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Accessories add the finishing touch!

A dding beautiful accessories to your room design is key to creating a finished, personalized, and homey space you love to live in. I love searching for the perfect items to accessorize rooms with. There is definitely an art to styling a room with the most appropriate accessories. Designers also use accessories to tie the colors of the room together and/or add pops of color. To help break it down and make it easy for you, I’ve outlined my 10 top accessory styling tips below. I’ve also included some fabulous accessories for you to easily shop at the bottom of this post. Add your comments and let me know what you think!

Lara’s Top 10 Tips To Style Your Room Like a Pro:

1 I’m a huge believer in the “less is more” rule when it comes to accessorizing! When there’s too much going on in your room it will just look cluttered and messy. A few eye-catching, well placed, color coordinated accessories will do the trick!

2 Edit, edit, and then edit some more! If you already own tons of accessories and have some special items from traveling, family heirlooms, or sentimental gifts you like to display, I suggest you select your top few favorites to place on your tables and shelves, and then put the rest away.

3 Match your accessories to the colors in the room. For example, if your room has black, silver and pink, then some of the accessories should have those colors in them. Use less of the stronger, brighter colors and more of the more neutral colors. Doing so will make the brighter color really pop and keep things from getting too overdone. Throw pillows are one of my favorite ways to tie colors together in a room. I always use throw pillows on sofas and chairs for this exact reason in which I carefully select pillow fabrics to complement the rug, artwork, other fabrics, etc.. You can also find vases, candles, pictures frames, and other unique items in the matching colors too.

Tie your room colors together with matching accessories

4 Use books stacked together to take up visual space on coffee tables and shelves and to display your accessories. I love to lay a stack of large picture books flat on a coffee table and place a beautiful bowl or box on top of them. In bookshelves, alternate a group standing together with a group laying flat. The group laying flat makes a perfect perch for a great accessory such as a small statue or decorative object. If you have a lot of books, break them up on the shelf with a pair of great looking bookends.

5 Grouping common items together is a great look. I love finding a great looking group of items in the colors and finishes of the room, typically in a group of 3 or 4 items. For example, a group of matching picture frames in different sizes looks amazing and displays your photos beautifully. Or, a group of gorgeous candlestick holders or hurricanes, also in varying heights will look great. Other items that group together well are vases, decorative boxes, and small statues.

6 Use unique lamps in the same finishes and theme of the room. Lamps are great used in pairs on sofa end tables or console tables. Try making or buying shades that match the other colors in the room.

Using unique lamps adds interest and style

Match lampshades to your room colors

7 If you have a collection of items you want to show off, I suggest using a separate display case for them where they can be neatly organized. Or, you can install a couple of wall shelves just for your collection. Little trinkets, such as porcelain boxes, look pretty grouped together on a sturdy side table. Anything that’s very delicate or breakable should be put up on a shelf or in a case. The main point though is that they should be neatly shown all together in their own separate area.

8 Trays are always included in my room designs! I love grouping decorative accessories together on a smart looking tray. This technique looks great on any table. There are so many gorgeous trays these days, in any shape, color, or size. A great looking tray will define an area and works to highlight a few pretty objects such as candles, vases, boxes, bar items….the list is pretty endless! Trays will also protect your table or countertop surface, which is an added bonus ☺

9 The use of small faux plants can also add interest to your mix of accessories in your room design. Interior designers know that well placed small plants makes a room feel warm and homey. I like to use faux succulent plants because they come in small sizes for shelves and they tend to look more realistic than some other faux plants. They are also very neat and compact looking. Some fake plants and flowers will look too much like plastic, so I would avoid using those. Make sure to put your small plant in an attractive container that matches your room colors and design.

10 Be thoughtful about your artwork selections for each room. I can write several blog posts just on art selection and how to frame and hang it (which I will do soon, so keep an eye out!). For the purpose of this post, I will just say artwork should in some way coordinate with your total room design which can be with common colors, or themes, or shapes. Also be conscious of your frame choices! Framing makes a big impact on how the art will look in the big picture of your room scheme! Keep the frames somewhat consistent with the overall room style and colors.

I hope you found this post helpful to gain insight on how to add the finishing touches to your rooms. If you have a question, please ask it in my comment section below. I’ve added a selection of great home decor accessories below to help you get started on accessorizing your room like a pro! Let me know what you think! ☺