Happy New Year! We hope your year started in style!

We’re excited about our divine home decor blog posts planned for this year. We want to help you turn your home into an absolute haven in 2011.

To start the year off, we’re thrilled to introduce you to our resident design expert, Karina Palmer.

Karina and her husband Stephen founded AMERICAN shutters together more than 25 years ago; she now serves as the marketing director. Her style influence and insight is evident on our blog.

We asked Karina five questions so we can tap into her designer mind… Enjoy!  

How would you define your décor style?

I would prefer to define the mood and ambience I aspire to within an interior space. I love a relaxed and ultra-comfortable feel, so for me creating the ultimate space first is important.

Spaces I aspire to welcome the outside in, becoming one with dapple shaded decks and lush greenery. Once the space has been created I like to follow through the relaxed feel by using neutral and muted shades, interesting textures and understated items of furniture.

What is your favourite room in your home and why?

Without doubt it’s our food area, which firmly rebels against the word ‘kitchen’.

It is our meeting and eating place and is without doubt the heart of our home for both family and friends.

It largely encompasses all I aspire to with its interesting volume, inter leading deck, large counter level sliding windows opening onto lush surrounding greenery, calming neutral colours and timber floors.

What is your favourite AMERICAN shutters’ product?

Our traditional white Interior shutters with central tilt rod. What are your top five decorating tips?

• Before you embark on alterations, create it in your mind first. Imagine how to make the space you have become the space you would love.
• Sand down dark timber floors to expose the original colour and rather wax/oil them to retain their raw appearance. It does wonders to refresh as well as enlarge areas.
• When renovating, consider the possibility of doing away with ceilings and expose the roof space thereby creating bigger volumes of space.
• If you have a small garden consider using mirrors on boundary walls behind garden beds, you could end up with a property twice the size!
• Use neutral colours as a foundation and then introduce accent colours, this way it is easy and inexpensive to refresh your look by simply changing the accent colour.

Was it your career choice that led to shutters and blinds or visa versa?

In the 1980’s, while my husband, Steve was completing his MBA at Henley on Thames, I had the opportunity to work with an exceptionally talented interior designer David Wrenn. I was excited when I became aware of adjustable louvre shutters while working with David and keen to introduce the product to the South African market. Steve’s business acumen has since taken AMERICAN shutters from strength to strength.

Whether your home is a mansion, a modest family home or a bachelor apartment; we have décor and design tips to help you make the most of your space! Follow us on Twitter and join our Facebook fan page. To find stylish AMERICAN shutters or blinds for your home, visit our online showroom.