Think of your closet. Unless you subscribe to a minimalist lifestyle or are naturally gifted with the art of letting go, then it’s probably filled with shirts, tops, dresses and shoes you rarely wear, a cluttered collection that detracts from the pieces you actually do enjoy. The same issue exists in the realm of interior design. Bedspreads change with tastes and seasons and end up dominating linen closets, upholstery gets revamped, paints get swatched and swapped. But according to Holly Harrison-McDowell, ASID, owner of Holly Harrison Interiors Inc., the best way to avoid this problem is to dig deep inside and use intuition to figure out what makes you truly happy in the world of design.

“Make the space yours,” she says. “Search for a few pieces that truly make you smile and start there. If they’re a little pricier, you can always balance the budget by cutting back on the remaining items. Personality is what makes a home your own. Be bold.”

In other words, if you’ve invested in turning your home into a reflection of yourself, then before cashing in on a table or chair or curtain that looks trendy in a magazine, think twice about how you really feel. If an item doesn’t speak to you right away, then keep looking until you find the perfect piece.

To learn more about Holly Harrison-McDowell and see photos of her designs, check out her Houzz page.