Use Living Room Accessories to Give Insight to Your Personality
Develop confidence in your decorating skills by learning to use accessories creatively
When you think of using living room accessories, the first place that probably comes to your mind is the sofa, as it is usually the major piece of furniture in the room.A mass of pillows always adds to the allure of the sofa. It invites you in and pulls you to sink down and enjoy it's comfort. Pillows are the most versatile of accessories. Big soft puffy ones say instant comfort, while small tailored ones add an elegant look. Using pillows when planning your living room accessories is a good way to pull together all the coordinating colors used in the room. You can also use pillows to bring accent colors into the room if the room is too bland and could use a bright spot of color. Using various fabrics also adds interest to the pillow grouping.
Pair Throws with Pillows for a Design Statement Along with pillows, throws can also be incorporated into your living room accessories and instantly add a new look to the living room. Casually drape one over the sofa in a color that coordinates with the rest of the room, and immediately you will find your eyes drawn to it. An old soft quilt thrown over a rocking chair immediately adds charm and interest to the area. If you have any sewing skills, consider buying new blankets to fit your color scheme and decor style, or use soft blankets that you love but you no longer use on your bed. Appliqué simple shapes to complement your decor and color scheme onto the blanket with a zigzag or blanket stitch. Create or buy a binding to match the appliqué, attach it, and you have a custom made throw for your room. You could use the same applique fabric to make matching pillows to go along with it. This is a great way to add color and charm to your living room accessories without adding great cost.
Fireplace accessories can be fun to shop for at estate sales. For more information about bidding and buying at estate sales and auctions, click here Even if you have a gas fireplace, a stand of fireplace accessories or a wind ballast hanging on the wall will add to the ambiance of the fireplace and the addition of these to your living room accessories will bring personality to this focal point. If shopping at auctions, don't look for fireplace sets. Many interesting hand forged items are available and create a source of interest and history. Fireplaces and hearths can be framed with interesting tiles to add color and texture. In the summer, large green potted plants placed on each side of the fireplace, or a large floral arrangement on the hearth will bring the look of the outside indoors. In rhe winter, a basket of scented pine cones is a fun addition to the hearth, with the added advantage of bringing a wonderful aroma to the area. Plants are a great addition to your living room accessories, especially if you also coordinate the pots and containers to match the style and color of your room. The Mantle is a great focal point Along with the fireplace, use your mantle to make a design statement. Mantles make great places to add living room accessories for creative displays of candles, small collections, clocks and sculptures. The most obvious area for mantle decorating is the wall over the mantle. The style of pictures that you are attracted to will tell your visitors a lot about you. Be sure to keep proportions in mind when choosing and hanging pictures over the mantle. Look here for tips on hanging and displaying wall art If folk art pictures speak to you, check out Oak Hill Farm for some fun and folksy original artwork.
Creating Mantle Displays When placing displays on the mantle, the concept of balance should be kept in mind. There are two types of balance:
Symmetrical Balance Symmetrical Balance is achieved by arranging objects equally from the center of a focal point, such as a pair of candlesticks on each side of a clock. This is a formal way of arranging items and is an affect that is easy to achieve. Asymmetrical Balance Asymmetrical Balance is achieved the arranging of items that are not identical in such a way as to give the impression that their visual weight is balanced. An example would be a piece of sculpture on one end of the mantle, and two small photos on the other end. Achieving asymmetrical balance can be likened to putting small children on a seesaw. The older heavier child would be seated at the edge on one end of the seesaw and the two smaller children are placed on the other end to achieve the correct balance. Asymmetrical balance takes more thought and creativity, but it is much more fun to experiment with, and more satisfying to view. Keep trying different combinations of your living room accessories, and eventually your eye will see the effect you are trying to achieve. Keep an eye out as you look at decorating books and magazines and you will find many instances of asymmetrical balance. This little lesson in balance doesn't apply only to mantles. I'm sure you'll find plenty of surfaces to try out your new skill throughout the home. Think of your lamps as sculpture The variety of lamps available today is endless. If you can't find something that is just the right size or style, electrical fittings can be obtained to easily turn any object you choose into a lamp. Because many rooms today have built in practical lighting, many lamps are chosen for their decorative value alone. Be particularly careful when choosing lampshades. Be aware of the effect the color of the shade has on the room when the lamp is lit. Many special effects can be obtained by using colored lampshades. Just make sure the effect is one you want to achieve and they add the look you want to coordinate with your other living room accessories. Also remember that tinted light bulbs are available if you want to create a special ambiance in a cozy corner of the room. Green Plants are always a good choice You can never make a mistake by choosing to add plants when planning your living room accessories. Whether you choose a four foot tree for a corner behind the sofa, or a collection of African violets for the coffee table, it's been proven that just viewing a part of nature makes us all feel good and is a great stress reliever. If you feel your green plants will be brown plants within a few weeks, there are great silk plants and floral arrangements available in all budget ranges. Just be sure to swap them around occasionally so that the perfection and sameness of the plant doesn't start to irritate you. On to another room Now that you have a few ideas for your living room, look at some of the other rooms for more inspiration on how to decorate with accessories. Any and all ideas from one room can be transferred to another room. So go ahead, check this out and think about how you can add flavor and flair with creative use of Kitchen Accessories
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