From her first job as a house painter to a designer on TLC's Trading Spaces, Laura Day knows a thing or two about style. Read what she had to tell us about her design philosophy, inspirations and the launch of her new shelter webazine Laura Day Living.

What is your design philosophy?

My design philosophy is simple: use common sense while also thinking outside the box, be inspired by everything that you do and see, and always stay true to your vision.

What's the one style/ design rule you never break?

Never be predictable or boring and don't ever follow the crowd (unless there is something really, really good that they are doing).

Which of your works has given you the most satisfaction?

The ones that I have done for my family.

What's the most important design element in a room?

The absolute most important design element in a room is the lighting. If you don't have good lighting, it doesn't matter what colors you use or what little subtleties you have picked, you will not even be able to see them.

Do they really complete a room in 48 hours on TLC's Trading Spaces?

Yes, we really do complete a room in that amount of time. And, if you wanted to get technical, it was actually less time than that!

When it comes to anything design-related, what makes your heart beat faster?

Interesting and unexpected. Things and designs with a sense of humor or a sense of whimsy—a graceful but bold use of color, a new take on an old theme—all of these things and more.

You have a new webazine, Laura Day Living. Where did that idea come from?

I started the webazine, www.lauradayliving.com for several reasons. The first reason is that as sad as it is, almost all of our shelters mags are no longer. I also created it because when I was redoing my own website, I found myself wanting to tell more of the story about the space, the design and the things that inspired it.

I skimp when buying . . .

Whatever I can skimp on without sacrificing quality.

I splurge on . . .

Sheets and art.

My most cherished item is . . .

My family.

My next "must have" purchase is . . .

A big girl bed for my 2.5 year old.

My favorite vacation spot is . . .

The Hamptons.