Seven Deadly Sins of Design

Matchy-Matchy Decor

When everything matches, the room becomes so safe that it's boring. Buying a suite of furniture of the same design went out decades ago. And although fabric and wallpaper manufacturers offer coordinated patterns to simplify design for the do-it-yourselfer, you should use those coordinates as a background for something old, something personal, something that makes the room your own. At left, designer Victoria Neale chose a yellow and orange palette, rather than a room full of matching pieces, to unify this living area.