Work with a designer – lighting, kitchen, bathroom, or interior – from the retailer where you intend to buy your products. Many stores, such as Ethan Allen, offer the service for free, while others rebate the pro’s fee against your purchase.
Normally there will be no charge for this service, saing you about $300 per hour that you would otherwise pay for a consultation with an independent designer.
Additionally, these in-store folks know their products well and know what’ll work best where.