Home is Where the Art Is: Accessorizing your Décor

07/30/2014

If you live in a rental property, you’re planning on selling your home soon or just like to keep things simple, there’s a lot to be said for leaving your décor as a neutral canvas. Not only does it avoid the commitment of a color scheme, it allows you to change the look of a room with the seasons, get creative with accessories and avoid wastefulness. Hardly anyone has the budget to switch up their sofa or carpet every year, so keep things elegant and simple, and switch the trimmings around instead.

Wall clocks

You can make a timekeeping piece the center of attention of any room, with a wall clock, particularly in the absence of a fireplace, and it’s an especially striking feature to match up with the rest of your color scheme. Whether you opt for a hyper-retro timepiece with pendulum and case or a frameless decal, a clock is one inexpensive detail that you’ll spend a surprising amount of time looking at.

Cushions

Don’t be stingy with the cushions; layer these on every surface worth sitting on, including the window alcove, the recliner and your desk chair. Cushion covers are delightfully inexpensive embellishments, so take the sofa as your centerpiece and refresh this as the impulse takes you. In spring you might accessorize with lemon and navy nautical stripes, then in fall deep orange and moss green tweed will take your fancy. Keep a set for every season, and change them as you would your bed linen.

Curtains

As with cushions, curtains are simple to change up. If you have a good quality pair that are looking a little bland, add a slash of color by sewing a band of your chosen color over the hemlines of the material. Or, for even less commitment, buy tiebacks or tassels in your pattern du jour, and simply switch out when a new whim takes you.

Bits and pieces

If you have a unifying theme, it’s amazing how easy it is to bring all the elements of the room into your vision with a few temporary items. Cheap, colored candles will subtly reinforce any accent hues, as will fresh flowers of a corresponding color. Plain lampshades can be jazzed up with the addition of colored ribbons or paint, as can picture frames and container baskets. Weave your accent hue into everything in small ways, and you’ll achieve a big impact.

Just switching these trimmings around can make all the difference to your home and to your wallet. You can achieve optimum elegance for much less.