Comfort. It's what we do.

Whether you are renting an apartment for the first time or taking the plunge into buying your first home, embarking on your first decorating project can be really overwhelming. Bare room, blank canvas, bare floors… It can be really intimidating! Before you throw your toys out of the pram in frustration, consider these easy to follow tips from the experts at La-Z-Boy to help maximize your space and make the best out of what you've got.

Start with the Lounge Suite

Just like a work of art, each decorating project starts with one key visual and forms from there. The sofa or lounge suite, is often the largest item in a room, so it can set the wheels in motion for all of your decorating decisions. The style and size of your lounge suite can help guide other furniture choices, while the upholstery fabric or leather provides the perfect starting off point for designing a colour scheme.

"To begin building a colour scheme, simply pick a colour from your lounge suite, along with two complimentary colours, and repeat each colour a minimum of three times throughout the room in wall coverings, pillows, rugs, window treatments and accessories," suggests Paula Hoyas, product manager for major upholstery for La-Z-Boy. "This is what we call the 'Rule of Threes.'"

Focus on Function

When you're just starting out, you're most likely dealing with limited finances and space. For these reasons, you may want to look at furnishings that combine fashion and practicality. A sleep sofa, for example, performs double duty, turning any room into an instant guest room. Likewise, many of today's modular sofas are available with sections featuring corner sections,lie flat chiase's, recliners and even sleepers, allowing buyers to meet a variety of needs with one piece of furniture.

"Multi-functional furnishings are ideal for maximizing space," Hoyas explains. "By serving more than one purpose, they eliminate the need for additional furnishings, thereby opening up a room and giving the sense of more space." Another popular option for small spaces and budgets is a storage ottoman. More than just a footrest, these designs can provide additional seating whilst also serving an perfect place for storing pillows, blankets and toys.

Warning! Objects In Store May Be Larger Than They Appear

It's happened to all of us. You visit a furniture store, fall in love with a certain piece and get it home only to find that it either won't fit through the door or it takes up the entire room. The high ceilings and vast floor space in many furniture stores can be very misleading and give buyers a warped perspective regarding the size and proportion of the furnishings on display. Be sensible about the amount of space you have to work with and don't forget to bring a tape measure with you when you shop. By starting with the sofa, focusing on practicality, and keeping perspective and proportion in mind while shopping, you'll be off to a great start and soon have a home that's a work of art.