Furniture and Furnishings - I'm a design idiot, am I buying wisely???

Hey,

I currently live like a college student in a modest one bedroom condo but in a year or two will be building my own home. Interior design wise, I'm just a regular guy with absolutely no knowledge, imagination, or creativity. I am, however, a wise shopper.

As it happens, I work next to a Bed, Bath and Beyond and go in there 2-4 times a week and regularly find awesome bargains (frequently mismarked clearance items), so with coupon, they're irresistible. (This past week I got a $100 pillow for $6.30) As such, I've been stocking up for my move. Some stuff are no-brainers like $800, 1000 thread count, 800 power fill down comforters for $80, but that's just because they're underlying foundations that no one will necessarily see. But other stuff, stuff that people see, I have questions about seeing that I'm style handicapped.

The thing is, people think I have great taste, but that's only when it comes to individual items. I know what's nice, what won't be out of style in a year or a decade, and what's of good quality, and people always really like the items themselves, but as to putting them together, I don't know how that's going to work. I try to remain very conservative, solid colors with textural nuances and such, or very conservative patterns, but I hope that I'm not wasting my money. I've been told (and also told the opposite) that if you get good, tasteful, classic stuff, you can make it work together, but is that true? I've got probably six duvet covers now, for example, that are all individually great, ranging from ecru, to navy, to burgundy, to brown, and a few others, and I've got blankets to match, and I've got a million pretty frames, but if I hire a decorator (or find a talented girlfriend in my new city), will they be able to put the pieces of this puzzle together? Like I said, it's all great stuff, I just need to know if the chances of it fitting together are good.

Btw, I plan to buy a whole house of mission/shaker style furniture and my tastes run towards jewel tones and autumn colors, with an additional penchant for greys and blacks, and that's the kind of stuff that I buy.

So, am I wasting my money on these great bargains I find?

Thanks.

I used to buy a ton of things and save them for when I moved out of my parents house. I not only bought stuff from BBB, but also Ross, Marshals, TJ Maxx, Kirkland's Home, Dillards, and anywhere else I could get great qulity stuff for my home at a reasonable price. I bought my stuff over 3 years ago and still love all of it as much as I did back then. My rooms in my house look like they were done by a perfessional interior designer (I was going to go to school for it) and I always get a ton of compliments on my house.

I guess if you buy high end modern furniture from Italy or France, you won't regret buying expensive furniture because they are very sleek design, comfort furniture that decorate your home perfectly.

You're doing great with the basics - what will eventually pull it all together are the accessories - maybe you should just keep stockpiling the basics, and then wait until you get in your house to "picture" the themes or additional accessories you may need -

When you get ready to move into your future place and you have things left over you can always sell them on ebay and possible make more than you paid for it.

buy what you like. throw it in a room. If it does not match, call it eclectic and everybody goes "ooooohh, aaahhhhh," anyway.