Expressing your personality and have fun doing it!
Generally speaking most accessory details are done as a final step in your decorating plan. After you have completed your painting, placed your new furniture, chosen your floor coverings and window treatments you can personalize your sense of style with interesting and meaningful accessories.
An excellent place to start is with your walls. If you have a dominant piece of art this can become the focal point for the whole room. The fireplace mantle or a bookcase may also be a focal point or a good starting place.
In a formal room you can place a large-scale mirror or painting, centered over the mantle with identical objects symmetrically placed-perhaps topiaries or vases. In a less formal or more relaxed setting try an asymmetrical grouping keeping the weight and balance of the objects with your artwork hung off-center.
Before hanging your pictures, arrange everything on the floor. This will let you find if the balance is correct. If you still can't visualize cut out templates (the size of your pictures) and tape them to the wall until you find a pleasing arrangement.
You do not have to buy expensive artwork to achieve a wonderful look. If you can't afford an original painting, hang a tapestry, photographs, or architectural remnants.
If you are a collector this is a wonderful way to give your home your own sense of style. When displaying collectibles keep small objects gathered, not scattered, for more visual interest grouping them in three's or five's. You can really make a statement if you group a collection of china plates (in the same colours) or display a grouping of old family photos on an empty wall in your hallway or over a sofa. A vignette of vacation treasures and souvenirs makes a marvellous personal statement.
The best rule with accessorizing is to create a room that expresses your own personality and have fun doing it.
Jackie Lorimer