A continuing compendium of tips and tricks from Home & Garden Television:

How do designers get that "done" look? It all comes down to 10 essential steps.

1. Know what you want from a room. Figure out exactly what the room will be used for.

2. Remember who lives there. Will children use this space? Will pets play here? The occupants should always be considered when selecting fabrics and finishes.

3. Learn what pleases your senses. Most designers want to see any photos you've earmarked from your favorite design magazines. Designer Alia Myer of Jessica Hall Associates in Larkspur, Calif., tells clients: "Try to turn off your internal filter, the one that says this is good, this is bad, and put a Post-It on anything that appeals to you. Let your first reaction guide you."

4. Keep size in mind. Take out a measuring tape and a piece of graph paper. Draw a floor plan of your room to scale (let one square equal one foot, for instance). Or if you can find your blueprints, use them and make extra copies.

5. Go with your flow. A beautiful home should have continuity from room to room. To prevent each room from looking out of place, try to maintain similar tones and themes throughout the house.

6. Focus on one great piece. Designers say that sometimes an item you already have and love can become their inspiration for the rest of the room. Line up a few of your favorite things in the room you want to redo and let the one that moves you most lead the way.

7. Formulate a plan. Try to envision your room when it's completely done, and then plot out what steps you'll need to take to get to that point.

8. Shop around. You don't need to buy everything at once. Establish a basic look and feel and let your style evolve over the years.

9. Be fresh, not faddish. Do you plan on redecorating every two years? Can you afford to change things often? If not, you may want to avoid trendy patterns on expensive pieces.

10. Light it up. "Lighting is some of the best decorating you can do," says Jackie Glisson of Just a Decorator in Memphis, Tenn., so be sure to have a variety of lighting installed in every room. "You can never have too many lamps," says Glisson.