what comes first? the area rug, the sofa or the toss cushions?

Finding the right combination of fabrics, colours and textures is key in making a space feel pulled together professionally. So how do you go about doing that? What if you already have one of these pieces and want to add? What if you have nothing yet, then what do you start with? Well, here are the short answers:

• I always say work with what you have if you have to or want to - the combinations become more limited that way since you have to connect your current pieces, but there is so much out there it can still look amazing in the end

• If you have just one piece to start with, use that as the jumping off point - so if you have the rug, choose a sofa that coordinates with that and then choose the pillows last

• If you are starting fresh, start with the most comfortable sofa for YOU! From that, choose the best fabric option they have (you can always do COM (customer’s own material), but that gets very pricey). Typically the sofa you love will have a few options that appeal to you so you can narrow it down to those and then choose based on feel, durability, etc. Next, choose the rug. Always get a sample of the fabric as you wait for it to be built, and then match that up to the myriad of rugs out there! Once that is chosen, the pillows come last. With the array of fabrics out there, you can make any rug you love work with what is out there. Wall colour, if painting, comes last.

• To put it simply, start with the pieces that have the fewest options and then move up to the ones that have the most options.

Check out these beautifully designed spaces of living rooms for inspiration.