Image via Houzz. Design by Culligan Abraham Architecture.

To honor National Home Furnishings Month this September, we’ve decides to share what we’ve learned from our education and decades of experience as interior designers. Here are Home Furnishings Do’s and Dont’s.

DO’S

• Do purchase furniture with the intention of it lasting for decades. If you are on a budget, invest in fewer high quality pieces and incorporate new objects in the future.
• Do Look for small accent pieces and accessories at flea markets and garage sales to help you stretch your dollar.  Use these accents to add some interest and color to your decor.
• Do take your home’s architecture and locale into account.
• Do purchase items that both you and your significant other agree on. Life is too short to have arguments over decorative details and you can generally come to a compromise that will work for both of you..
• Do ask a professional interior designer for advice.  It will almost always save you from making mistakes in terms of scale, flow and color and consequently save you money in the long run.

• Don’t blindly follow trends. Fashion magazines love trends because it encourages people to replace their wardrobe on an annual basis.  Home furnishings, while stylish, are a long-term investment, so embrace this season’s color or pattern only after you have decided that you will love it for years to come and use it only on items that are easily replaced like pillows, throws and small rugs.
• Don’t buy a large piece without knowing where you will put it and what you will use it for.
• Don’t give away a family heirloom just because you think it is out of style.  Styles change, but the pieces of your past have personal value forever and add a layer of interest to your interiors.

Take a look at the interiors of Bunny Williams, Mona Hajj and Martyn Lawrence Bullard to see how to integrate beautiful heirlooms with modern styles, ageless textiles and fun ethnic accessories.

For more ideas visit our Houzz page and to find a mix of heirloom quality furniture with fun accent pieces and textiles, visit us at Home on the Range Interiors in Steamboat Springs!