Home Decorating Ideas for Accessorizing a Room
Monday, December 22, 2008 at 8:05PM
How to Accessorize a Living Room
You’ve created the perfect seating arrangement, selected exquisite fabrics, and painted the walls an inviting color….still, something doesn’t seem right. The finishing touches are what make a great room exceptional, and personalizes the space.
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When accessorizing a room there are some important considerations to take into account. The height of the ceilings, size the room, and scale of the furnishings will dictate the proportion of items. Creating harmony between all the pieces in the room is key, without crossing the line of being overdone. Start by considering the number of surfaces in the room – coffee tables, shelving, and end tables. Think about how you use the room and whether you would have to move something out of the way often in order to use the surface.
Decorating Accessories
Some of the best decorating accessories start with items you already have – books for example. Attractive coffee table books or nicely bound books can be stacked on a table with a simple bowl set on top of them. Books don’t have to line the shelves – by creating various horizontal and vertical lines of stacks, you can add art pieces, photographs, or other treasures into the mix. Keep proportion of all items in mind and don’t overdo it.
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Interior Decorating Accessories
Look to magazines or design books on home decorating to see how the pros do it. If you are a collector, then create a display in an organized manner to keep it from looking like clutter. Pay attention to varying heights of items, so not all interior decorating accessories are the same height and shape. Place something tall and vertical next to a smaller round item. Obelisks, boxes, and a small tray can create a small vignette that pulls a corner together. Always arrange in uneven numbers, and keep your pairs of pairs in check – there is nothing worse than looking around a room and seeing a pair of lamps, a pair of candlesticks, a pair of figurines… you get the idea.
The scale of your furniture can be offset by the right placement of certain objects. A tall, abundant plant can offset an oversized sectional. A textural throw can soften a leather chair. Pillows can add elements of color and shape that may be lacking.
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Accessorize a Room With Art
Art should also play heavily when pulling together a room, especially the placement and proportion of the pieces. Art is a very personal choice and doesn’t have to match the furnishings, but it needs to complement the scale like everything else. A large piece over a sofa can create balance in a room with tall ceilings. Groupings of complimentary pieces on the wall add a nice element of visual interest, especially if the items are framed differently, but relate to each other.
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I like for accessories to add that element of surprise that makes the room. I am always rearranging items to keep it fresh, but there is nothing wrong with living with the items you love for a long time. The art and accessories in a room will express your personality, and enhance a room that you love spending time in.
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Reader Comments (1)
Very good pointers on accessorizing a living room. All very true and good balance ideas.