How to Decorate Like Candice Olsen

Candice Olsen's youthful, contemporary design style has viewers hooked to her HGTV show, "Divine Design." Unlike many decorators who have a signature color or a typical furniture layout, Olsen is so remarkable because she always has a fresh take on every room she makes over. By following certain decor principles the TV star is known for, you too can decorate like Candice Olsen.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Collect plenty of pictures of design treatments you like before starting a decor project. Olsen uses this scrapbook style collection to figure out her clients' style--but you can deduce this on your own by noticing which trends you seem to prefer and what the pictures you've chosen have in common.

2. Make sample boards of fabric swatches for every item you're thinking of putting into your room. Olsen keeps handy samples of the carpeting, upholstery, throw pillows, window treatments and any other fabrics so she can see how they look next to each other. This is a much better plan than buying a sofa upholstered in green and realizing after the carpet's been installed that you should have ordered in blue.

3. Use industrial or professional equipment in places like kitchens rather than items made for residences. You'll get a more modern look--not to mention stronger equipment--that's very Candice Olsen.

4. Pay careful attention to lighting. Candice Olsen always considers how light will affect the look of a room. Factor in natural light as well as electrical lighting and make sure the style of the room matches how well-lit it is. A room that's romantic needs softer lighting than a high-tech, ultra-modern kitchen.

5. Pay attention to little details like light fixtures, switch plates, knobs and other small features. The right choices can make a room--the wrong ones can doom it.