|
How to use Accessories to Create a New Look in a Room
by Claire Bowes
 Apart
from complimenting your newly painted walls with soft furnishings
and effective flooring, home decor accessories in a room
are just as equally important.
Accessories ranging from
flowers in a contemporary vase to art pictures hanging on
your walls, all add the finishing touches to any room. Above
all, accessories add personality to a room, they inject
your own personal touch making your home unique to you and
comfortable and inviting for you and your family.
Decorating with Art Pictures
You will be surprised at the important role that art
pictures play in home decor accessories. Not only do pictures
add your own personality into the room, they absorb noise
and can actually help change the illusion of a rooms' shape
if placed in the right places.
For example:
- horizontal landscape pictures help widen a room;
- Portrait floral pictures help give the illusion
of height; and
- one large picture reflected through a mirror gives
the sensation of additional broader space.
Creating Art Arrangements
For a maximum effect and to make interesting wall arrangements
that can become a dynamic focal point of the room, try to
hang smaller pictures in a cluster.
If you hang an even number of smaller prints tightly together
in a cluster, this will help balance out a large space and
give a window effect in a small space. Remember to hang the
prints together tightly to create one unit and one focal point.
For larger pictures, place them in proportion to the furniture.
For example, hang a large picture approximately six to nine
inches above a sofa or at eye level. By hanging a larger print
too high above any piece of furniture can leave both pieces
feeling disconnected.
Tips Before Hanging Art
Before hanging any art on a wall, try different combinations
of arrangements. Use painter's tape and brown paper bags and
keep rearranging the bits of paper on the wall until you have
come up with a great picture arrangement.
Always hang prints at eye level and use your hand in between
pictures as a guide to space large and medium sized pictures.
Create Illusions with Mirrors
Mirrors are great to help create the illusion of space. By
cleverly
placing mirrors on an adjacent wall to a picture or something
that is interesting in your room, will reflect the image and
add a sense of space.
For darker rooms, hang a decorative mirror near a window.
The light will then bounce off the mirror into the room portraying
more natural much-needed light back into the area.
To give the illusion of depth in a room paint one of your
walls in a darker contrasting color to your other walls. Then
hang a mirror on that darker wall. This instantly gives the
additional sense of depth to the dimensions of the room.
Lighten-up with Light Fixtures
Light fittings are one of the most important elements of
home decor accessories as they set the ambience of the room.
By using different types of lighting you can create different
moods on different areas of the room, at different times of
the day.
For example:
- accent lighting such as a spot light is used to
emphasize wall
paintings, ornaments or other interesting areas in a room;
- soft lighting used by small wall light fittings
or table lamps,
help create a gentle romantic mood;
- general lighting such as a ceiling center light,
strip light or
bright wall lamps are used for everyday purposes.
Tip: use a dimmer switch to create
different moods with your lighting.
Adding Color with Flowers & Plants
Fresh flowers are always a wonderful accessory in a home.
They are easy to blend in with any rooms accent and you can
swap and change the color, type of flower and position at
any time. They are such an easy and adaptable accessory to
have. If you are allergic to flowers, try silk flowers instead
- sometimes it is hard to distinguish between real flowers
and silk ones.
By placing plants throughout your home helps add natural
color, texture, and also softens the area making it more appealing
to spend time there. Don't forget to use attractive plant
pots and containers for your plants - they are a home decor
accessory too! |
