OWN's Kim Myles Shares Her Favorite Remodeling Tips

Warm weather can really get us inspired. From getting outside for barbecues and working out to taking time in the garden and some Spring remodeling. And while remodeling can seem like a stressful task it doesn't have to be.

TV design personality and winner of season two of HGTV's Design Star, Kim Myles, can tell you how to have fun and not stress with the remodel.

Hi Kim, how are you today?

I'm good.

So since winning Design Star, how has that really impacted your career as a designer?

In every way. I'm here talking with you so that's a treat that never would have happened before Design Star. And I guess it worked for Oprah Winfrey, which for me is a bucket list. I'm on an Emmy-nominated show, which is another bucket list item. All of these things would have never come true without Design Star. That's what started me on my adventure and here we are.

What were some of the biggest growth opportunities that you really learned from being on that show?

It really forced me to make quick decisions. So it's really easy with design, and it happens to all of us, to get caught up and stuck and worried if we're making the right choice. Is it this color or is it that color? Is it that couch or that couch? It forced me to get out of my own way, make a fast decision, pull a trigger, and get it done. And I think that served me really well. Not only just professionally, but also in my own home. I don't sweat the small stuff anymore. When I make a decision, I roll with it and I like how I live. It just forced me to not over think it.

Wow. That's a really cool story about what you learned on the show. Now for those of us who are looking a doing a little Spring/Summer remodeling and have that idea where we want to over thing, what are some tips you have to have more fun and less stress?

I'm going to make the first one really easy for you. So you're thinking about a Spring refresh, but you don't know where to start because you could start in a million little places and do little projects. Instead of starting with the small, I say just go big. The flooring is a huge amount of square footage and is a lot of real estate in a design. If you update the flooring then you are getting this huge before and after with just one project. Plus it's a really great investment for your space, which makes it something that is worth doing.

Then there is a product that I am totally in love with. It's called Tigressa H2O, and it is beautiful carpet that is revolutionary because it is completely waterproof. So if you have kids or pets you will like that it can handle even the biggest household spills. I love it because I feel that it makes your life so much easier. It's available exclusively at Flooring America. Something else about Tigressa H2O is that it's eco-friendly. It's a great choice for a busy home. That's a great first place to start because it's a large area and will give you that high impact.

Then once you have your fancy new carpet, you have to think about getting it cleaned. And spring cleaning is not something that we like to talk about, trust me I know. It is really important though. So remember to pull out the sofa, other furniture, tie back the curtains, and vacuum corner to corner and wall to wall. But I'll let you in on a top complaint about vacuums, the brush roll tends to get tangled with hair and threads and other random stuff. Eureka has come to my rescue with their Brush Roll Clean vacuum. It is a self-cleaning brush roll vacuum. So when you get the brush roll tangled, you press a button and it cleans the brush roll itself within the machine. It will suck it all up into the vacuum so there's no pickup either. So it's a small thing that becomes huge in making your job so much easier. So there are two easy places to start.

So then you're getting deep down into those carpets and getting rid of any odor that may have been caused from pets or a spill that you thought you cleaned up completely. This way your house really can smell fresh from all of that hardwork.

Oh yes, it will smell fresh. Also think about people who have allergies. They are getting rid of the pollen, dust, pet dander, and all other allergens. So a vacuum like this is important in creating an environment that not only looks great, but smells great and is healthy for you.

And you really can't beat that. And for those interesting in that Spring remodel, how cost-effective are these? Most people think of updating the flooring and needing to really save quite a bit of money.

Right. Well, the flooring is a bigger project but it's worth it because it's an investment in the home and adds value for your family or if you are looking to sell it. Then the Eureka vacuum that I spoke about is only $198 at Walmart which is a great price point.

You're right. That's not a bad price at all. And it's an investment that you can have for many years.

Exactly. And we've been talking about the inside of the house, but something that people forget about is the curb appeal. With Spring, we've seen the snow melting and everything overgrowing so we need to address how the outside of the home looks too. It's the first impression on you when you when you come home from work and on your guests when you have them over. So I like to say first address the big issues. It's Springtime, do you have any running water or drainage issues? A lot of us do. I had a house that had drainage issues and a standing puddle all the time right next to the foundation of the home. So if you don't take care of that as a little problem, it can turn into a much bigger and more expensive problem. A great resource is NDSpro.com. They have the answers for you when it comes to saving your landscaping. I love that they make it a one-stop shopping to figure it out and solve the issue.

Once you have your drainage figured out, then you want to think about the lawn. What I like to say about the lawn is that it's like your largest area rug. This big green area rug. So tackling the lawn and making it beautiful and making sure the yard is free of brush and if you need to cut things down is important. My go to for that is Husqvarna. It's the world leader in power equipment with chainsaws, lawnmowers, specialty turf equipment, and anything else you need to make your lawn beautiful. If you do all of that, your house will be ready for the first barbecue.

And this is great advice to keep in mind to help people take it one project at a time. Where can people go for more ideas for remodeling their home for the season?

They can go to www.tipsontv.com. Everything I spoke about is there and even more. So get your engines revving, get inspired, and get ready to take on the season.

And don't forget to check out Kim's Emmy-nominated show, Home Made Simple, on OWN for even more tips on tackling those home remodeling tasks.