Industry Insider: Kathleen Newhouse, Park Place Interiors

“Decorating is finding the right accessories and placing them in just the right spot so people will notice them.”

That is the philosophy of Kathleen Newhouse of Park Place Interiors in Geneva. With each project she takes on, Newhouse tries to bring her clients unique items they might not have found on their own — things that will help define and accent their homes.

“It is my job to create an environment,” she says. “Design is all about eclectic mix. That is what gives a room personality and energy.”

Newhouse works hard to juxtapose different textures like glass, fabric, mirrors, wood, crystal, metals and even animal prints for a fun and interesting look.

“I feel that there must be a certain feeling when you walk into a room. You can tell when it’s right. It not only has an inviting arrangement, but should have the other elements that shape and balance the room, such as window treatments, art and accessories,” she says. “You can tell when a room works. You just want to be there.”

To add that extra sparkle to a room, Newhouse searches for unique vases and statues and unusual lighting fixtures, and then adds exciting mixes of fabrics like faux linens, embroidered sheer window treatments and even velvets.

And color is very important on the walls.

The fastest and least expensive way to make a neutral sofa look incredible is by putting it next to a richly colored accent wall, Newhouse says. But while brighter, bolder colors are popular, many people still like neutrals, she admits.

“A client’s color preferences tell a lot about their inner self,” she says. “I, personally, love to use a little black in a room. It is a wonderful neutral that works on many levels and helps ground a room.”

Wallpaper is also coming back, but it looks more like fabric these days, she says. “People want cleaner, bigger lines and designs — but not florals. Metallics are also popular.”

Park Place boasts an affordable design program. Newhouse will go to a home, take photos and measurements and then put together a story board for presentation to the clients.

“We give our clients great value and a personalized touch, and we like to re-purpose their existing furniture for a new look,” Newhouse says. “For instance, we might move a console from another room into the room we are decorating to refresh the look through mixing things together and then selectively updating others.”

Park Place offers different price points for different looks and also offers clients the opportunity to phase in their updates and changes to make them more affordable.

“We never take a cookie-cutter approach to our decorating or to how we work with our clients.

“I think that what is most important about my work is that I bring the client and the home together in harmony,” Newhouse says. “So I first find out how the room is used. I then try to assess the architectural feeling of the room before starting to look at fabrics and colors. I see myself as a resource for my clients, helping them find and choose everything from tiles to granites to window treatments and wallpaper.”

Once she and the client agree on a master plan, Newhouse enjoys implementing the details and finding the finishing touches so that the completed room has a balance and rhythm that she envisioned. “I love what I do because it is like creating a work of art,” she says.

“It isn’t hard to change a room and give it new life, and it doesn’t have to be costly.”

Thanks to the current economy, that is a good thing.

“I have noticed that people are loosening the purse strings a bit, but they are spending more time and doing more research before making a decision,” Newhouse says. “They aren’t buying anything average anymore either. They only want things that scream value, quality and uniqueness.”

Park Place Interiors has been in business for seven years and its recently expanded boutique gallery is at 407 S. Third St., No. 114 in Geneva. Newhouse is well-known for offering decorating seminars in the shop three or four times each year. The free Christmas seminar is scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3.

To sign up, call (630) 232-7799 or go online at www.parkplace-interiors.com.