Accessorizing a Room

Design tip from Caroline Baker, design assistant

A Touch of Tradition

7313 Carroll Road, Suite D

Sorrento Mesa

760-633-4474

tot-home.com

Caroline Baker is a design assistant for A Touch of Tradition Home & Garden Shop, a full-service design studio, and furnishings, lighting and accessory shop. From exclusive fabrics and window coverings to ready-made and custom furnishings, lighting and accessories, TOT-HOME offers stylish interiors with enduring appeal for  every style of decor.  

Accessorizing a Room

When you’re shopping for accessories to complete your décor, it’s wise to subscribe to a philosophy of “less is more.” What does that mean? Rather than buying many small items that have no intrinsic value, use fewer items that provide the impact you need. The goal is to avoid cluttering spaces with items that are there without meaning. Here are a few tips to help you complete a space and tie your décor together without making it feel cluttered:

• Opt for fewer items and choose those with high quality that have history, family value and cherished memories. These will have more impact than “stuff” you buy just to fill a space.

• Use the largest piece(s) in your room to guide you on styles and colors that would work well.  

• Establish a theme.

• Choose a color to be accented. Take a look at the background color of your space; it can be a guide to colors you can use to create a finished effect. On the other hand, that background color may need to be changed to make the collectibles you already own be more cohesive.

• Discover your favorite style through the help of a designer or take one of the many style tests available online. If you know that you like English Country, for example, you’ll also know that a collection of bone-china teacups fits with your décor.

• Group a collection together to make a greater impact. A grouping of ceramic vases on the windowsill, for example, will have more impact than spreading them around on your end tables. And those bone-china teacups, mentioned previously, would be ideal showcased together in a glass-fronted china cabinet. 

• Switch pieces out seasonally if you have collectibles that seem to be taking over the space. You can have fun weeding out pieces that don’t really have meaning to you, and creating new arrangements with the pieces you retain.

• Provide empty spaces where the eye can rest. It’s not necessary to have every table, shelf and surface filled with items.

• Arrange items symmetrically in a traditionally styled room. Rather than placing multiple small items on a buffet or mantel, add a pair of correctly scaled items (like lamps or vases) on the ends and then add a few smaller paired items in between to provide height and shape interest. 

• Use accessories sparingly in a room with contemporary style. One great piece of art and a dynamic-looking table lamp can create a perfect vignette in the corner of your living room.

• Create a wall arrangement of your photographs with coordinating or matching frames. This provides a more dramatic effect than grouping many small picture frames on the piano.

• Scale accessories correctly in a large space so they won’t feel lost in the overall scheme. For example, if you desire a candlestick, opt for just one that’s big enough to have an effect on your design. Steer clear of those that are individually too small and look crowded in a group.

• Organize accessories in a small room to help the space feel completed, yet not overcrowded. Multi-functional storage pieces can provide a featured display area yet maintain an open feel to the room.