11 Steps to a Well-Designed Room

By Emily Lapkin

Do you plan on redecorating every two years? Can you afford to change things often? If not, you may want to avoid trendy patterns on expensive pieces. The pros suggest choosing neutral colors for large upholstered pieces (like your sofa) and using more of-the-moment accents (like pillows in a hot new hue) that you can easily replace when trends change. If you want to make a bigger splash, there's always paint. "Just painting a room can make it feel entirely different," notes Alia Myer.