Are My Accessories Dated?
Do you have too many accessories? Do you have accessories that don't relate to each other either in style, theme, color or size? If the answer is yes, it might be time to refresh and edit what you have.
A client once told me she had so many accessories, she couldn't possibly use them all. She wanted help with styling and editing. But what she really owned were some accessories purchased 20 years ago and some accessories that were an accumulation of one-off candleholders and random gifts from family and friends. Not a great way to freshen the space.
Change Up What You Have
One of the ways to freshen up your home, without starting entirely over, is to change up what you have. Start by taking all your accessories and artwork out of a room and adding back in only the ones you REALLY love. By editing, you can create new interesting vignettes.
Next, source new pieces that are the right scale and color to give you an arrangement presence. Bigger is usually better, when it comes to accessories. Avoid a cluttered look. Instead of purchasing many small pieces, buy fewer, larger pieces. This helps create interest.
Unify Accessories with Color
So if the RIGHT SCALE for accessories and art is the first design tip, a UNIFIED COLOR PALETTE is the second most important rule. In my own home, fall colors are what I'm all about. Various shades of greens, oranges, browns, yellows, rust, as well as copper, are found throughout my home. Repeating these color schemes creates HARMONY throughout.
Styling Accessories is Not the Same as Displaying Clutter
Styling is not about arranging whatever you happen to have. It's about adding the pieces you need to create beautiful vignettes that have presence and substance.
Special pieces that have true meaning are great to keep and incorporate. Make sure they are truly special and beautiful. Display them with a supporting cast of really well considered objects that have scale. Too many random things look cluttered, especially if they are too small in scale.
Add Art to your Styling
Remember to incorporate art to add height and interest. If you don't know what color of frame to use for your art, try black. A little black in each room gives your eye a place to rest, before taking in the rest of a beautifully curated room.
Styling is not about figuring out where to display every candleholder you've ever received, but a skill to develop for creating engaging-looking combinations to enliven your surfaces while avoiding a cluttered look.
If you'd like to receive design expertise from the K. Rue Designs team, give us a call at (210) 274-3637 or click on the button below.
