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Interior design accessories are decorative or functional items that add the finishing touches to a chosen home style. Decorating a room with accessories means that exactly the right objects have to be selected and displayed, so that they make a focal point and enhance the style of that room.
Every home interior has its own architectural features, which relate to its form and function. Interior designers make creative use of those features in the way that they plan to decorate the internal space.
Home style decorating can be done by a qualified professional, a talented amateur or an individual who has set up in the business of interior design, and who might lack the experience to meet industry standards.
When someone lacks the ability to achieve the standard of a professional interior designer, it is likely that a qualified person will have to be called in to manage the project and facilitate its completion.
Interior design accessories need to be selected carefully, or they can be custom made to fit in with the appearance and scale of a room. Some skill and expertise is required to make the right choice of interior design accessories and deciding how to arrange them.
The Aim in Choosing Home Design Accessories
Selecting interior design accessories is all about making the right impression and how people want to be seen as individuals or as a family.
The ultimate goal of interior design is to create a living space that is both pleasing to look at and comfortable to use. By choosing suitable accessories for your home style decorating you will allow others to take notice of who you are and how you like to live.
Different Types of Accessory
All home design accessories have certain characteristics in common, but some of them are mass produced and others are uniquely designed. Any item that has been crafted by hand and is genuinely the only one of its kind will add more prestige to an interior than any number of mass produced items.
There is nothing wrong in using mass produced items as home design accessories, when these are chosen specifically to go with a particular interior design style, but home accessories produced by independent designers in craft studios will always make more of an impact. Anything from a plant holder to a chandelier will create an impression when it is a unique object or one of a limited number.
Interior design accessories should always be kept within the overall style of the room. Each item should work with that style and support it. The right home design accessories should never look out of place in their setting, whether the interior design is contemporary or traditional.
Finding and Selecting Accessories
Any kind of object that has a practical or decorative in the home can be described as an accessory. Finding the best home design accessories for different rooms should be a fun experience and should certainly not be thought of as a time-consuming chore. It can be done online or by visiting studios, browsing at craft fairs and finding uniquely designed objects or decorative items in unexpected places.
The biggest mistake people make is in adding items without giving any thought as to how those objects will affect the overall look and style of the room in which they are placed. Look for items that reflect your taste and suit your individual sense of style and personality. Start by taking a look through your own possessions. You could find some great accessories if you have any sort of collection or a store of personal treasures.
Placing Accessories on Display
Home design accessories can be displayed singly or in groups. They can be set on a shelf or a ledge, placed on furniture, arranged on a window sill or made to stand alone on the floor.
A plinth or a pedestal can be used to display an individual item, while smaller accessories will benefit by being grouped. Any objects placed in a group should have some element in common. When using random objects, grouping could be done according to color or pattern.
Interior design accessories can be used to create a more relaxed look when grouped asymmetrically or informally in odd numbers. Symmetrical groupings can be less effective for home style decorating. A group will be visually more interesting when it features objects of different sizes and various heights.
Consider the Color Scheme
Some thought needs to go into the color of any objects selected to support home interior design. Home design accessories can either be made to blend in or to stand out through use of color. In a monochromatic interior, for example, all items should all be of the same color or of a similar shade to their background. Items of a contrasting color will stand out as a focal point.
Create Visual Interest with Textures
Different textures placed together can create an interesting effect. A silk throw placed over jacquard upholstery, for example, or a natural object, a glass item and a pottery item, all of the same color, placed together.
Keep Accessories in Scale with the Size of a Room
Consider the size and scale of the room when placing and arranging accessories. In a spacious room some small items may not even be noticed, while a single big object or large group of items in a small room will appear to dominate the space.
Avoid a Cluttered Appearance
The best way to avoid the appearance of too much clutter is by placing the biggest accessory in the room first and then working down in size. Each time you add a slightly smaller item, stand back and view your interior design accessories again. Add another one when necessary and remove some when the space starts to look too cluttered.
Keep Within the Boundaries
Everyone has a certain amount of design skill and anyone can learn more about design, but there might come a point in any design project where a consultant has to be called in, when you know it is beyond your capabilities or you simply don’t have the time and the energy to get it finished.
The whole point of learning about interior design accessories and how they should be used in home style decorating is to enjoy the experience. You should have fun, as long as you understand the boundaries that you need to work within.