Accessories are used to enhance and add personality to the look of a room.  Accessories can bring out a certain color in a room’s color scheme, and they can also bring out styling elements. Accessories also give a room personality and reflect the occupant’s taste and values.  Once you’ve developed a floor plan and chosen upholstery pieces, tables, and lamps, you can use accessories to further enhance the look of the room and personalize the room.

Here are some things to consider when buying decorative accessories:

You must first consider the theme of the room. This will help you to determine what types of pieces to use. For example, nautical accessories, like seashells and figurines of fish and so forth can bring out a nautical theme. Accessories can be very geometric and modern, to bring out a contemporary theme. Very often, you will already have an accessory or collection of accessories that you can add to or build upon. You certainly have some favorite pieces, and you will often be able to use these pieces in your design plan.  Besides, the last thing you want to do is redesign an entire room, leaving out the very things that you are most attached to and happy with.

Consider the size and scale of each piece. Just like with tables and lamps, accessories must be consistent in scale with the surrounding furniture.  In the same way, a few well-scaled items, as opposed to a random grouping, will have a lot more impact, make a statement, and create a professional interior.

When you accessorize a tabletop, in general, an odd number of items will work the best (3,5,7,etc). Usually, a balanced look is achieved when items are arranged in-group of threes.  We call this concept the “rule of 3s.” Also, two smaller items can be considered as one item in certain cases.

When you are working with a large collection of objects, it is best to group the related items together for a more unified look. Lots of pieces scattered randomly on a tabletop is just a bunch of “stuff”. When the items are deliberately placed together they form a “collection,” or “composition.”  It’s how they relate to other pieces on a tabletop and how the design elements work together that makes or breaks an appealing tabletop arrangement.

The next thing to take into consideration is both positive and negative space. In general, the larger your accessory, which is your positive space, the larger your empty negative space will be.  The goal is to create a visual balance among the accessories themselves.

A professional interior is also created with a balance between unity and variety.  The key to creating visual interest is to use a variety of materials and textures.  For example, with one end table made of brass and glass, you could use a tall colorful ceramic table lamp, some artificial greenery to add a soft texture, and a low, leather box with a bumpy texture.

Finally keep the function of the room in mind.  You wouldn’t want to place a large plant or basket where it will interfere with conversation or access to a piece of furniture.  This is the practical side of designing a room.  Remember, you want to satisfy both your aesthetic and functional needs.