The Art of Accessorizing- Part II

Tips and Advice

Welcome back!  In the last post I talked about how accessories can really make a room beautiful.  Today I’ll share a few tips that you can use to spice up your home and have it looking fabulous. 

The first thing to ask yourself when accessorizing is what you are trying to convey about yourself and how you want to feel in the room.  Do you want to create a cozy, comfortable room that says you’re well-traveled?  Or perhaps a cool and sleek room that announces your sophistication and good taste?  You can do both through accessories. 

Living room w/ two chairs, sofa and fireplace
A warm, wonderful, well accessorized room

Let’s take the first scenario.  You’d like a cozy, comfortable room that says you’re well- traveled.  The accessories you can use to convey that are:  Throw pillows in ethnic fabrics or patterns, cozy, fuzzy throws draped over sofas, chairs,  or beds.  Books in bookcases, artwork depicting photos of your travels or exotic artwork that you’ve collected,  ethnic sculpture, and graphic patterns on colorful rugs all enhance a cozy, warm feel and reflect that you’ve traveled. 

Contemporary living room
Clean, sleek and minimal, a room by designer Susan Kennedy from New York

In the next scenario – the sophisticated sleek look can be communicated with a minimum of accessories.  Great artwork (usually contemporary or abstract),  sculpture that’s simple in design (or not, if it’s a focal point), and  rugs that are more subdued in pattern and color.  Utilize throw pillows to bring in accent colors.

Here are some other ways to think about accessorizing:

  • Change it from time to time.  Obviously, holiday accessorizing is important but I also like  to change accessories based on the seasons.  I change my  duvet and pillow shams in spring and fall to make the bedroom look cool and airy or warm and cozy.  I also change my dining room tablescapes to reflect the seasons.
  • It doesn’t have to be expensive.  Use things you’ve collected over the years to make your room interesting. Group artwork that you already own to see if you can create an interesting wall of art. If you have a great blanket or throw, display it instead of hiding it.  One caveat – there is such a thing as too much, although that’s subjective.
  • Look at your room from top to bottom to find the “bare spots”.  Are your windows bland?  Do you have only one tiny little piece of artwork on a large wall?  Do you have any throw pillows on sofas or chairs?  How about the floor?  If you can’t change the carpeting, there are accessories like baskets, plants, etc. that you can put on the floor to dress up the space and make it interesting.
  • Don’t forget table tops.  You can create beautiful, seasonal accessory groups using seasonal plants and flowers, pottery, books, and other tchotchkes that rotate out as seasons change. 

All in all, accessorizing is about letting your personality shine through.  So don’t be afraid!  Or, if you are, call in a professional to help you utilize what you have and suggest things you may want to acquire.  Go forth and accessorize!

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The Art of Accessorizing- Part I
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