Often, when one walks into a furniture store, he or she is seduced by perfectly arranged suites of furniture in vignette after vignette. The air is infused with scented oils, smooth elegant music is playing in the background, and perfectly coiffed assistants are there to answer any questions with a smile.

These scenes are all orchestrated to enhance the shopping experience and allow the customer to imagine the setting in their home. Each turn of a corner represents "how we should live," right down to pre-packaged music on CDs placed by the cash register. "Room struck" customers vow a budget freeze on everything else in order to have the interior of their dreams.

Don't be seduced! This instant gratification of perfectly designed rooms will likely be a disappointment. The furniture ensemble arriving at the door will not look the same as it did in the store, no matter what the salesperson tells you.

Buying an entire suite of furniture where everything matches seems easy, but the personality and character of the home will suffer. This matchy-matchy approach will prove to be boring and will not spike the interest your home deserves. There will also be many missed design opportunities.

Interiors should reflect your taste and lifestyle. Unless you are designing a suite of hotel rooms, they should express individuality.

The best way to develop a sophisticated and interesting interior design scheme is to select and buy your furnishings one piece at a time, to ensure proper fit and proportion and mix of colors and textures. This is often a daunting task, except in the hands of interior designers, who have the capability and experience to make the design process seem effortless. There are no rules for matching or harmonizing a group of furniture. However, a professional designer has the skills, confidence and experience to pull it all together.

If you do choose to design a room on your own, remember that traditional interiors, by nature, are generally an accumulation of antiques or antique reproductions, which should vary in finish and style. Select each piece for its character, style and function — and, above all else, because you love it.

In contemporary interiors, where it is understood that all furnishings are new, a variation of finishes, colors and textures is the advisable course of action. They all should harmonize but not necessarily match. Select each item carefully so that it will merit its own distinction and provide years of enjoyment.

Where to begin is usually the hardest part of interior design. Start with the selection of a focal piece of furniture, such as a china cabinet, coffee table or other important item. Then add other furnishings to complement the overall look. Just be sure to keep in mind that matchy-matchy is a no-no!

Joseph Pubillones is the owner of Joseph Pubillones Interiors, an award-winning interior design firm based in Palm Beach, Florida. To find out more about Joseph Pubillones, or to read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: at Unsplash