On the Couch With Gia Russo

First Things First

MHI: When you’re starting a room from scratch, what’s the first thing you choose?

GR: The first thing I suggest is to create the overall color palette of the house. Pull paint chips, fabric swatches, flooring samples, and wood tones before you purchase anything. This will help create an overall design flow within the house.

Another great way to visualize your options is to tear pictures of room designs from magazines or look online for rooms you love. If you’re redecorating a space, keep in my mind what you don’t like about the old design and jot down a list of the changes you want to make.