Every week brings us closer to consistently warmer days and the first signs of spring are showing up just about everywhere that you look. Our Lake of the Ozarks home interiors store knows how to bring some of that springtime beauty indoors and the following tips from John Elliott Interiors will help you to do just that.


Freshen It Up
The warmer weather is what inspires spring cleaning around the house. Now the windows can be opened wide after a season of keeping them closed to keep out the cold. The fresh air makes you want to freshen up everything else that has been cooped up inside.

While you are spring cleaning, do a clean sweep by taking an inventory of the furniture and home decor that you currently have on display. At the same time you are clearing out the clutter, go ahead and get rid of items you no longer enjoy or use on a regular basis. That may give you enough space to bring in something fresh and new from our home decor store at the Lake of the Ozarks. 


Liven It Up
Outside the grass is green again, the trees are blossoming, and lively shades of green are everywhere that you look along with colorful floral accents here and there. Display plants in different rooms to bring some of that magic indoors. You can also incorporate beautiful vases for freshly cut flowers from an outdoor garden or a local florist.

If you want to get the look without the worry of taking care of a plant, go faux instead. We have many different artificial arrangements at John Elliott Interiors that look perfectly real. Place them next to a scented candle with a spring aroma and you're all set. 


Lighten It Up
Now is the time to use lighter fabrics throughout your home. Curtains don't need to hold the cold out any longer and sheer panels will allow the sun to shine through. Bed linens and throws can also be traded out for lighter materials and throw pillows and other accents can be switched out for floral patterns or perhaps some lovely birds or butterflies.

Lighter colors will also bring the look and feel of spring inside your home. Hints of lavender, pastel pinks, sunny yellows, and soft blues do a wonderful job of mirroring what you see outside. Many of these colors can be used wonderfully together. After all, nature mixes colors and patterns, so take a cue from that expert and do the same yourself.


Change It Up
Some of you may be ready for an entire interior design makeover from our luxury furniture store at the Lake of the Ozarks. If that's not the case, you can still get a newer look simply by rearranging what you've already got. (After you move it all around, you just might find some empty space for a brand new piece after all!)

This is an excellent time to change out your home decor pieces too. Trading out the pieces you have on display each season is an easy way to get a fresh look. This includes the art on your walls and while you're at it, put some springtime memories in your picture frames as well.


It's not hard to replicate the beauty of the outdoors and the happy, refreshing feeling spring brings with it inside your home. If you try a few of today's tips and still want to do something more, come into John Elliott Interiors in Lake Ozark and speak to our talented Lake of the Ozarks interior design experts. If you can imagine it, we can help you bring that look to life!

Before you can give any room a makeover, you need to decide what will stay, what will go, and what you will do with the things you decide to get rid of. Doing this before our Lake of the Ozarks interior designers get started on your new look can speed up the process.

Every room will require a different level of decluttering. If you can keep the final vision you desire for each room in mind as you make decisions, the following tips from John Elliott Interiors will help you to get through the process productively.


Decide Each Room's Purpose
Decide what each room's purpose should be and then imagine how you can best make that happen. Notice if rooms are "bleeding into" each other, meaning that certain items are out of place. For example, a home office is probably not the space where a treadmill should be placed, and a work desk in your bedroom can take away from the relaxing feeling that room should give you.

Once you decide what each room's purpose should be, evaluate whether or not the items in each room are fulfilling that purpose. When you find things that don't belong, either move them to a room that makes more sense or plan to get rid of the unnecessary items.

Let Things Go
If you have furniture or home decor that works with your upcoming interior design, make sure those pieces are in the rooms where they belong. As for all of the things you no longer need, it's time to let them go.

Don't try to make something fit where it doesn't make sense and don't fill your garage with things you won't be using or displaying just because you "might need it someday." In that case, all you're doing is wasting the space where you are storing the things you no longer use.

Go ahead and declutter the small things too. For example, all of those papers that keep piling up or the stack of clothes that don't fit anymore and you keep meaning to donate. This is a perfect time to clear it all out. While you're at it, try to come up with a strategy for keeping that clutter at bay in the future so it doesn't begin piling up again.


Have a "Disposal" Plan
The best way to organize the things you will be getting rid of is to have three categories: trash, recycle, and donate. If you have enough storage space and there are a few things that you won't have on display but are not ready to get rid of, then you can add a fourth category for these things. Only allow this if you truly have dedicated storage space for these items and they don't end up spilling over into places they do not belong.

The "trash" items are easy to get rid of. Simply bag them up and put them out with the rest of your garbage. For large items that are too big for regular pickup, contact your trash company to arrange for a special pickup. The "recycle" items are easy also if you have curbside pickup. If not, find a local spot that accepts recycling. If you have no place near you that does this, then you'll have to add your recyclables to the trash category.

Your "donate" pile will sit in your home indefinitely if you don't make plans to get it out of the house. Find a local thrift store or shelter that accepts the things you have to donate and plan a definite date when you will deliver your stuff to them. Write it down on your calendar. Sometimes the simple act of giving yourself a deadline will inspire you to act. If you can find a place that offers pickup service for donations, even better!

