"Where should I begin?"

Do you struggle with how to begin your design projects? Does your living room just stare at you, giving no answers, suggestions or feedback? I hear this question a lot from clients and I have a few tips to help you figure out where to start your next design project.

Start with the item that has the most limitations. For example, if you are reupholstering an existing sofa, purchasing an area rug and window treatments and painting you need to determine which of these things has the most limits.

Retail purchases are the most limited in that you are limited by what the store carries. They may carry something you LOVE, but it's still the most limited as far as selection goes.

Custom fabric treatments (upholstery or window fabrics) are going to provide you more options than retail. Your budget will be your most limiting factor here, but there are thousands of custom fabric options available. You'll need to work with a professional to access to the widest fabric selections, but he/she can assist you with selecting the proper fabric type for your project.

Finally, your least limiting option is paint color. Paint can be mixed in any shade you desire. You can bring anything inspiration piece to your favorite paint shop and ask them to match any color.

So as you are planning your design projects, select retail items first, followed by custom and then select your paint color last to tie all of your selections together. It's easy to jump into paint color first, but that can limit your future selections, which are already limited.

I always suggest starting with an inspiration piece to get any room started. This helps with any purchases (retail or custom) and can be anything—art, fabric, a printed card, pillow, rug or a flower. Anything that catches your eye can inspire a room!

Then shop with that inspiration piece with you so you can coordinate colors.

Happy decorating!