In this busy age, it's so important to have a place where you can retreat to relax. A safe zone where you can sleep, dream, relax, and rejuvenate. This place may change depending on the person, but for many, this all happens in the bedroom. Did you know that the colors of your walls can affect the way you sleep? There are many studies that have been done to showcase that the shade of your wall can make an impact not just on your mood but also on your sleep cycle. Check out this cool info about the BEST colors for your room, down to the WORST colors.

The Best & Worst Colors for Your Room

It may be obvious that blue and green are at the top of the list, but did you realize that brown could be inhibiting your sleep? Check out this list in order from best to worst to see how your room ranks:

1. Blue
2. Yellow
3. Green
4. Silver
5. Orange
6. Red
7. Gold
8. Gray
9. Brown
10. Purple

If you want to make an impact in your space through artwork, you’ll have to start by shopping for the perfect piece for your home. While that sounds easy enough, it can actually be harder than you might think. After you find the pieces you want, you’ll then have to decide how to hang and display those pieces to their fullest potential! At John Elliott Interiors, we carry over 400 pieces of original artwork from artists both local and worldwide in our home interiors store at the Lake of the Ozarks. Here are a few tips for choosing your perfect piece, and then finding the best spot in your home for it.

1. Search For a Black & White Piece

While we ALWAYS love to add some color to a space, there’s something special and dramatic about finding a piece that is only black and white. These pieces can convey a special story, while also bringing something into your room that can’t be achieved in another way. Not to mention, black and white can work just about anywhere because there are no colors to compete.

2. Trust Your Instinct

Do you find yourself drooling over a piece that may be a little bold for your taste, or maybe doesn’t go exactly with the rest of your home? Trust yourself! If you love it, buy it. There is obviously something about the piece that is speaking to you. Even if you don’t think it will work while in the store - you may be surprised once you get it on the wall. Sometimes a piece just needs to reflect the rest of your home before it truly fits in.

3. Balance Bold and Minimalistic

When choosing the artwork for your home, try to keep a balance of bold and minimalistic. While we’re the first to showcase what a lot of bold can look like in a space, it’s a little different in our showroom versus your home. You may be better off finding a few bold pieces to showcase the language of your room, and then find a few pieces that keep the minimal feel - there’s a balance when putting up art, and when you find your balance, you’ll have a home that is in harmony.

4. Mix Antique and Modern

There’s nothing so fun as mixing and matching some different styles to create something that is uniquely YOU! A fun one to start with, if you haven’t tried mixing styles, is antique and modern. Antique frames around modern pieces, antique art with your modern furniture, or even modern art with your antique furniture. The options are endless when it comes to combining two different styles int one incredible look.

5. Consider Scale

The scale of your artwork in your home makes a big impact. You don’t want to find a piece that is either too large or too small. However, if you are determined to use something that is small or larger than would be normal - go big or go home, so to speak. If you’re going to go with an abnormal size, make it exceptionally out of the ordinary. Otherwise, choose a piece that fits the school of your wall. Large wall = large artwork, small wall = small art.

Your Interior Decorator at the Lake of the Ozarks

John Elliott Interiors specializes in helping you create a space that feels like home. If you’ve only just gotten into your home, you may feel like the walls are lacking something, and that’s where we can help. You can visit our website to see more examples of our work, or better yet, stop by our furniture showroom at the Lake of the Ozarks to see for yourself!

Does your space need some TLC? Have you been busy and not had time to create the home of your dreams? Or maybe you don't feel like you have the creativity to make your home everything you've hoped for. No matter what your reason, if you are ready to hire an interior designer at the Lake of the Ozarks, John Elliott Interiors is here for you! Our expert decorator in Lake Ozark, MO can help you incorporate colors and styles to make a space that you LOVE to come home to. Here are a few things you can do to make the most out of meeting your designer for the first time.

Start With Style

Do you prefer rustic or modern? Classic or antique? The style that speaks the most to you will be important to identify because it will help your decorator hone in on exactly what you want to see in your space. Even if you like a combination of styles, your decorator can use that as a platform to help incorporate the right pieces. Here are eight of the most popular styles to get you started.

