Take baby steps by giving a small space—an entry hall, powder room or closet—a pop of color. Or ease into it with pale greens and soft blues. If you can't kick the white-wall habit, try some color on your ceilings—shades of light blue look great!

We love this elegant combo
A dusty blue on the walls—Lounge by California Paints—contrasts with a black-framed mirror.

Bridges' design philosophy:
"Most things in life are beyond our control. What we choose to put in our home is not."

It's not worth it to spend even $200 on a poorly made sofa that will look outdated and junky this time next year. A great couch is worth saving for. (I like the Antoinette Fainting Sofa at Urban Outfitters for $575.) It's all part of what I call "furnishing forward": collecting pieces, whether cheap or pricey, yard sale or inherited, that you'll use again and again in various rooms and in different homes.

Q: The overhead light in my living room is so harsh. What are some other options?
Use a lot of table and floor lamps; the glow they cast is a lot more flattering than that from an overhead light. Play with heights by putting an interesting floor lamp on one side of a sofa and a small lamp on a table on the other side.

Mix standing and table lamps
Besides providing a good blend of light, they give visual interest to a room.

Let the couch breathe
Leaving at least 10 inches between the wall and sofa makes a room feel less cramped.

Hang something you love across from your bed, like a blown-up family photo or a favorite painting, so it's the first thing you see in the morning. Give pictures the gallery treatment by having them professionally matted in a prefab frame size (such as 20" x 24" or 30" x 32"). You'll save money by buying the frame yourself. Or think out of the box and frame a piece of vintage fabric. Or inquire at your local art school for shows featuring up-and-coming artists.

Frame a wallpaper sample
This is Bridges' own Harlem Toile pattern. Find it at sheilabridges.com.

I love painted stripes. You can feel free to experiment with paint color in a way that you wouldn't with hair color, and a tiny space makes that even more possible. Color­ful wallpaper also offers a quick trans­formation. And scour yard sales for a vintage framed mirror instead of a standard-issue mirrored cabinet. It will make the room feel more special and charming.

Stripe your walls
Goodbye, blah bathroom! Search "paint stripes" on xomba.com to learn how.

You don't have to buy a thing with this chic solution: Pile up a few oversize books to create a low platform for the TV. Place in front of a nonworking fireplace if you happen to have one!

Skip real furniture
Art book look cuter than a TV table, and get the job done with flair.

Q. Where can I find cheap but stylish rugs?
Consider inexpensive sisal or sea grass rugs instead of imitation Orientals (bad rugs are like bad hairpieces—only the person with the rug thinks it looks real!). Designer tip: Layer a small sisal rug over a larger one in a contrasting color. Research the options on sisalrugs.com, and check out other resources, such as ikea.com and crateandbarrel.com.

Q. Any other affordable flooring ideas?
Paint a "rug" in a solid tone on the floor using deck paint and tape. This works really well under a dining table, where crumbs would get ground into a real rug.

More rug resources:
    • urbanoutfitters.com
    • dashandalbert.com (They do great stripes!)

Negril rug, 4'x6', $134, dashandalbert.com for stores