#1 Define your look.

The first step in design is selecting a theme. Whether you are building new or redecorating a room, the place to begin any project is with your unique perspective. Ultimately, the best designs reflect your personality and those of your family.

#2 Shop prepared.

Knowing what you want is just the beginning. You can be the biggest help to yourself if you arrive prepared. Bring all of your ideas with you to our showrooms. Put together an idea kit with pillows, fabric swatches, paint chips and photos of things you love. This will help you coordinate by illustrating common designs that appeal to you. Find your colors and tones and stay within that range. If you are prepared, you can be confident knowing your lifestyle, preferences and personality are part of the decision making process.

#3 Select items suited to your room.

To create a quality design, consider traffic flow and your family’s lifestyle. A polypropylene rug is great for spaces that experience spills, while a silk pillow should be used somewhere that sees less traffic. If you are going to worry about a piece being broken or stained, it’s the wrong choice for the room. Be careful to match sizes of items to the size of the room. An oversized accent is a great focal point and conversation starter. But a room filled with items that are too big will leave it looking small and cluttered. Always remember to carry your room dimensions in your decorating kit.

#4 Select colors and tones with the same value range - light, medium, dark.

Colors are a wonderful way to express yourself and your fashion sense. If you are hesitant about bold or vivid colors, go with neutrals. Warm colors like red and orange make a room feel cozy, while blues and greens make for a light and airy space.

Borrow colors from your upholstery to coordinate rugs, pillows and artwork. Or, you can work from the floor up using a great area rug as a focal point. If you need to decorate over time, you will have a reference of color and texture from which to build your dream room. Get a quart of paint and cover a portion of the wall. Tape fabrics and lay your rug up against it. Walk past your test area for a full day and see how it feels to be living with this color scheme. Watch for color shifts as light changes from early morning to evening. Hint: pure white ceilings tend to neutralize your color scheme. Painting the ceiling a subtle tint of your main color will actually compliment your color scheme.

#5 Decorate around elements you love.

We recommend that you start with the piece you love the most and work around it. Artwork, a sofa, an area rug or even a favorite pillow can help create your decorating palette. When you know the starting point, the next step is to find three coordinating fabrics. Just remember to make choices that you like, reflect your personality and will make your home comfortable.