1. Mid-Century Modern
2. Industrial
3. Nautical (perfect for a Lake of the Ozarks home!)
4. Scandinavian
5. Bohemian
6. Farmhouse
7. Urban Modern
8. Shabby Chic

Budget Your Space

This can help your decorator know what they can accomplish in your space. If you want to do a complete overhaul of your room by removing walls and adding textured walls - you'll want a budget that can reflect that. If you want to update your furniture to something with a more luxurious feel or add new window treatments, that will have a different budget as well. Set your budget and then stick with it by letting us know so we can stay within it.

Start Your Vision Board

The best way to communicate with your designer is through images! Get on Pinterest and start choosing the colors, fabrics, and styles that speak to you. While your home may not look exactly like the Pinterest photos, your decorator can use them to create the same feel for your unique space.

What Do You HAVE to Keep?

We realize that there will be items around your home that you really want to keep. Decide what those are ahead of time, and after that, decide what you can handle getting rid of as well. You may want to incorporate your great grandmothers afghan into your bedroom or the fun knick knack that you got in Mexico into your living room. Your home is a reflection of you, so it only makes sense that you want to fill it with items that tell your story.

Interior Decorators at the Lake of the Ozarks

There's nothing quite like the feeling of coming come to a place that makes you smile. When your home showcases exactly what makes your heart beat, you've found your happy spot. At John Elliott Interiors, we have a beautiful showroom filled with exquisite furniture, faux trees, and artwork from local and worldwide artists alike. Come check it out and let us help you make your house a home.

Home offices are becoming more and more popular as many employees are finding ways to work from home, at least part-time. Even if you work in a business office every day,  it’s obvious that it’s important to have a space dedicated to your work so you can stay focused and on task. If you don’t, NOW is the time to do it. October 4th is Improve Your Office Day. Whether you have an office away from home, or in your home, you can make a few changes to help improve it.

Dedicate Space

Depending on the space of your office, you may want to create nooks and spaces to accomplish certain tasks. If you work from home doing a trade like quilting, building or crafting, you may need a work desk dedicated to your supplies, tools, and space to work. You’ll also want to have a desk where you can do your office work like taxes, billing, shipping etc. Think through your business operations and create a space that does what you need. If you’re a writer, you may need to create places that inspire creativity. A quiet nook for writing, a desk where you get focused, and bookshelves to keep your reading materials. It’s time to make your space what you need it to be!

Add Accessories

Accessories can always make your space feel complete. Whether you want to add artwork to the walls or candles to the bookcase, you can really bring a space together with the accessories that you add. At John Elliott Interiors, we have a showroom filled with home accessories at the Lake of the Ozarks. Come walk through our beautiful facility and see where inspiration takes you! You can certainly improve your space even with a small statue!

Keep It Green

Let’s be honest here. Having a real plant in your office is a great idea, but you are a busy person! You have the payroll to complete, paperwork shuffling through your office on a regular basis, phone calls to answer, and customers to help. Next thing you know, your poor plant has died and you have to start all over - unless you have a faux plant! John Elliott Interiors have hundreds of plants from tall trees to small centerpieces. None have to be watered, and they will ALWAYS stay beautiful. Come take a look!

Let There Be Light!

Lamps are a great way to improve your office space. Adding light to your office space can make it feel larger and more inviting. Even just a simple lamp in the corner of the room with a plant can improve your office space drastically. We have a large selection of beautiful lamps at the Lake of the Ozarks, from small table lamps to larger floor lamps. Come take a look.

Whether you're giving your room a complete overhaul with new pieces, or you just want to rearrange the ones you have - it can seem like a daunting task. With so many things to consider as you move your couch to the opposite side of your living room, or your bed to the other corner, here are a few tips from your local furniture store at the Lake of the Ozarks.

Start With Your Tape Measure

It's time to grab the tape measure and take the measurements of your home. This is the first step to arranging the furniture in your space. If you don't have a long tape measure, you can always measure your foot, and then walk the distance heel to tow across your room. Now comes the fun part. Grab the dimensions of the hallways, stairs, and doors that are leading to your room. Sometimes just getting a piece into the room can be the hardest part of the whole process.

