Maximizing Decor Accessories

How to Effectively Group Home Accessories for Maximum Impact

Clearly home accessories can be an effective way to enhance your living space based on statistics from Home Accents Today. A 2005 study revealed that Americans spent 14.3 billion dollars on home accessories to personalize their abode. The good news is that you don’t have to spend a lot of cash to have a comfortable, attractive home. By rearranging and properly grouping the accessories you have, your treasures will have maximum impact.

Many professional interior designers group accessories together for a major decorating impact. Often these groups are odds numbers, most frequently three or five. Odd groups create additional interest and professional home stagers frequently cite the rule of odds that items look best when arranged in groups of three, five and seven. Additionally, many interior designers follow the ‘pyramid rule” to arrange accessories from the tallest to the shortest.

Now that you are ready to put together groups of three, five or seven, you can consider what type of objects you would like to assemble. Whether your favorites items are antiques, collectibles, flea market find or dollar store delights, you can create a great-looking group.

Pick out the accessories you like the best or that have personal sentimental value to you and store the rest away for another redecorating day. Choosing items that make you feel positive will bring out your creative side and putting away the ones you aren’t enjoying removes clutter. Someday you may love that purple lighthouse – it just may not be today, so put it away.

Group together similar items… For example, put a group of miniature perfume bottles on a silver tray and place it on your dresser for elegant appeal. If you are arranging silver frames with family photos, put them all on the same table to create interest. Collections, such as antique figurines, should be arranged together on a shelf for maximum impact.

When you create an arrangement of accessories, it can be symmetrical or asymmetrical. A symmetrical group is visually equal on both sides and has a formal appearance. On the other hand, an asymmetrical design is an ideal way to groups together a variety of objects in various colors, shapes and sizes for a more informal look.

By grouping and regrouping the accessories you love, you can recreate the appearance of your home to reflect your current moods, preferences and comfort zone. Consider the words of wisdom from designer Jonathan Adler, “I believe that design should be chic and happy…and then add a layer of playful punctuation with accessories.”

©2007, Kathy Burns-Millyard