Are you trying to add an edge to your traditional or contemporary style rooms without having to abandon everything you own or totally remodel? One design growing in popularity which allows you to combine the best of both traditional and contemporary styles for a comfortable yet sophisticated feel is transitional design. When considering a transitional room, you should focus on a flowing floor plan with warm, neutral and soft colors for visual appeal and comfort.

Architecture - When planning your floor layout, focus on a clean and straight space with a few curves. Be sure to incorporate archways and radius molding to round the drywall corners if you have a lot of nooks and crannies. Wood ceilings, exposed truss work and simple beams are appropriate, but stay away from carved corbels or elaborate coffered or spider beams. Another consideration is to use double-hung or casement windows as opposed to multi-light windows, which adds simplicity to your walls.

Colors - The color palette for your transitional room should be relaxing and uncomplicated. You should consider using ivory, taupe, beige, tan and vanilla for walls to emphasize your lines and trim molding. For floors, you can select from warm brown to chocolate tones for hardwoods and Berber to sisals for soft texture carpeting. Want to add more depth to your room? Go ahead and use dark brown sparingly, perhaps placing a deep jacobean-colored sitting chair strategically in the corner for the late night book reader?

Fabrics - Whether you're hosting a casual football party or an eloquent dinner gathering, the use of fabrics play a key role. Good choices are corduroy, ultrasuede, pliable leather, soft cotton and nubby chenille. As you round out the room with window treatments, consider using solid color fabric drapes or roman shades. This will enhance your wall color while picking up the soft texture of your carpet.

Accents - As you walk through your room, accessorizing with small touches will make big splashes. For example, next to your jacobean-chair in the corner, place a single floral design in a chunky lead-glass vase. You can also add black frames with white mattes to showcase your pictures on tables and walls. Finally, furnish your windows by hanging your drapes using brushed nickel or silver metal rods, or dark brown wood rods.

The marriage of opposites is always interesting and filled with challenges and rewards, just like life and home design. Combining conservative traditional styles with innovative contemporary styles requires a balanced approach to planning. Done right, the result is clean, timeless and very appealing.