It’s the Little Things...

Today’s post is all about accessories, the little details that make a room sing. Even the most minimalist of rooms will have a pillow, a book, a sculptural vase, or a beautiful painting. I tend to use restraint and editing when adding in accessories to my own designs. Simple and classic. So what accessories do I think every room needs? Here’s a guide:

Art

Every room needs art. From a large show-stopping painting, to a small framed drawing, or even a sculpture, a room comes to life when something clearly made by human hands is placed within.

My University project’s formal living room was all about the drama of the architecture, and the grand piano, but the black-and white-painting is also one of the stars of the show, despite its small scale. As I said in my introduction, it makes the room sing.

Books

Every room needs a book or two. Even in the age of the cell phone and tablet, books are still necessary in every room. I love a good stack of beautiful coffee table books in a family room or living room for guests to thumb through. In a guest room, I like to leave books they may enjoy reading, like a collection of New Yorker cartoons or a book of poems. Life isn’t lived on screens, so it’s nice to have books as both decorative objects and practical entertainment.

Lighting

I feel as if table and task lamps are often neglected these days, but like books they are both beautiful accessories and provide a useful and practical purpose in a room. Layered lighting is so important, and table lamps are the jewels of any room, especially at night when they provide soft puddles of light, slightly below eye level, but perfectly placed for comfortable reading.

Flowers

I feel like a record on repeat when I say this, but nothing makes a room feel more welcoming than a bouquet of flowers or a decorative house plant. I love at least one, or several, bouquets in every room, even bathrooms. In fact, because of all the hard surfaces in a bathroom, a bit of life might be more important than any other room!

Of course, I’ve barely scratched the surface of accessories for the home. For more accessory inspiration, please visit my Photo Styling Pinterest board.

Warmly,

Beth