7 Areas to Accessorize With Style

Fine Art & Portraits by Laurel says:

Bravo! Good job! Excellent tips included odd numbers of objects, asymmetry, varying textures, and non-matching. Totally my taste. One more thing I'd add: if you use something antique and metal, don't polish it, let it look its age. If you have someone else clean your house, remind them not to polish your antiques, unless it's silver.

k2insr says:

Generally, using odd numbers work, but don't get hung up by that guideline (it's a guideline, not a rule). I have a grouping of four white pillar candles, all different sizes, on one end of my console, balanced by a large red vase at the other (with a clear, decorative glass plate and small Japanese bowl to hold my keys in between). The eye reads my four candles as one item and even though I have four things on the table, the eye looks at the different colors and levels. It's all a matter of proportion and spacing.

Likewise, I have two large hurricane lamps with colored ball candles in them on my square dining table. However, I place them on the diagonal so, again, the eye isn't traveling in a straight line.

Also, it looks good, but I would never put a vase with water in it on my bedside table. I would knock it over reaching for the bedside light in no time at all!

PrintedArt.com says:

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mcross says:

Here's a non-professional opinion on the topic of "accessorizing": I like design to look good and be functional. When I see a dining table "decorated" with objects that will interfere with serving and eating food, I cringe. Who wants to spend their time taking that stuff on and off every night? A coffee table without room for beverages and reading material? Silly. Easy-to-topple topiaries next to the sink? Seriously? (I like the looks, but come on...)
To me, the best decorating involves objects that are appropriately functional *and* beautiful: a gorgeous bowl with washed, ready-to-eat fruit or nuts on the dining table. A pretty runner that protects the table from hot dishes. Great coasters and books on the coffee table. An exquisite tray or way to hold keys as one walks in the door.
Staging is one thing, and I think of these more as staging ideas. Living is entirely different.
(p.s. I do appreciate the tips, which are mostly as applicable to usable objects as decorative one)

franki7 says:

Accessories are critical to my sanity! Homes should NOT be boring...unless that is what you like. franki

Andrea May Hunter/Gatherer says:

Great job, Rebekah! Accessories are the punctuation marks in a room. I also like a little sense of humor and prefer accessorizing in a way that shows thought and creativity but doesn't try too hard.

Rebekah Zaveloff says:

Thanks for all great comments! I can't believe I forgot to mention the importance of a sense of humor,@andrea may! Thanks for the reminder. @mcross, I can definitely see your point about accessories places in ways that make them annoying or inconvenient for everyday use, but the idea is to place them so that objects on a coffee table or dining table can share the space with beverages or plates. I do tend to keep these particular areas less cluttered for sure! I just really appreciate houses that are only functional and have a bit of whimsy and humor, and maybe even a bit of the unnecessary.

vivace72 says:

totally agree with @mcross...and nice ideas, but there's way too much going on on these for my taste. Unless someone lives by herself or himself and rarely has guests and then only for cocktails, and still looks fussy for me. I'd love to see more simple, artful arrangements but that's just my taste. (the one that comes close is the simple foyer with the orange lamp- bravo for that one.)

jbngypsy says:

Hi! I actually live in one of the houses that Rebekah featured. We have glass vases in different styles and heights on the dining room table which work perfectly whenever I have fresh cut flowers, plants, herbs, etc. Instead of placing them up high in a cabinet that I can never reach, they are easily accesible and encourage/remind me to bring the outdoors inside....