There are many layers within an interior design scheme. Once the architectural details, cabinetry, flooring, furniture and vertical spaces (walls, draperies) are set, it is time for what can be the truly fun part – playing with accessories! Our design philosophy behind accessorizing a space is edit, edit edit. We find that many homeowners want to cram as much stuff into their rooms as possible, arbitrarily placing items because they like them, not because they work with overall design scheme. Every piece has a job to do. Each accessory vignette needs to be crafted within its own space, as well as how it fits into the room as a whole. Above we picture one of two niches that flank a fireplace with a stunning art piece hung above it. To keep the balance and flow throughout the room, we needed to fill the large-scaled niches with oversized, simple pieces that would compliment the artwork while standing on their own. The Asian ceramics added interesting shapes to a room that had a lot of rectangles in it, and the rich blues and whites complimented the artwork and furniture. The mirror brought reflection to the flat wall, and the framed intaglios introduced another shape and a tone-on-tone three-dimensional quality. Pops of green through the apples and the plant soften the look, while pulling in an unexpected color into the overall look.
We created a complementary design in the other niche with similar accessories, balancing the two spaces around the fireplace. Bringing in varying heights and shapes within the ceramics and the other accessories added visual interest without overwhelming the other elements in the room. Not all of the space within the niche is used, allowing negative space to become part of the show as well. Remember, less is more when it comes to accessorizing a room. If you have any questions on designing with accessories, send us an email, or give us a call at 317.253.8966.