If you prefer to sell these still-usable items in a garage sale or take them to a thrift store that will sell them for you, give yourself a deadline. If you haven't sold these things by that deadline, donate it and be done with it.


Redecorate!
Once you have imagined exactly what you want each room to be and removed everything that does not fit that vision, it's time for the fun to begin! Now there is a clean slate to start redecorating. Visit our home interiors store at the Lake of the Ozarks to pick out the new furniture and home decor that will bring your dream rooms to life.

The skilled and knowledgable interior designers at John Elliott Interiors are here to guide you, answering questions and offering advice. From beginning to end, the overall process may take a little time, but it will be well worth it when you are enjoying your newly designed home!

With St. Patrick's Day coming this weekend, the "luck o' the Irish" is on many people's minds. Even if you don't believe in luck, adding a few "lucky" items to your Lake of the Ozarks interior design will make for interesting conversation pieces. John Elliott Interiors has three items for you today that are said to be lucky plus the explanations of why that is.


Bamboo
Bamboo is thought to be one of the most widely recognized good luck charms for decorating, especially in a Feng Shi aligned home. (Feng Shui is based on creating positive space in a home or office with proper furniture placement.) Lucky bamboo is supposedly filled with peaceful and wise energy but you should have all 5 natural elements represented for best results.

• Wood - the bamboo stalks
• Earth - the rocks or pebbles inside the container
• Water - where the bamboo grows
• Fire - a red ribbon tied around the container of stalks
• Metal - Glass containers are considered to be of the metal element but if using something else, a coin can be placed in the bottom of the container.

All of the items mentioned above would make wonderful housewarming gifts for a friend and they would look equally as lovely displayed in your own home or office. Follow these tips from our home interiors store at the Lake of the Ozarks and you just may have a bit of extra good fortune headed your way. Even if you're not superstitious, your house will still look all the more beautiful when you add these lovely home decor items.

Whether you are redecorating a current room or creating a beautiful look for a brand new home, there are a few decisions that you should make before you even begin shopping. Knowing the answers before speaking to our Lake of the Ozarks interior designers can help us to better understand exactly what you are looking for. Then, together we can walk through the showroom at John Elliott Interiors and pick out the pieces that best bring your desired design to life.


What Are Your Likes?
This is probably the most obvious question that you most likely thought about already. Of course you want a room to be filled with things you like, but you need to narrow down what those things actually are. Take a look around rooms you currently live in and make notes about the items that you still enjoy. Some of these things you may want to bring into your new interior design and special pieces you absolutely love could even be the inspiration that the entire room can be designed around.

Also think about favorite colors, fabrics, and even hobbies you enjoy. These can point you in a wonderful creative direction. Look through interior design magazines and online at different types of rooms and take note of the things in each photo that catch your eye. 


What Are Your Dislikes?
This list can often be even more helpful than your list of likes. It will be especially helpful to us because it will narrow down the pieces from our Lake of the Ozarks home interiors store that we show to you. It will also make your search for the perfect pieces of furniture and home decor go much more quickly when you can skip the stuff you don't like and get straight to the things that will bring joy to your life as well as your interior design. 

How Will The Room Be Used?
A room's purpose should influence its design and the items that will be placed in it. For a home with young children, furniture will need to stand up to a lot of wear and tear and probably have as few sharp edges as possible. On the other hand, a room that doesn't get used as often and is reserved for entertaining guests can contain pieces that are a bit more elegant. A space where you spend a lot of time should be filled with comfortable furniture you love sitting on, while a home office can be cozy but not so "comfy" that you don't get your work done. Knowing exactly how a room will most often be used will greatly influence the pieces you put into it. 


How Should The Room Make You Feel?
The way a room looks and how it will be used are both important factors, but equally as important is the feeling you want to have while you are in that particular space. For example, a bedroom should be relaxing while a kitchen or dining room your family gathers in together often can give off a lively, fun feeling. Color plays a big part in this, so be aware of how different colors make you feel.

While researching interior designs in magazines, online, or while watching your favorite design show, pay close attention to the way different rooms make you feel. If it matches the way you would like to feel in that room in your own home, then you may have just found the inspiration you needed.


Are There Time Constraints?
If there is a deadline involved with this interior design project, that will influence the type of things that can be done. Be upfront with your interior designer about any time constraints, and be honest with yourself. A huge amount of stress is bound to happen if you try to do more than you have the time for. If you are short on time, you may be able to do some smaller projects now and save the big stuff until a later date. 


Answering these basic questions is a great way to get the interior design process started. Letting the experts at our luxury furniture store at the Lake of the Ozarks help you take those answers and turn them into a beautiful living space is the next step. Visit John Elliott Interiors soon and explore the many fantastic possibilities. 

1. Condiment Packets
Your favorite Chinese restaurant gives you too much soy sauce every visit and your favorite Mexican restaurant supplies a lot of hot sauce. Before you know it, you have more than they do! Only grab what you need at the restaurant, and of if you have reason to use the rest soon, go ahead and throw it away. Your cabinets will thank you!