Accessorizing: The Finishing Touches in Decorating

By Cara Mirabella

You’ve painted the walls. You have your furniture, end tables, and a TV. But the room doesn’t feel comfortable. You’ve furnished the room, but now you need to finish the room. Just as a lovely shawl or fancy jewelry will dress up an outfit, accessorizing will dress up your décor.

We’ve all seen the before-and-after pictures on-line or in magazines. Professional decorators focus so much of their time on accessories when working on a room. Accessorizing a room can make it formal or casual, rustic or contemporary. Here is a simple outline to follow to turn your rooms into an ‘after’.

Wall Décor: Because walls make up the most space in our rooms, begin with your wall décor. Adding some pictures or framed art to your walls is a starting point for creating the theme or style of your room. Hanging a framed print on your wall creates a focal point in your room.

Florals and Greenery: Florals and greenery add color and texture to your room. They also fill in empty or awkward spaces. Having a few well-placed plants (real or artificial) will bring some life into your décor. Adding a flower arrangement on a table makes you room feel welcoming and fresh.

Candles: Incorporating candles into your décor is very important. Besides adding punches of color, most candles today are so richly fragranced that they help create mood. Burning an apple pie candle creates the feeling of warmth and coziness. Burning a lemon-scented candle makes a room feel fresh and clean.

Accessories: Adding accessories to your room enhances the theme or style of your room. Figurines, candleholders, pillows and throws, and even books can add interest to your room. This is where you really personalize your space – adding family pictures or your favorite collectibles puts your fingerprint on your room.

Lighting: Not only is lighting functional, it’s decorative. A well-placed lamp can put focus on a collection you display. Using low-wattage bulbs in your room is an easy way to create ambiance. But don’t forget the task lighting – a lamp placed by your favorite chair creates a welcome little spot to cozy up and read a book.

You can easily accessorize your room and make it look like it came out of a magazine. I bet if you took a walk around your home, you can gather enough things to re-accessorize a room and make it look new.

About the Author

Cara Mirabella is a WAHM of one toddler from NJ. She owns and manages her website, www.TheHouseholdHelper.com, where she shares tips tricks and resources for home management. Sign up for her newsletter to receive free information weekly.

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