When decorating your home....it should always reflect you.  It should welcome you, it should revive you.  It should be special to you.  Your home should make you feel good.  Never underestimate the importance of your home.

Begin with a  determination of the items that you may already possess and wish to keep over the long term. If these items are furniture you may then decide whether you would like them to be changed in appearance, re-upholstered or refinished.

The next step is to select the style that you desire to live with. In general terms it is a choice between Classical, Traditional, Country, Electic (a mixture of modern and antique), modern, Ultra-modern. Ethnic origin and design streams are included in the sectors. For example in 'Traditional" there could be French Provincial, Victorian, Georgian, Art Deco, etc. In Country there could be Engish Country, American Rural, Australiana, etc. 

In the selecting of the style choices the existing architecture of your home should be considered. This consideration does not prevent certain choices but merely establishes the boundaries of the design selection and how far you may be able to progress the final design. 

Start your decorating with a Story Board.

Step 1. Floor. The floor treatment will form at least 30% of the colour in the room at any time and is also the most limited colour range in the decorative treatments 

 Keeping in mind the items that you already possess and wish to keep long term, select the style and colour of the floor or floor colouring. If, for instance, you desire to have carpet, choose the basic colour that you would like to live with or have form the basis of your decorative theme. Should you, for instance choose Blue, have a look at the range of blue carpets available in the depth of colour that you like. Obtain a small sample of each carpet. You will only need about 2 sq. inches (5cms x 5cms) of each carpet. The sample may have to be a little larger if the carpet is patterned.

Step 2. Window treatments and Furnishing fabrics.