The following article was published in the
Vermont Home Style Magazine in April 2005
and written by Annette Besaw
ACCESSORIES – How To Choose With Confidence
Accessories can give the design of a room the finishing touches it requires to make it come alive by giving it personality and pizzazz. In choosing accessories you need to keep two interior design elements in mind, mood, and harmony. Function is a third design element but most accessories don’t fulfill any function even though a pillow can be use to make someone more comfortable. Pillows on a sofa are used to add beauty and color to the space and to add softness to hard lines. Accessories are primarily used for display reasons even though you can find a function for some of them.
Mood
If you remove all the accessories from a room, the room will lack interest, warmth,
character, and charm. Before choosing, you need to realize that they have a strong relationship to the mood of a room. Ask yourself what is the mood I want to achieve? For example in a rustic room you may choose an antique basket or a hanging oil-type lamp. In a traditional room you may choose a marble clock or brass candle sticks for a display on a mantel. So, you can begin to see how accessories help to establish the mood of a room. If you were to switch the accessories between a rustic and a traditional room the accessories will not be in harmony with the rest of the décor. So when shopping remember that all accessories are not equal. Consider the mood of the item and match it to the mood of the room. A very formal plate doesn’t sit as well in a rustic setting as it will in a traditional setting. Just like a stuffed dear head doesn’t sit as well in a formal living room as it would in a rustic lodge.
Harmony The second design element to think about when choosing accessories is harmony. Ask yourself does it harmonize with the color scheme and scale of the room. Is the size of the accessory the correct size for the table or mantel it’s on and with the scale of the room? Look at the color scheme of the room; if you are using all muted tones, then the accessories should be similar in tone. If you are using vibrant colors then the accessories can also be vibrant. Are they harmonized in both hue and intensity with the rest of the room? Brass, pewter, copper or silver can be used in any room and are considered neutral, but generally you use one or the other. In thinking about scale, accessories need to be in proportion with the size of the room and with the items placed around them; to use a large object on a small coffee table would not be in harmony.
So there are two points to remember.
1. Choose items that are appropriate for the mood of your design or the mood you want to create.
2. Accessories need to be in harmony in color and scale with other objects around them and also with the size or dimension of the room itself.
Quantity There is another element we can think about, and that is quantity of accessories needed in a room. Depending on the style of the room, it will help you decide on the amount of accessories to use. In a traditional setting you usually find more accessories then in a contemporary or modern one. To harmonize with the clean lines of a contemporary or modern setting it usually requires fewer accessories. If the space features more complex designs it calls for more accessories like in a traditional or country setting.
Arrangement When placing accessories, decide do you want a formal or informal arrangement?
When grouping items, have a focal point if possible. Casual settings lean toward asymmetrical groupings and formal settings lean toward symmetrical groupings. When placing accessories on a mantel or table alternate the height of items to give the grouping more interest. Spread color around your room using accessories in your accent color to give your room a well balanced feel. So let’s review:
Balance in elevation – vary the heights of the objects used in a grouping.
Scale – are the objects in scale with other objects around them with what they are sitting on and with the scale of the room itself?
Balance of color – spread color around the room using accessories in your accent color taking in consideration the hue and intensity of the room’s color scheme.
Style – formal vs. informal, are they in harmony with the mood of the room?
Focal point – does the arrangement have one or need one?
Accessories are the jewelry and sparkle of any room and they help make your room come alive. Keeping a few design elements in mind can help you choose your accessories with confidence.
A B Transformations – Annette Besaw
Interior Design and Professional Organizer
802-879-8353
