You can find many gorgeous pieces of decorative art, throw pillows, wall coverings, and more at John Elliott Interiors in Lake Ozark to add to any room. If you would like to go a step further and completely change the entire look of a room, our interior design experts at the Lake of the Ozarks can help you turn any space imagined into a reality. Visit our showroom soon to find out exactly what we can do for you.

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Interior design is meant to look beautiful, but it should also bring comfort to your life, both physically and mentally. The furniture that you choose from our Lake of the Ozarks home interiors store, as well as the art and accent pieces to decorate your home or office, work together to bring about a certain feeling in a room. Here are few examples from John Elliott Interiors of ways you can influence the way a room makes you feel.


First Impression
If you pay attention, you will notice that often your mood changes upon entering certain rooms. Before picking out anything for a space's interior design, think about how that room will be used and the mindset you prefer to be in while you are there. For example, bedrooms need to be relaxing while office space should encourage you to concentrate. Once you know how each space being decorated will be used, it will help you to make many of the design decisions. 

Color
Every color brings about certain feelings, and the many shades of each of those colors offer the chance for lots of possibilities. Soft blues and greens are very soothing colors to use in a bedroom, while reds and oranges are said to stimulate appetite, making them a wonderful color for decorating a dining room. You can research and be guided by what psychologists suggest for color meanings, but it's important to understand how you personally respond to specific colors. 

Texture
Texture adds another layer to the design. Just like certain colors are tied to specific feelings, different textures bring ideas to mind. In a room where you want to relax, soft, plush materials seem restful. In contrast, lots of sharp angles and bold patterns in an office can cause you to feel more alert and enhance focus.

Natural Elements
Moods are often uplifted with the presence of light. If your home has lots of natural light filtering in from large windows, you may want to find window coverings that bring focus to them. Additional lamps will need to be added to your decor if the room lacks natural light. Bringing the outdoors in makes a person feel refreshed. Plants make a room feel less sterile and artificial. They are natural air purifiers and their presence has a calming effect.

Cramped Spaces
Too much stuff in one space makes a person feel anxious. Be careful not to try to fit too much furniture into a small space. Whether the room you are decorating is large or small, make sure that you don't over-accessorize it. Too many knick-knacks can quickly cross the fine line between decor and clutter.


Keeping the ideas above in mind will greatly help you make decisions about the types of items you want to include in your interior design. When you come into John Elliott Interiors looking for the perfect pieces, let our interior designers at the Lake of the Ozarks know exactly what type of feeling you would like each room to have. They will guide you to the perfect items to put you in a very happy mood.