Mix and Match the Size

You can create the energy of a room by mixing and matching the sizes of the furniture. If you want to create an energizing living space, you can combine both large and small pieces all at varying heights and lengths to make the room come alive. If, however, you're trying to achieve a room that is relaxing and tranquil, you'll want to choose pieces that are all similar in size.

Symmetry Or Not?

When creating balance in your space, one of the things you have to keep in mind is the difference between symmetry and asymmetry. Asymmetry is an imbalance, like two candles that are slightly different sizes next to each other. While symmetry implies that things are the same. Symmetry is also very restful, while asymmetry is used to add motion and excitement!

Create Gestalt

"Gestalt" is what happens when you create a total look, feel, or form. It goes together, flows, and becomes a unified whole. Large rectangular rooms can be challenging to do this with because there's a lot to manage, but you can separate them out into manageable spaces and create smaller spaces that make one unified whole. If you have a large space, don't be afraid to make smaller spaces within it. From sitting nooks to dining areas, or entertainment spaces - you can be as creative as you would like.

Interior Design at the Lake of the Ozarks

At John Elliott Interiors, we have a wonderful selection of luxury furniture at the Lake of the Ozarks. Not only that, we have large artificial trees and plants, lamps, accessories, and artwork from incredible artists. The changing seasons is always a great time to make changes in your home and create a new fresh place to relax. If you're ready to make some beautiful updates to your home - come see us! We have designers on duty who would love to help you create the perfect place to live.

Are you excited for fall? It seems like it can't get here fast enough! September 22nd is officially the first day of fall and the perfect time to pull out your fall decor and drink Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Pantone, a color specialist in the industry, has released their color choices for Fall 2017 - and it's giving us all of the splendid fall weather, orange leaf chills. Check them out and see if you can incorporate them into your fall decor this season.

Shaded Spruce - PANTONE 19-4524

This dark blue-ish green is sophisticated and classicly warm and cool. Being a dark color makes it perfect for dramatic pops of color, but the shade makes it warm and inviting. We're thinking that it would be divine as part of your table setting. Can you only imagine some beautiful large plates in this shade? Add some beautiful orange pumpkins and leaves to the mix and you'll have an impeccable harvest table.

Golden Lime - PANTONE 16-0243

While lime is typically a summer shade, this color has enough yellow to make it perfectly fall. Add pops of color to your living room with a few pillows and throws in this shade! Or accent your table with Golden Lime napkins or a centerpiece featuring this shade. You don't want to overdo this color, but keeping it as and an accent is divine.

Marina - PANTONE 17-4041

If you want to invite fall into your home, but still, want to keep the fun lake vibe - this color will be IDEAL! It's still a bit fun, and summery, but has muted tones to keep it relaxed and cool. Use this color around your outdoor spaces as pillows or cushions around your firepit or bring it indoors with your candles and other accents.

Navy Peony - PANTONE 19-4029

Navy never goes out of style, and fall is the ideal time to bring it out and accent it. The dark, coolness of this color balances out all of the warm tones that surround the fall season. Use it as a beautiful base color for the rest of your design. It can also be a beautiful accent through patterns that you use - so a navy and orange tablecloth, napkins, or accent pillows would be delightful.

Tawny Port - PANTONE 19-1725

Can anyone say "mmmhmmm?" This color gives us all of the fall feels. It's warm, rich, and enchanting. It would be splendid for a warm, cozy, throw blanket on your bed or couch. It would also be perfect as a tablecloth, or the salad plates in your table setting. Such an excellent fall color for a fun fall season.

Ballet Slipper - PANTONE 13-2808

Are you looking for something a little more delicate this fall? Try pairing this light pink shade with the warm browns and rich reds to achieve a cozy fall feel without the darker, bolder shades. It's a fun, girly spin on the fall palette - and we LOVE it!

Neutral Gray - PANTONE 17-4402

Pair this shade with the Tawny Port and the Ballet Slipper colors to make a stunning fall palette that's a little different than the expected. It also looks divine paired with the warm orange and red shades, as well. You really can't go wrong when you use this delicate and demure gray tone in your fall decorating. It has a sophisticated flair but is still comfortable enough for a cozy fall design.

