If you're planning to re-do a major portion of your home"s flooring (or the whole thing), designers tell us that planning is critical.

The number one consideration is to carry a single dominant color or color range from one room to another, just as you would with paint and wallpaper. The objective is to help your decor flow naturally.  Dramatically different colors may look great in each room but they can present an interrupted environment as you look about.

Carpet is a designer favorite because it is so versatile, and the many colors, styles, multilevel patterns and textured weaves make it capable of easily tying together so many different decorating styles.

Your flooring need not be EXACTLY the same throughout. It simply needs to be COORDINATED.

Carpet manufacturers have their pulse on color and design trends and create their collections accordingly with coordinating colors, patterns and designs. If you wish to have a smooth, tailored look in the entry and a sculpted floral in the living room, let the “collections” be your guide.

As you create that flowing personal statement, consider that the “uninterrupted” look works for every flooring type, including wood. As much as you may love some of those new exotics and may have a hard time choosing a favorite, here’s a tip for getting started as you design with wood.

Harmony begins with selecting a look, a feel, a mood. Will it be cool, warm or neutral? That would be blues and greens, reds and oranges, and umbers and browns for wood. (Yes, wood has color, too!) Once you’ve settled on the mood, it becomes easier to coordinate your decor from room to room with carpet, tile, laminate and area rugs. Just like every other resident of your home, your floors need to be part of a family.

One final designer hint. Manufacturers often make different grades of carpet in the same color, which means you can splurge in special areas and economize in rooms which are rarely used. One of the values of a specialty retailer is a breadth of product choices and the ability to help coordinate your floor and get the most from each square foot of flooring you purchase.