Depending on the desired vibe, you can go in wildly different directions.ДЇor a traditional room, focusing on a symmetrical layout often helps - for instance, installing a sofa and coffee table centered on a fireplace, with matching armchairs on either side. Working from your floor plan and inspiration images, choose the specific pieces of furniture - the sofas, chairs and tables - that will make the space livable.

Manufacturers offer a multitude of alternatives, including patterned wallpaper, grass cloth, upholstery fabrics, wood paneling and even stone and brick veneer. (If your ceilings arenвЂ™t smooth, donвЂ™t do it - the glossy sheen will only highlight imperfections.)ДЇor something unexpected, consider looking beyond paint. If the surface is perfectly smooth, it can also be painted with a glossy finish as a design feature that reflects light down into the living space. ItвЂ™s safe to use a matte or flat sheen because the ceiling is rarely touched by dirty fingers or smudge-creating objects. You can paint it white for a crisp feel, or the same color as the walls for a cocooning feel. You should also decide how you want to treat the ceiling. A semi-gloss sheen will bring more attention to moldings while adding durability. Trim can also be painted with a different sheen than the walls. Hampton, who prefers paint with an eggshell or satin finish that is just slightly glossier and easier to scrub.Д«aseboards, moldings, doors and other trim can be painted the same color as the room to make them visually recede, or a contrasting color - usually an off-white in a room with colored walls - to make them more of a feature. вЂњI tend not to do matte walls, in general,вЂќ said Ms. Matte or flat paints offer a pleasant gauzy appearance that also hides wall imperfections, but can be difficult to maintain, clean and touch up. Once you have a color selected, choose the sheen. Note: As long as you test the color before painting the entire room, thereвЂ™s no reason to be scared of bold, saturated colors. Better yet, paint large sample patches on walls or on boards that can be moved around and view them at different times of day. Look at the largest chip you can get in the room you plan to paint, at a minimum. For that reason, itвЂ™s never a good idea to commit to a paint color when you first see the chip in a store.

This effect is only amplified once you slather it on four walls. Paint colors are notorious for appearing different hues in different light conditions (and seeming to change between the paint store to home). вЂњWhen weвЂ™re working on a fabric scheme, weвЂ™ll put the fabric on the copier, reduce it, cut it into the right shape for the floor plan and paste it down,вЂќ she said, вЂњso we can see how the various fabrics spread through the room.вЂќ вЂњAll blues fight.вЂќ Putting samples side by side is the way to see if different colors and patterns will live in harmony or tension. вЂњAll greens play nicely together,вЂќ said Mr. Pin them to a board or put them in a tray to see how well they work together. вЂњSome colors blend together,вЂќ when viewed on a screen, he added, and it can be difficult to differentiate cool and warm tones.ДonвЂ™t just look at the samples in isolation. вЂњYou can order samples from most vendors, and itвЂ™s always best,вЂќ said Mr. Wherever possible, order color chips, fabric swatches and material samples to be sure finished products will meet your expectations. You can see colors, patterns and metal finishes online, but digital images are mere approximations of what the real things look like.

House decor