KMAT Anti-Fatigue Kitchen Mats Room Decor, 2-Count

Many of us have fun playing dress-up as kids. When it comes time to decorate your home, you can think of it in much the same way: You’re essentially dressing up the space that you live in. Of course, this version of dress-up can be a lot more expensive, and there are many more things to consider than whether the fabrics are sparkly. Still, it’s important to keep that childlike sense of play.

Obviously, there’s no definitive “best” when it comes to a piece of room decor. A rug that works for one room might clash horribly in another. The first and most important thing to do is to define your sense of style. Yes, it’s nice to find things that will impress your guests, but it’s far more important to find things that speak to you. “Home” is a puzzle, and every piece of furniture and art in your house is a piece of it. Start combing through Pinterest and Instagram for ideas, and create a portfolio.

Most importantly, find a color scheme for each room. Psychologists and designers alike will tell you that the hues in a room can definitely affect your mood. Bright, neutral colors like white or beige won’t just make the room feel larger. They can soothe and soften, and they’re easy to decorate with — which makes them perfect for living rooms and kitchens. Reds, oranges, pinks and colors on the hotter end of the spectrum can spark a sense of warmth and energy in exercise rooms or playrooms. Blues and greens are more relaxing, which means they are ideal for the bedroom.

After you’ve got a general aesthetic in mind, start getting practical. Take measurements of every room and have them handy when it’s time to pick out those big pieces of furniture. Those measurements include ceiling height as well as length and width, and don’t forget to measure the doorways and hallways too. (Don’t get your heart set on that spacious couch until you’re sure you can get it into the house.)

Most often, those main pieces of furniture will be the focal points of the room. In the living room, that’s going to mean the couch. In the dining room, get the table set up (or at least picked out) before you start thinking about curtains and wall art. In the bedroom, of course, everything needs to complement the bed. In short: Get the big stuff in place before you start sweating the small stuff.

Every room has its own challenges, but the kitchen and bathroom need to lean toward the functional. The kitchen, of all spaces, needs to look cohesive. It’s a place that already tends to get messy, so make sure that you use your storage space wisely. Resist the temptation to put too many fragile items near the stove or on the kitchen island, and don’t put up pictures with glass framing unless you want to spend extra time wiping off grease. In the bathroom, you’ll also want to maximize your storage and minimize the decor. A little goes a long way when you’re in a small space. And if you want to make that small space look bigger, consider bigger mirrors and plenty of lighter hues.

It used to be a given that your couch would be situated against a wall. Not anymore: “Floating” furniture is increasingly a given now that open floorplans have become more common. When your dining room, living room and kitchen don’t have walls to separate them, you’ve got a lot of extra freedom to let your furniture set the boundaries for each of those areas. You can also use area rugs or plants to help you subtly define your zones. Just remember, an open floorplan isn’t much use if you can’t get around easily.