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Many newer homes feature vaulted and cathedral ceilings that provide plenty of wall space for dramatic art and wall hangings. Photo: Global Views
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You can update any room just by adding new accessories—even a few can make a huge difference. Photo: Global Views
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Decorative accessories often provide the finishing touch for a room by weaving together elements of color, theme, or mood. Photo: Global Views
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Vases are a classic accessory choice and a main staple for decorators and designers. Photo: Global Views
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Maintain an organized visual look by using frames that are all the same material or color. Photo: Global Views
Maintain an organized visual look by using frames that are all the same material or color. Photo: Global Views
Display Style
Love showing off all your photos of family and friends, but not sure how to pull off the look? Choose frames that are the same color, finish or material, advises says Rick Janecek, creative director and director of new product design for Global Views. Then add one or two special frames for variety.
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Extreme Room Makeover
Give your space a facelift by updating your decorative accessories.
- by Mary Best
Is everything in your home beginning to look the same to you? Do you feel like your style is more functional than fashionable? The solution may be simpler than you’d imagine: update your decorative accessories.
It’s in the Details
Decorative accessories often provide the finishing touch for a room by weaving together elements of color, theme or mood. “Accessories give a room its personality and signal a lot about the people who live there,” says Rick Janecek, creative director and director of new product design for Global Views, a home décor wholesale company in Dallas. “It’s similar to how the clothes people wear tell you a lot about what they think of themselves.”
Inexpensive Updating
As the most fashion-oriented aspects of your home, paint color and accessories provide the easiest and least expensive opportunities to make over a room, says Janecek. One reason is because accessory trends change frequently, while furniture styles are slower to change. You can update any room just by adding new accessories—even a few can make a huge difference. “It’s easy to paint one wall in a room and change out the pillows and possibly not even a whole lamp just change the lampshade,” explains Janecek. How and where you place accessories can also make a room appear newer or older, he adds.
Art Is Timeless
One timeless accessory in home decorating is wall art. Artwork immediately sets the tone of a room. According to Janecek, wall art is even more important today because the scale of walls varies greatly. Many newer homes feature vaulted and cathedral ceilings that provide plenty of wall space for dramatic art and wall hangings. Older homes with lower ceilings can be updated with techniques such as a series of mirrors hung in proportion to the size of the wall.
Frame it Up
Photo frames are popular and affordable accessories that make a big impact. And most people enjoy displaying pictures of their family and friends. But Janecek warns not to go overboard by collecting every style of frame available. Instead, he suggests maintaining “an organized visual look” by using frames that are all the same material or color. “Then as time goes by, you might find something very special such as a wonderful antique frame. Everything else can be neutral and you can mix one or two of those in.”
Functional Beauty
Vases are a classic accessory choice and a main staple for decorators and designers. According to Janecek, people prefer to purchase accessories that have a function, which is why vases are a perennial favorite. Most vases look great when they are empty and even better when full. “People really like to have vases around, because it’s something that’s always functional and has a purpose, but is beautiful whether it’s being used for its purpose or not.,” he adds.