A home without accessories looks staged. It doesn’t have a personality! The accessories are where you layer you into your home.  Accessories are the underrated (and usually under-budgeted) individual pieces that turn your house into a home, and give it next-level polish. So what are the accessory essentials for every home? 

1. originaL ART

Every room needs art. Preferably real art, made by human hands. If you see art you love, buy it. Your designer will work it in somewhere. If you have no opinion on art, or are unsure, let your designer curate for you. We can help as little or as much as you need, but a room without art is too bare! And that includes bathrooms, as you can see above. Any piece of art can be framed to withstand moisture and steam.

2. MIRRORS

Mirrors perform an essential service in your home. They visually open up a space and bounce light around. Mirrors are magic for every space. Trust me, you need mirrors, and the bigger the better. I used two mirrors in this primary bedroom to expand the light from the bedside lamps. I love the effect it created.

3. LIGHTING

You’d be shocked at how many homes I visit that have no light sources other than ceiling can lights. All the other types of lighting are too important to be ignored. Table lamps, floor lamps, sconces, pendants all add life to a space. They create puddles of light highlighting different areas, and provide ambient, flattering lighting in every room.

4. GREENERY

Every room should have something alive in it. Whether a vase of flowers, or stems of leaves, or a full-fledged tree, bringing life into a room, well…brings life into a room. Even the worst gardener in the the world can drop a few dollars on a Trader Joe’s orchid every few weeks! 

5. BOOKS

Even if you don’t read anything but the newspaper, your home should have interesting books about interesting things. I’m not saying you need a full-fledged library with all the classics, but a few pretty coffee table books for guests to thumb through are nice to have around.  Books from your travels are fabulous souvenirs, or basically books on anything that interests you - design, art, nature, photography, fashion. Again, this helps show your personality to family and friends.

What’s your favorite home accessory? I’d love to hear your essentials in the comments section!

Warmly, 

Beth