For this dining room, designer Miles Redd—also the creative director of Oscar de la Renta Home—channeled the New York Public Library's tables of reading lamps.

His Best Advice
-- Foundation comes first. "if you get the floor and walls right, the rest is easy," says Redd.
-- Make over your tables cape. "A new setting can change the feeling of the room," he says. "It's like changing the sheets on your bed."
-- Pay attention to scale. "I think people love dramatic light fixers, and I"m a fan of them too in the right setting," he says. "But you need to have high ceilings. When your fixture is scraping the table, you're in trouble."

Favorite Room

Standout item: Oscar de la Renta Brushstroke dinner plates ($46 each), designed by Redd, can add a painterly quality to your table. oscardelarenta.com

Designer Todd Alexander Romano says: “I don’t think it should have anything so precious or off-limits that you and your guests would be inhibited from enjoying yourselves." This was his temporary living room while he was working on his apartment.

His Best Advice
-- Seating is important. “Look at your living room after you've had guests over and see how they pulled out the furniture,” Romano suggests. Then, arrange couches and chairs to facilitate comfort and conversation.
-- Give it a “wow” factor. “Every room needs something glamorous, a thing that turns the owner on,” Romano says. Here it's the glossy blue walls and blue mohair couch.
-- Make peace with multi-purpose. “We all multi-task these days. our rooms have to keep up with that,” he declares. So don’t be afraid to put a desk in the living room or section off an area for your children to play.

Favorite Room

Standout item: A gilt-and-brass ottoman ($2,400) does double-duty—as seating and as a visual punch. toddalexanderromano.com

Designer Kelly Wearstler focuses on color and texture when creating a home office. “I love working with refined and raw minerals in all my designs,” says Wearstler, who also has jewelry and ready-to-wear clothing lines. For the decor of this room, she was inspired by the oversized lavender art.

Her Best Advice
-- Use trays - lots of them. “I use one tray for magazines and incoming mail and another for my sunglasses, camera and other things,” Wearstler says.
-- Weave in decorative books and objects. Move some favorite art and design books into your office to give it a more personal feel.
-- Gravitate toward what you love. “Be inspired by the colors in your closet!” Wearstler says. “If you love to wear a certain shade, surround yourself in it in your home.”

Favorite Room

Standout item: Corral your office items with a lacquered malachite tray ($795), designed by Wearstler herself. kellywearstler.com

A kitchen is the center of the home just as much as the den, according to Celerie Kemble. A standout in this kitchen is the special workspace with powder-coated blue desks she created so that the clients' kids can do homework while their parents cook.

Her Best Advice
-- Be practical. If something isn't easy to clean, Kemble says, it doesn’t belong in the kitchen.
-- Add a conversation piece. Besides being a design element, the map is used by the parents as a way to talk to their kids about travel and current events.
-- Go conservative with counters. Kemble used a free-floating stone top on a pedestal table in this space.

Favorite Room

Standout item: Paint the cabinet interiors with Rollinson Hues paint in Tranquil ($85 per gal- lon) to get a refreshing burst of color in a shade similar to these desks. christopherrollinson.com

Shown here, Tony Ingrao and Randy Kemper’s New York City bedroom is a mix of mid-century and modern, reflecting their eclectic tastes. “Some bedrooms we design are chaste; others are provocative,” Ingrao says.

Their Best Advice
-- Tone down the lighting. Skip harsh direct lights, and opt for fixtures like swing arm lamps, bedroom favorites of the pair. “Mood lighting can work well here, too,” Ingrao says. “I like it beneath a platform bed.”
-- Invest in a striking headboard. “A strong headboard makes the bed feel welcoming and embracing, and it can serve as the centerpiece of the room,” says Ingrao.
-- Bedside tables are a must. “They should be good-looking and large enough to be functional,” Kemper says.

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A mirrored Lorin Marsh table lamp ($5,025) not only provides gentle light but also reflects it. 212-759-8700

The library should be cozier and sexier than other rooms,” says Penny Drue Baird. Created for a young couple, this room “is jewel box–like, but warm and welcoming,” she explains.

Her Best Advice
-- Use colors that make sense with the rest of your home. “As a rule, your public spaces should coordinate,” Baird says.
-- Think about how often you’ll use the space. If you want the room to be more everyday, go for lighter wood and “friendlier” objects.
-- Add the unexpected. Baird’s favorite piece in the room is a Christian Liaigre cocktail table (not shown in the photo), which can turn into a bar. A unique lamp or rug could also work.

Favorite Room

Standout item: This Christian Liaigre Cathare coffee table (price upon request) makes a strong statement and gives ample space for books, accessories and drinks. christian-liaigre.us