Celebrity interior designer Vern Yip stopped in St. Louis recently for the launch of I.O. Metro, a new modern home furnishings store, which opened last week at The Boulevard in Richmond Heights. We caught up with the judge from HGTV's "Design Star" to ask him about his favorite furniture trends, becoming a new dad and how to spot a good deal in a tight economy.

What is the biggest design mistake people make?

Feeling like everything has to match. People may feel like they don't have the "expertise" in designing, so they take a Garanimals approach. I want to see their personalities come through in their homes. They should take the time to acquire things they really like.

The other mistake is about space planning. Most people go out and start acquiring things without thinking: What is the function of this room and how big are the items I need to have the room function as I need it to?

Design is not where it was 10 to 20 years ago, where you had to pick a style and commit to it. Now, it's about finding a unique, eclectic mix and letting your imagination go a bit.

How do you make an eclectic mix looked finished and polished?

It's about finding that one thread that ties everything together, whether it's a color, form or material. Once you have that one thread, everything else is a go.

How has having a child affected your approach to designing spaces?

I grew up with really nice things, things that were oftentimes delicate. It taught me to respect them and taught me that I needed to be delicate around them. I am probably going to go down that road with him (Yip and his partner have an 8-month old son, Gavin). I want him to appreciate things that we have collected painstakingly. But (becoming a parent) also gives me more of an appreciation for furniture that does double duty, especially closed storage. At night, I can put all of Gavin's toys away and get all that technicolor stuff out of my eyesight.

What are some of your favorite current trends?

I love reclaimed wood, sort of the reclaimed meets industrial look. I also like the shift in wood colors. For so long, everything was about dark chocolate wood finishes. Mixing different woods is a much more sophisticated look. And animal prints are still big, although a little dab can go a long way. Also, I still like metallics. Touches of metal help balance and soothe a room.

How has the recession affected how people design and decorate their homes?

I think people are much smarter consumers. The immediate response was to staple up their wallets, but we're out of that now. People clearly are working on their homes, sometimes because they can't sell them. They're spending more time in them. But, as a consumer, you still have to be educated and responsible when you walk into a store. You have to be able to ask: Is this solid wood or veneer? Am I sitting on high-density foam or regular foam? Is the frame of this sofa made of hard wood or pine?

Price tag and quality do not necessarily go hand in hand.