Homeware accessories are the interior design equivalent of jewelry as they can transform a look. Jenny Allan founder of luxury interior design company JCA Interiors advises on how to use accessories to enhance your home.
The way a room is accessorised is vital to a successful, coherent scheme, as it is the finishing touches and attention to detail that take a design to the next level. Accessories should be included in every room of the house to create a warm homely feel without being too cluttered.
Shelving is the most common area to display accessories and there are certain techniques that can make a shelving display look more impressive. Firstly symmetry is a fundamental principle in interior design and should be introduced within accessory displays. For example balancing a shelving scheme by placing two pieces of coral on one side and then two picture frames on the other, using their different shapes and textures to stop the design become too regimented.
Varying the height of accessories is also important to create an interesting style so by using tall vases on the shelf above with one low wide accessory below helps to further balance the display. Another way to enhance a shelving unit is to include mirrored back panels and downlights or LED lighting strips which will really add to the drama of the design.
Other areas to add accessories are on tables. Side tables, coffee tables, console tables. Side tables can simply be accessorised by a small vase or bowl with flowers, a picture frame, agate or perhaps a couple of crystal champagne flutes. These small touches create a big impact and make the room feel properly dressed rather than empty or overly cluttered.
Coffee tables can be accessorised in many ways and the items chosen should reflect the purpose of the room. For example in a living room plenty of coffee table books, something tall such as an orchid, a textured item and photo frames are ideal for this area. However, in a games rooms the use of the coffee table would be very different, so include tumblers on a tray, playing cards and other items which would be more appropriate. You can even have coffee tables made that have trays built into them which is an interesting feature to include.
Another table to accessorise is the console table which lends itself to floral displays, particularly by using tall vases with a beautiful bouquet of flowers to create impact. It is often a good idea to keep floral arrangements predominantly to one colour such as white throughout the interior to create an elegant, cohesive scheme. As with display shelving adding a mirror behind the floral arrangement gives greater impact with the additional benefit of making the room appear lighter and more spacious.
Accessories can really make or break a design and taking some time to select the right objects that are in proportion and complement each other to beautifully enhance a room is definitely time well spent.