How do you maintain a cohesive color grade across scenes with mixed lighting?

[Brandon89]

I've been editing my short film for months and feel confident with the cut and sound design, but now I'm completely stuck in the color grading phase, struggling to achieve a cohesive, cinematic look across different scenes shot at various times of day. I'm using DaVinci Resolve and understand the basic tools, but my attempts at creating a specific moody, desaturated aesthetic either look flat and washed out or overly stylized and inconsistent from shot to shot. For filmmakers and colorists, what is your systematic approach to color grading a project from start to finish? How do you establish and maintain a consistent look, especially when dealing with mixed lighting conditions, and what are your go-to techniques for using power windows and qualifiers to draw the viewer's eye without making the grade feel obvious or heavy-handed?