Complete Your Home’s Décor with Accessories

Ladies, have you noticed when dressing in the morning, your ensemble is incomplete without that special necklace, earrings, handbag and shoes? Gentlemen, when you add a tie with pizzazz, wristwatch and polished shoes to your suit do you feel like you’ve already closed that business deal? Likewise, to make a room in your home work successfully, it needs the right accessories and they need to be placed strategically.

Let’s look at your sofa and chairs. To create a finished look, add pillows with coordinating or accenting colors. Vary the sizes, shapes and patterns. If the sofa is straight and rectangular, add pillows that are rounded with a fun fringe or button décor. If it is overstuffed and curvy, try square and rectangular simple solids in the right scale and proper balance. Two smaller pillows on one end of a sofa work well with a larger pillow at the other end. There’s nothing like a beautifully patterned soft afghan thrown on a comfortable leather reading chair.

When arranging accessories on an end table, consider the table’s size, shape and what’s around it. Is there a lamp on it? Be careful that you’re not filling the rest of the table with meaningless knick knacks. Add a couple of photographs in the same or similar frames next to it. Place the larger in back and the smaller in front overlapping a bit. Consider adding another small element with these or on the other side of the lamp. The idea is to add items that are special to you and that you want to share with others.

Many times people think that bookshelves are only for books. If you have books lined up vertically to one side, consider a special piece of pottery next to them. Add draping greenery into bookshelves to soften the hard edges. Include a grouping of smaller items together on a tray to create weight and presence. Group themed collections together such as Hummels, Lladro or crystal accessories. Vary heights of items. Candles are still the rage. Group candlesticks of varying heights on a mantle or knee wall. Keep one element in common, the color of the candles or the style of candlesticks. Consider shapes and sizes of accessories to create an interesting focus such as a tall clock with a lower textured decorative box and a colorful small dish. Lastly, select accessories here that coordinate with color as well as a formal or informal room.

Regardless of where you are displaying your treasures, keep rearranging them until they look cohesive. Keep space between groups of items at a minimum so they relate to each other. Don’t overdo because shelves, table tops etc will appear cluttered. The old saying “less is more” holds true when it comes to accessorizing.

Relax and have fun with your home’s accessories. Keep a box or closet to hold extras and rotate them. Remember, just because something you have has been put away, bringing it back out and placing it somewhere fresh makes it new again.