Interior Styling Tips & Tricks
I don’t know about you, but have you ever purchased the perfect furniture piece to add to your home and once you have placed it have the daunting task of finding some accents and accessory items to decorate it. Maybe you are the minimalist and just prefer the necessities like a table lamp and charging station for your smart devices, or maybe you enjoy a little more decorative embellishment to your surface top area like a vase, candle sticks or sculpture? Whatever your taste there is nothing wrong with either, it just depends on your own personal preference.
That being said, as Designers we love to accent and accessorize everything:-) and that is whey we are here. If you find that you are struggling with some accent ideas for your table top surfaces or accessories in general, check out some of these simple ideas to help guide you. If you need help with a personal design, we can help you with that too, just check out our Design Package ideas to see which one works best for you!
Sideboard & Buffet Styling
A sideboard or buffet in a dining room or living room is another great piece to use as a focal point in a space. Embellish the top with pieces of varying heights. Hang a piece of artwork or a mirror above to draw further interest to that area. Add a stylish table lamp for illumination and display pieces in groupings as in vases, sculptures or picture frames to give visual interest and depth. A beautifully decorated sideboard will undoubtedly be a great addition to any room!
Console Table Styling
Console tables are such a nice addition to an area that you don’t have too much space, but just enough to add a little decorative element to that area without obstructing traffic. If against a wall, place a mirror or artwork to ground the console table, then accessorize the top with a variety of pieces that include either a lamp, decorative sculptures, photo frames and a floral or greenery piece for a pop of color!
Have you seen the designs of console tables lately? Some are fast becoming architectural wonders compared to the traditional small table used for a landing spot or place to put your keys. Some are stunning works of art, sculptures of sorts that would make quite a statement in any Foyer or Living room. Therefore when is comes to styling them, make sure to use accessories to complement but not take away from the beauty of the piece.
Adding a console table to an empty blank wall is such a nice way to add a decorative display to that area. It is a great foundation to showcase pieces that are attractive to admire and contain personal touches that are sentimental to you. Foyer Console tables are common as they are an ideal piece to display a small vignette of pieces that are homey, welcoming and an insight to the rest of your home. Add a collection of pieces of varying size and stature and don't forget that pop of color!
Nightstand & Dresser Styling
One of my favorite things to do is to assist clients accessorize their dressers, nightstands or console tables. I recommend finding pieces that define your style that are of varying heights, colored pieces and personal touches. The secret to making a decorative display is to group and layer. Try not to line everything up, instead mix objects into different heights and sizes, layer pieces then add greenery or florals to add a pop of color.
Although nightstands play an important role in ones bedroom as they are a resting area for many devices and beverages, adding a little decor and personality to them never goes a miss! You don't want to overload the surface area with too much knick knacking so you don't have space for your water cup or cell phone charger, but just enough to adorn the top with a little burst of personality, a little color and simple touches that are stylish yet inviting :-)
Fireplace & Mantle Styling
The fireplace mantel, if not reserved for the TV, is a perfect area to accessorize, being that it is usually the focal point of a room. Generally, these ledges are crying out to be decorated with sentimental pieces and knick knacks! Now, you could go in one of two ways, keep it simple and uncluttered with just a couple of accessories, maybe a couple of picture frames, an attractive vase or a simple floral OR you could go a little more decorative and stack and layer various items to showcase a particular theme, coastal, rustic, modern etc.
Depending on your design style and personal choices, gather together a collection of objects of varying heights, dimensions and complementing colors, then arrange them into small groupings of no more than three to four items. Lastly consider creating either a balanced or an a-symmetrical effect at either end of the mantel depending on your preference, don’t be afraid to shuffle things around a bit until it feels right and pleasing to the eye.
A decorative Fireplace Mantel whether it is year round or embellishing it for the Holiday Seasons makes a house feel like a home, warm, cozy and inviting, our one happy place where we all love to be…!
Small Entry and Foyer Styling
What does your entry say about you? This is an area where you first meet your guests and invite them into your home. Get creative with your foyer, it says a lot about you and your home. Consider your needs, possibly a bench to sit and put on shoes or check your calendar before walking out the door, a mirror for that one last quick check over to make sure everything is in place, or a clock to make sure you are on time, whatever you chose make it welcoming with a feeling of…”I’m home” !!:-)
Accent Wall Styling
Most rooms have a focal point, and this is generally where you want to put something that commands a presence. Often times we have to design the room around a large TV above the Fireplace which is a central area of a room, however there are times in cases of dining rooms and small dens that this is not the case and we can get creative with a decorative wall treatment and/or stunning piece of wall art. The addition of an accent wall not only draws the eye into the design but allows you to tap in and accentuate the architectural detail of the wall, whether is has a window, beams or an alcove or niche. Whatever your design style, be creative and do something that is completely unpredicted. Like this Vintage looking Mosaic Glass tile above a crisp white wall molding and a classic print of an American Style Icon makes this wall niche a conversation starter for sure!
