1. Choose the Room's Purpose

“First, spend some time in the room. Decide which purpose you want the room to serve,” Guest says.

Think about how you want to feel in the room, who you’ll be hosting in the room, and what features you want to highlight. For example, if you’ll be entertaining often, Guest says to "design the room so that you can spend time relaxing with your guests, rather than watching out of the corner of your eye lest someone break a vase, spill wine or an hors d’oeuvre on the rug, or leave a wet glass to make a ring on the table." Find a rug that hides foot traffic and keep valuable trinkets in a different room.

A common struggle when redesigning a room is integrating ideas from multiple people. If you have a spouse or roommate, you might have different ideas about how the living room should look. “I recommend creating a list of what each person wants, how often they envision using the space, and what they hope the look says about them. This will provide some common ground,” says Palmer Prescott, chief operating officer at online marketplace Ruby Lane, Inc.

2. Organize Your Ideas

“Collect ideas on Pinterest or on a mood board," Guest says. "Identify what you like, brainstorm about what would work in your living room, and get inspired. Your ideas will develop over time.” Trends come and go, but you'll be in your living room every day. If there's a particular trend you absolutely adore, take inspiration from it and tweak it to suit your home.

“Your favorite style of furniture and preferred use are important things to think about,” Prescott says. For example, if you want to use the living room couch to watch TV, focus more on comfort than on style. But opt for a more elevated option if you often host parties or events.

If you're worried about making an expensive mistake in the decorating process, this is a good spot to figure out where you can get creative and where you should play it safe—for your own peace of mind. “Keep choices for the expensive or labor-intensive elements of the room classic or neutral. Then save the big, bold choices for items that are less expensive or more versatile,” Guest says. “If you’re worried about making a mistake, choose a neutral color for the walls of the room or the rug, and get adventurous with the accent pillows, the sculptures, or the wall art.”

Use Your Resources

If you’re not sure about a choice or don’t know where to start, Prescott and Guest recommend taking advantage of the free online resources that let you experiment virtually. "Just upload a photo of your room onto the website of Benjamin Moore or another favorite paint company and audition paint colors for your room," Guest says. There are also platforms that let you place rugs or furniture in a virtual room. "You’ll be able to explore your ideas freely while sparing yourself the worry that you’ll make a choice you regret."

However, Guest warns against taking the safe route every time. “Don’t try to protect yourself from making a mistake by making choices that bore you, or no choices at all. That would be a mistake,” Guest says.

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3. Implement Your Ideas

Now comes the fun part, getting your ideas off the page and into your living room. "Go back to Pinterest or your mood board and refine your ideas for furniture and artwork. Then start executing them," Guest says.

But before you start, make sure the bones of the room are ready for a new look. If the room desperately needs a new coat of paint, choose the paint colors and paint the room before you add new furniture and other decor. If there's a piece of furniture you absolutely want to incorporate into the room, start with that and build the room around it.

Prescott is a big believer in completing projects little by little. Start with the big things, like the walls and floors, then slowly make progress toward your end goal. "Keep your favorite items, and purchase furniture and decor slowly over time," he says. "Swap out accent furniture with finds over the years. This method allows your living room to evolve and reflect gifts, new tastes, or a growing family."

Make design choices based on what your home needs, and try not to stress too much about it in the long run. "The most important thing to do is have fun, let the room represent you and your family," Prescott says.