Redesigning your home or even just giving it a quick refresh may seem like a daunting task, but a little planning (and measuring!) will help you have the home of your dreams.

While color, space, and design themes are important, nothing is more important than planning your home to work for your family or even the people who are over so often that we think they live with us (you know who they are).

Here are a few tips, tricks, and things to keep in mind when transforming your house into a livable and loveable home:

• Remember who you live with. Your family dynamic is very important in the whole design process, from the fabrics and finishes you choose to whether or not you can have that glass centerpiece that might not be so child-friendly.
  • Don’t forget about your furry friends as they are the most important member of any family and can easily test the durability of any furniture you have.

• Are you the hostess with the mostess?
  • Is your kitchen stocked with fabulous multifunctional serveware?
  • Do you have enough dining chairs for that 10 person dinner you are hosting next week?
  • Will some of your guests have such a wonderful time that they need to spend the night on your sofa or in the guest room?

• Don’t be afraid of color! As you work through the design process your palette may evolve as the room takes shape.
  • The colors in your home should be colors you love and can live with every single day.
  • Consider the environment when you choose. Desert colors should probably stay in the southwest. Incorporating the views from your home in the design will make the whole place seem larger.
  • Your palette can be inspired by a rug, a painting, a favorite blouse…or the trees in your yard.

• Accessorizing your home takes time, but the accessories you choose are like the jewelry that makes the outfit.
  • Your home is an extension of you. Do you have a hobby? Tools from your hobby or a product of your hobby can be an accessory on any wall, table or bookcase.
  • Lighting in a space should meet the needs of the space. Just like you would layer colors, fabrics, and textures, there are layers of light. Ambient, accent, and task lighting.
• Decorate for everyday living, not the party you may have once a year.
  • Be sure you have the storage you need in your family room and living room.
  • What will you do in that room? Eat on the sofa? Build a puzzle? Sleep on the sofa? Make sure the room will work for the activities your family enjoys.
• Clip pictures from magazines, collect ideas on Pinterest and Instagram of spaces you love…and a few that you hate to show the designer where you do not want to go.

Start your home design with a plan and an idea of what you eventually want even if you cannot buy it all right now. A good designer can help you decide how to pace your decorating with your budget.

The plan may change as you go along…a house is a living thing.

Choose your paint last, please, after you know what your upholstery and rugs will be.

Have fun! It’s only design and no one ever died from a decorating mistake (although some should have). And remember your friends at Leon & Lulu are always here to help you.