Here are just a few starting pointers:

Lighten up. Everyone accepts the practical importance of lighting, but few appreciate its creative potential or recognize the full impact light has on the environment. Treating light as an after thought can not only limit your options, it can also become costly to alter at a later stage. Start by allowing for the full use of the natural light entering a room, and then add lighting options in layers. Always consider adding more windows and skylights whenever possible – a sure way of increasing the value of your home. Don’t be afraid to introduce a variety of light sources within each room, giving you plenty of choices from task to ambient lighting. The days of a single light hanging in the middle of a room are long gone. Track lighting, wall lights, floor lamps, plug-ins, Christmas tree lights, colored glass and even a flash of neon can really bring out the personality and enhance the functionality of any room. Be both practical and imaginative.
Create a palette. Color to a room is like rhythm to music; it sets the mood and the emotional temperature. Remember, everything has color and each color has its own personality. Paying close attention to how colors make you feel will help you determine what you want to achieve with paint. As you apply different samples of paint on your walls and ceilings, make sure you see a color under the wide array of light throughout a day before you commit. And, to take a bit of pressure off, keep in mind that if the color doesn’t rock your world, you can always re-paint.
Bring the outdoors in. Think of your doors and windows as frames to the outside world, as opposed to barriers. Invite nature in. Blend elements of the exterior with the interior. For example you might implement stone tile similar to the natural textures surrounding your home, or integrate the color of the surrounding natural landscape in your paint choices, or even bring in branches form a tree by the window to arrange tastefully in a vase. Using simple tactics like these can allow for a perfect flow of color, light and design between the indoors and outdoors.

As you embark on the journey of designing your new home, take into consideration all the elements of your personality and lifestyle. This is a perfect opportunity to express and define who you are. Remember that making your home your own is more important than keeping up with the latest trends. Paying attention to details from the start like being creative and bold with lighting and color, and integrating the outdoors into your interiors will greatly add value to your home. Use people, places, art and objects you gravitate towards to inspire you. Above all else, don’t forget to relax and be true to yourself.