Walking in to a homewares shop can be both exciting and overwhelming. There are so many beautiful things, but you can’t buy everything and it probably wouldn’t all go together anyway.
However accessories are a wonderful way to express your personality. Often the most engaging items are not bought in a store, but are the little knik-knacks you’ve collected along the way.
If you’re thinking of revamping your home with accessories but are not quite sure where to start, furniture and homeware retailer Satara provided the following tips:
Find a common thread: Try to find a theme, a colour or style that interests you. For example, if you love a Hamptons style home, collect accessories with a natural colour palette with hints of blue. If you have some existing accessories, ask yourself what you love about them. Is it the pattern? Is it the fact that it’s on-trend/ contemporary/ rustic? This will give you hints as to what aesthetically interests you and sets a palette. Pinterest is a great source of inspiration too. Finding a “goal” image is a good starting place to build on your home- with touches of your own personality too, of course!
Objects with meaning: Items that tell stories of your life, travels, interests and family may not be the newest, shiniest or the trendiest pieces, but they move beyond this. These items may consist of gifts, photos, inherited pieces, travel mementos and special items purchased to celebrate an important time.
Found items: There is much beauty to be found in nature and it doesn’t have to cost a thing. A beautiful bowl filled with pebbles is a gorgeous, tactile arrangement. Or large leaves and stems brought in from the garden to fill a simple glass vase. Introduce pops of colour through citrus or a pile of green apples.
Practical accessories: If you feel accessories are unnecessary or ostentatious, use objects which are beautiful but practical too. Great utensils, desk items, and bathroom objects can make for beautiful displays and can also be used each day. Baskets for books, candles for their scent and interesting books are also props which can not only look great but have an important use as well.
Groups of three: There is something magical about the number three. Try it yourself with an arrangement of three objects on your coffee table or bedside. A tray on a coffee table, for example, looks complete when layered with two other items, such as a thick, hard covered book and a poesy of flowers. Or three cushions on a sofa. On hall console, try a lamp, a vase and a small, low dish. In a bathroom, a gorgeous soap, a timber brush and a shell or piece of coral group together nicely.
