We all know that the accessories you wear with an outfit can change it’s look. You can take a simple black dress and by adding pearls you dress it up, by adding a scarf you dress it down.
The principles of accessorizing your home can work in the same way. The items that you choose for a room will make it casual or formal.
If accessorized correctly the room will look cohesive and comfortable or it can look cluttered and disorganized.
Do you remember the last time you went into a department store and everything was arranged just right? It seemed to just pull you right in. That’s good merchandising.
Then think of a time when you went into a store and it was visual chaos… aisles in disarray, shelves overcrowded, displays mismatched and clothing racks unorganized. It seemed to push you right back out.
Our homes can leave those same impressions, not only with our guests, but with our families.
There are principles for good home accessorizing:
Homes that are devoid of accessories are extremely bland and lifeless.
- Personalize Your Home
- Let your personality shine through
- Use items that you love and make you happy
- Use a few well chosen and framed family photos
- Consider Color
- As you are making choices, remember to repeat the color at least 3 time in a room. A splash of color doesn’t mean just one big red pillow, use 2-3 other items of the same color to pull everything together.
- Arrange groupings by color. Even if the items are totally unrelated, grouping them with like colors makes them appear unified and pleasant to the eye.
- Hanging Artwork
- Have you ever walked into a room and the artwork is so high that you have to crank your neck just to look at it? Artwork should be hung at eye level.
- Bookcases or Shelves
- Avoid having too many items on your shelves. These areas tend to become a catch all. Rather than showcasing special things, nothing is really noticed because there are just too many things.
- If you are grouping items on a shelf, your groups should contain 1,3 or 5 pieces. Grouping in odd numbers is best.
- If you are displaying books on your shelves, take off the dust covers, for a richer look.
- Use Mirrors to reflect something beautiful
- Use Area Rugs to define spaces and pull colors together
- Special Collections
- If you have a special collection, don’t scatter them all over the house. Group them together to define a theme.
Most of us have many wonderful and useful accessories around our home that can be moved to other locations or arranged differently, and they will make a entirely new impact. Going shopping (as fun as that is) isn’t always necessary.
If you’re feeling challenged with how to accessorize a room or your entire home, let’s get together.
I am a trained color consultant, and I am also trained in Feng Shui principles. I use color, Feng Shui, organization and redesign to create beautiful spaces. I love working with people to help them re-create and refresh their environment.