Tired of the same old looks in furniture stores? Don’t be a slave to fashion when it comes to where and how you live. Express your own style and set the new trend in home décor. Here’s how:

1. Examine your lifestyle: You’ll be happiest when choosing styles that fit the way you really live. If you aren’t home much and you don’t like cleaning, choose fabrics and furnishings that require little care and camouflage dirt. If you prefer delicate things, go for silks.



2. Match Your Personality: If you love one-of-a-kind looks in your clothing and jewelry, custom furniture pieces may be for you. Simply classic in every way? Go for symmetry in your room arrangement.



3. Hot or Cold: Choose your home’s color palette by gauging your own temperature. Use magazine and catalog pictures to identify which color tones you prefer- warm and cozy or cool and open. Check out which colors dominate in your closet to clue yourself in.



4. Size Matters: Nothing's worse than ordering an oversized chair that leaves your feet dangling or a very deep sofa that you can't get out of comfortably without a crane. Even if you like the look of the oversized or undersized pieces, do a “test drive” to know if your desired look matches your desired level of comfort.



5. Accessorize with Passion: Your interests and hobbies should come through in room design, whether it's the kids' well-framed artwork, leather-bound books, decorative plates, baseball cards or boomerang collection. Work backwards and build a room design to incorporate all the right colors and pieces to hi-light your hobbies, passions and collections.