I didn't do home improvement exercises or anything like that. It was more like making sure that I had the right tools, and all the materials we would need. Barry and I, and Cathy, worked all night. Like Ron, we started out with a good plan. It has to be beautiful, practical and usable, and at the same time it really has to transcend that in some magical way, and something that touches you emotionally.
Good design is very conscious of the human factor, is hospitable, and gracious, and inviting.
I can only speak to the room itself, not the furnishings. The most significant items would be the Pella windows, the archway kit, the vent-free fireplace, the flooring, and then general materials like molding and drywall. We married the high with the low, in that we did have some high-end pieces, and at the same time we had some other moderately priced items. But overall we were a bit extravagant. One item complements the other, in that the lesser item is brought up by the more expensive, and the more expensive item is made a little less precious and fine, which makes the room a little more comfortable to be in.