Butterum - PANTONE 16-1341

This shade is PERFECT for fall, and just what you would expect to see in a fall palette. Whether you incorporate it into your wardrobe or your home, you'll see this simple neutral tan all around. Butterum is a great base for your bolder colors or can be used all on its own as a feature color in your home design, table decor, or front porch decor.

Grenadine - PANTONE 17-1558

This exciting red-orange tone is exactly what you need this fall to spice up your decor. You'll see shades of orange this fall, but this one is a bit different and splendid for this exciting style you want to incorporate. It will be superb in your foliage, table decor, mixed into your wreath on your front door, or even as pillows on your bed!

Autumn Maple - PANTONE 17-1145

Finally, the orange that you love and know. Autumn Maple has all of the cozy feelings of a pumpkin spice latte while sitting on a flannel blanket under a fiery maple tree. Scatter this shade throughout your fall decor, from your table setting to your fall foliage and even the candles that you use to decorate throughout your home! How do you plan on incorporating this warm fall shade?

Home Decor at the Lake of the Ozarks

We're all about updating your home's style every season to mimic the fun designs and colors that come around. Even if you choose the fall shades that mesh well with your current design - there's nothing like updating the style a bit every season. You can make your home feel fresh and updated with a few new accents, throw pillows or blankets, or even candles scattered throughout your home. How will you use these trending colors this fall? We want to see your ideas! If you don't know where to start - come visit the best interior designers at the Lake of the Ozarks! We can help you find the perfect accent for your home design at the Lake of the Ozarks. Happy Fall ya'll!






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At the Lake of the Ozarks, many of you, our beloved customers, come to us seeking to redesign a Lake of the Ozarks Condo. This is probably your second home, so it doesn’t need to to function the exact same as your primary home - BUT, you are needing to fit a lot of the same items in a much smaller space. If you need some storage ideas for your small space - your local home interiors store at the Lake of the Ozarks is here to help!

Reinvent Your Pieces

Think about the pieces you already have in your home, and try to think of ways you can repurpose them to keep things organized. If you have a hutch in your dining room, would it do a better job in a different room holding different items? What about your ottomans in the living room? Could you find other ottomans that had storage capabilities and use them to hold blankets and bulky items in your living rooms or bedrooms? Don’t be afraid to think outside the box when it comes to the purpose of your pieces - they have the option of flexibility!

Typical Pieces in Atypical Locations

Do you have a small bathroom without any storage in your Lake of the Ozarks condo? You can get still get strange in this space but with items that wouldn’t normally go here. While cabinets and dressers don’t normally go in a bathroom - you have flexibility in this space. Even if your bathroom is small, this space is only going to have one person in it at a time - so taking some of the valuable floor space for a storage piece is worth it. Does your kitchen not have a pantry or ample storage? You can move bookcases into the kitchen to provide you with storage! You can display your pretty dishes and serve ware on the shelves, and if it’s a cabinet with doors on the bottom, you can hide cookbooks and baking supplies below!

Utilize Vertical Space

When working in a small space, don’t neglect the vertical space. This doesn’t just apply to decorating (though, you do want to use vertical space for your tapestries, artwork, and shelves for displaying decor), you can use the vertical space in your home for organization as well. Floating shelves are extremely trendy right now and perfect for your space! There are fantastic shelving units that are both functional and attractive when you need to display books without a book case, and you can use functional pieces to hang items like blankets on the wall instead of using a piece of furniture to store them.

Think Through the Flow

Finally, think through the flow of your space. If you have a very small space, you may have to get creative with the way it works, ebbs, and flows. If the best space for your couch is in front of a closet - but the door won’t open with the couch in front … use a curtain instead of a door! You can make adjustments to your space to make everything fit together in a stylish and practical way. There are a few rules in decorating - but there are also so many areas where you can be flexible and do what works for you.

Interior Design at the Lake of the Ozarks

If you know your space needs a makeover, but don’t know where to start - John Elliott Interiors would be glad to assist. Our team of interior designers at the Lake of the Ozarks have incredible experience taking a space and making it both functional and beautiful Visit our website to learn more about our home interiors store at the Lake of the Ozarks, as well as about the manufacturers we store at our Lake of the Ozarks furnishings store.






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