photo from Ellen Phillips Interiors archive
Did you finally find that amazing piece of furniture that you have been looking for only to discover you don’t know how to accessorize it? That happens quite a lot. Home accessories are easy to find, however settling on the best way to display it can be challenging.
Part of this is dependent upon your design eye, but don’t worry! There are a few simple rules that you can follow to make any interior shine. Here are my top three tips for accessorizing your space!
Tip #1 - Group in odd numbers
Even the most fantastic of accessory items can fall flat in a room if they are placed incorrectly.
Yes, I know it is your home and no one else cares, but you should! Accessories always look best when they are grouped in combinations of odd numbers. Three or five is perfect.
With that, you need to be sure that your groups of items are close in proximity to each other but still allowing for space between them. That said, I often place accessories in model homes only to find the cleaning crew has come by and rearranged everything. Very frustrating!
photo from Ellen Phillips Interiors archive
You will never want your items to be placed in a row or evenly spaced out. Stagger the elements break the monotony and definitely have a few of the pieces sitting a bit closer to each other than the others.
Another tip for grouping items is to steer clear of using the same sizes, colors, or textures on everything. This photo has three candles all in the same color, so the added plant and textural rocks helps to accent the vignette.
Mixing these elements adds another level of interest and can make anything stand out. Imagine a perfect green vase on a green book next to a green plant. Boring.
If you want your green vase to shine, group it with a purple plant and a cream book. Now it stands out!
Tip #2 - Size is everything!
My biggest single point to convey for accessorizing is nothing should be smaller than a football.
Now obviously if you have a bowl and you are displaying decorative balls, they can be smaller. The whole piece needs to be football size or bigger. If you have an amazing accessory but it is tiny, save it for a curio cabinet. It is just too small to have out on display.
That said, you want your accessories to stand out as accents in the room. Think of your accessories as telling a story about YOU!
Accessories should mean something personal to you. If you look around your room and there are just arbitrary things, well that is just clutter. See my post about decluttering and donating to charity.
You want your accessories to be substantial and significant!
That said, when you are considering your accessory vignettes, be sure that the sizes of the items you are grouping are all varied. An oversize jar with a mid-size plant and a few small candlesticks will complement each other well rather than 3 items of the same size all seeming to compete for interest.
photo from Ellen Phillips Interiors archive
Tip #3 - Select Photos Carefully
Consider the subject of the photo and select a frame accordingly. Never, never, never settle on just a plan skinny metal drugstore frame for a featured accessory vignette.
Image by StockSnap from Pixabay
If you want to display a family gallery, opt for something fun such as 8×10 black and whites set inside 18×20 frames with large white mats. There are also some great options to have your favorite prints blown up and printed on stretched canvas. Those can look amazing.
The point being, if you are going to display your family photos, make sure they look spectacular.
The Bottom Line
The ultimate idea of purchasing and placing the right accessories is that you want these items to EMBELLISH your interior. Every accessory item in your room should be a cohesive part of the style and feel of the room. The color, the size, and the concept of the piece needs to be an integral part of your look.
Be sure the items you select are powerful and colorful. If you need more help with this, please contact me! I’m happy to help.
