Describe your personal style: Traditional with a modern twist.  I love furniture with clean lines and luxurious materials.  I focus on details: layers of textures, quality pieces, funky accents, and expressive art.

Favorite room to redesign: The bedroom.  I love to take a cluttered bedroom and simplify the space to achieve a relaxing environment peppered with elements of romance and fantasy.

Go-to appliance brands: Miele’s dishwashers and coffeemakers. Bosch’s stove tops and ranges.

Items to splurge on: Long-term investment pieces, namely art and furniture—especially design classics and antiques.  These items are the foundation of a space, often appreciate in value, and can be passed on as heirlooms.  Also, don’t underestimate a good mattress.

The design sins you see most often: Restraint.  Many clients are afraid to add their own signature punch or statement piece to a room for fear that it doesn’t “go.”  A great room is layered and tells the story of the people who live there.  Don’t be afraid to add that quirky statement piece.  Also, people fear color.  Beige and taupe are not always the answer.  Yellow, another popular, seemingly safe choice, is a hard color to execute in the right shade.  Too often these safe yellow rooms feel as if one’s living in a vat of margarine.

What styles/themes/trends/colors are outdated?  Cheap, overstuffed brown and black leather sofas in bachelor pads. Fellas, let’s move past this disastrous trend into the new millennium.

DIY is nice, but when is it time to call in a professional?  Even if you can’t afford a full-scale designer, getting an expert eye before tackling a project is a wise investment.  Interior designers provide a different view from contractors and architects in that we are focused on how things function and work in a very practical, livable way.

Danielle Colding, Chandani Design Group. NYC. 646.300.1591 chandanidesign.com

QUICK TIPS:

~ Contrary to popular belief, small spaces often look best with intense color.  Don’t be afraid to make a bold choice with a dark, deep hue or vibrantly patterned wallpaper.