The furniture is in place, and the flow is right as rain. You feel good about the space, but there is a lingering feeling you're not quite there. It just seems a little off and incomplete.
Literally to "accent" means to make (something) more emphatic, noticeable, or distinct. Seems easy enough, right? Well, lets just say there is a fine line between distracting from ones interior with poorly placed or choosen home accents and selecting those perfect pieces that enhance the overall feeling of a well designed room.
Home accessories and decorative accents add much needed spice, and interest to interior spaces, giving you a chance to show off your unique personality and style. Have some fun in your selections, where as when selecting larger more permanent or costly pieces, i.e. an expensive, custom sofa, we tend to be a little more conscious about creating a neutral background to simply avoid becoming tired of our choice in just a matter of a couple years. Accents be it linens, window treatments, throw pillows, artwork, plants, sculptures, rugs, or lighting are all where a room comes to life and starts to sing.
Now there are some technical words of advice that you should always keep in mind that no matter how lush, or unique your selections are, should you make these design transgressions, you're up the creek without a paddle.
Scale, in this case size is everything... If your rug is too small, curtains too short, or art presenting like a postage stamp on your walls, trust me, your distracting from any good that you've done. Consider size when selecting everything. Make sure the coffee table is suited for the length of you couch. If you have tall vaulted ceilings opt for an oversized piece of art, or a gallery wall to fill the space.
Balance, making sure everything has its place... Have you ever entered a large room sparsely furnished, or a space with a bunch of art situated in just one half of a space? Not a good look right? To achieve proper balance first refer to your floor plan and any architectural features of the room. Now decide whether your space would benefit from symmetrical or asymmetrical design. If you have a large, centered fireplace in your room, chances are symmetrically placing item around your fireplace grounding a focal point in the room will achieve balance. If it's a large off center window you're contending with, most likely an asymmetrical slathering of art and accents to the opposite side of your window should allow for visual calmness. A good rule of thumb, be sure to share the visual weight of objects, colors, and texture throughout your space.
As for less hard-nosed suggestions that are no less important in my eyes:
There is not a more poorly designed room for me, than one that appears to be put together all at once, and worse yet from the same store. To create a space that looks curated over time is always the design goal at Eclectic Current, but how to achieve this look can leave some folks puzzles. My advice, keep your eyes and your mind open! Shop your favorite stores (with restrain) of course, but sourcing from flea markets, consignment shops, antique stores, and local pop-up or boutique shops for one-of-a kind items is what brings soul to a space.
Use an odd number of items, it’s just more pleasing to the eye. An easy way to arrange eye catching vignettes with your accessories is to create triangles with the items, adding varying heights, color and texture to create interest.
Details matter! Now that you've done all this work creating the perfect floor plan, sourced those special decorative accents, achieved balance throughout, and mastered the overall scale of your homes treasures, don't you dare overlook the small details that lay the base for the big, beautiful picture! Does your ceiling or baseboards need a fresh coat of paint? Or do your old, gold door knobs bring back bad memories of where you started. Take the time to address these things always, if not right off the bat. I can't tell you how often I've seen examples of where homeowners ignore an old, dingy ceiling fan, or left a dated light fixture when sprucing up their spaces. If you're going to do it, do it in its entirety.
Decorative Accents are the feather in your home's design cap. Have fun, remember the details, and curate over time if you can. I always say, weave interest with what brings a smile to your face, don't just fill rooms with stuff. I hope this was helpful and please look out for my blog post on where I source from my favorite shops and secret locations in WNC.
Comments