Moonlite Monday Guest:: Kim of Kim Myles Designs

Kim Myles of Kim Myles Designs and formally of HGTVs Myles of Style and currently working on some other shows and features with HGTV. According to Kim she an erstwhile hairdresser. Did you know that? Two for one,get your hair coiffured and your nest dressed. Of course I'm not the first to feature Kim on their blog. You can read other features HERE+HERE+and HERE. I could go on and on, but without further ado, Kim take it away.

 Calling the Muse

When I won Design Star on HGTV in 2007, I was ecstatic. I'd just survived a reality competition (not for the faint of heart), and won my own show, Myles of Style on national TV! I'd have the honor of designing space after space after space - I'd never get bored, I'd get to scratch every design itch, and I'd be able to share my philosophy about design with a huge viewing community.

Sounds pretty great, right?

Well, while it is absolutely a dream come true, it also comes with it's own huge creative challenges. Somehow, when I envisioned designing spaces at a breakneck pace, I neglected to realize that I'd be designing spaces at a breakneck pace! I had no idea that I was about to experience monster creative blocks, stress, panic and countless sleepless nights. How does one person sustain constant, rolling creativity when she needs to produce a complete room design (down to the smallest accessory) at the rate of 1 every week and a half...while concurrently shopping for, and shooting the most current episode? I'll tell you: you learn to 'Call the Muse'. You develop tools that allow you to bypass creative blocks as quickly and as easily as taking a breath. Here are three of my best and most beloved tricks:

Trick #1: COLOR.

Now, color is the great divider - you're scared or you're not. I happen to fall into the 'not' category. I believe that 99.9% of all spaces can benefit from a shot (if not a bomb!) of rich color. I start by clearing the clutter of style possibilities out of my mind, and I allow myself to envision the space in multiple hues. Once I've arrived at one that speaks to me, I start to explore complimentary palettes (the color wheel is your friend!) like so:

So, yellow and violet...

...can go in as many directions as this:

Decojournal

Luxe Interiors

Design Decor

Or, take blue and orange...

And get...

Chic Provence

Cococozy

Myles of Style

Trick # 2: Fashion.

I love fashion. I find it to be endlessly inspiring, and I turn to it often. Remember Domino Magazine's (R.I.P. - I'll miss you forever!) brilliant 'Can this outfit become a room?' feature? Well, that's the game that I play in my head. Like so:

This Dress…

        

Daily Mail UK

  Becomes this room:

Home-Design

Or this Marchesa gown...

  Becomes this bedroom...

Interior Design

Trick # 3: "Opposites Attract":

Last, (but certainly not least), if playing with color or referencing fashion fails, I start thinking opposites. Opposites are instantly dynamic, and offer the appearance of a 'collected space', versus one that's been turned out quickly by necessity. Example: If I'm dealing with a metal coffee table that has to stay, I'll start envisioning rustic wood. If there's a ton of concrete, I'll think soft wool. You get the picture, but here are some anyway:

Decorpad

           Live edge wood/crisp chairs:

The Lennoxx

   Hard space/soft fabric:

They have an idea!

So there you have it! These three 'creative jolts' have helped me complete over 40 episodes of Myles of Style, and while I do have moments where I wish I could go back and tweak a little something here or there, I'm overwhelmingly satisfied with my work as a whole. I hope you guys find this helpful in your own design process, and I want to thank Tonia for inviting me to Moonlite - may you never be blocked again!

Shiny tile/soft rug: