I have this friend who literally goes into a furniture store and buys a whole room on display, including lamps and art, and transports it to her own home to reconstruct it there.

The problem is that the majority of furniture stores cater to the lowest common denominator in order to avoid offending anyone’s sensibilities. After all, they’re job is to sell furniture, not help you decorate your personal space! Generally everything in these stores matches and coordinates in a soulless, artificial way.

I realize that my friend buys this way because she feels unsure of herself; but I’d rather see a mistake in a room that reflects your real personality than a room that looks like it should have price tags on everything in it.

I say–NO FEAR! Go wild and crazy! Mix and match wood stains, fabrics, and genres. Decorating your home isn’t a necessity–it is a form of self-expression. So why do it if you’re not really expressing yourself?