Cosmetic changes spread a bottle of sunshine throughout sophisticated transformation.

Story by Joan Bellinghausen | Photos by Laurie Kilgore Photography

Walking into Sarah and Tommy Muelleman’s home feels like entering a grand haven adorned with beautiful patterned wallpapers, to-die-for draperies and beckoning furniture with a balance of color in varying degrees of intensity.

Together, all the design details – big and small – allow each room to exude its own personality and foster a seamless flow from room to room in this home located in the Mills Farm subdivision of Overland Park. The space feels uplifting and joyful.

Sarah’s lively personality also comes through loud and clear in the home the Muellemans share with their two young children.

“Visitors will say ‘I’ve never seen your personality put into design so well’,” says Sarah.

Credit goes to Marianne Mayer, Senior Interior Designer with ML Designs, for shepherding the design process, curating all the elements and selecting all the furnishings.

“Sarah definitely had an idea of the look she was going for,” says Marianne. “So, we ended up with a ‘Bridgerton meets Kate Spade’ home. It had to have that young Kate Spade feel but still be grand.”

This extensive cosmetic refresh touched the entire main floor of the house, breathing new life into the dining room, kitchen, living room, hearth room, bar area, office, mudroom hall, laundry room, and a powder room.

With the objective to “lighten and brighten”, the update began with lightening the dark wood found on the floors, painting all the stained cabinetry, trim and crown molding, and whitewashing a wet bar area. Paint and lighting selections also played key roles.

“I am very bold and loud and intense when it comes to color,” Sarah explains. “Marianne did a great job finding fabrics and patterns to make everything flow together. She toned down my intensity for color to the right amount so all the rooms could co-exist.”

The homeowner also has a special affection for wallpaper, crediting her mother who grew up in the South where every room has a different look. As a result, wallpaper played a starring role in the living room, dining room and powder room as well as had a bit part in adorning the back of the built-in bookshelves in the hearth room.

“I wanted to put a pattern everywhere, and Marianne knew how to do it so well,” Sarah says. “The rugs could have a pattern but feel neutral from afar.”

The dining room just might be Sarah’s favorite room in the entire house. The soft palette of blues and greens provides a neutral backdrop for entertaining in the space as well as the perfect sanctuary for playing Mahjong.

“Marianne found the wallpaper, which is a large mural of trees,” says Sarah. “I saw it and instantly knew that was THE wallpaper. My husband felt the same way. There was no going back.”

“Then we used a pale blue wallpaper on the dining room ceiling. It really brings the eye up and highlights the crown molding. It’s a showstopper.”

Fortunately, there ended up being leftover mural wallpaper that now graces the walls in the laundry room that originally was not part of the update.

Throughout the process, meticulous attention centered on the small details as evidenced by the custom-made draperies. The Roman shade in the kitchen sports a fringe of tassels while pale yellow window treatments in the hearth room feature a vertical scalloped edge with navy buttons at the top of the panels. The 11-foot-tall window treatments in the office highlight large raspberry-colored flowers without overwhelming the space.

“There is something for the eye to look at wherever it goes,” says Marianne. “The details always add so much interest and elevate a room.”

Furniture selections further enhanced the panache of each room. In the living room, two chairs feature a blue velvet zebra print on the back with boucle on the front and join two recliners upholstered in a deep fuchsia print to create a lounge-like feeling. A chair in the office has pale blue fabric and raspberry-colored piping.

“Sarah had used this wallpaper in her last home and loved it, so we put it in the powder room,” explains Marianne.

Sarah says that “all these elements are what make our house feel like a home”.

And exude beauty at every turn.