Small touches bring living room to life
Contrasting cushions give focus to a sectional while sculptural table elements add a little whimsy. Include decor accessories in your master plan to instill personality Mantel accessories in neutral tones stand out with a variety of textures and shapes.
The walls have been painted, the rugs rolled out and the furniture installed. So why does your living room feel unfinished?
Because it needs accessories — pillows and throws, trays and bowls, stacks of books, maybe a plant or two — to make it look interesting and inviting.
Make a plan. Think of accessories as a collection, says New York designer Alyssa Kapito suggests. “A home should be like a Gesamtkunstwerk,” she says of the German word meaning total work of art. “Everything should go together. Everything should be thoughtful.”
“I get very detailed about it, and draw items into the furniture plan,” designer Shawn Henderson says. “I draw a col- lection of things on each end table next to the sofa, and on the coffee table.” Choose a colour scheme. Accessories can either co-ordinate with a room’s colour scheme for a calm, cohesive look, or deliver punches of contrast to invigorate the space.
For an apartment in Manhattan’s West Village, for instance, Kapito used accessories in muted hues: pillows in a textured, off-white fabric and a camelcoloured cashmere throw, placed on a tan sofa.
“It’s soft and easy on the eyes,” she says, adding: “If you’re working with neutrals, getting as many different textures into the room as possible is important.”
Pick your pillows. If you have a regular sofa, “a minimum of three and a maximum of five,” Kevin Dumais, an interior designer in Manhattan. “On a sectional sofa, it could be more.”
They don’t have to match, or even be the same size. But they should be part of a co-ordinated plan.
Add sculptural elements. Think like a curator and arrange favourite containers, candlesticks, vases and other objects on tables, shelves and the fireplace mantel. Combine form and function. Consider which accessories will make daily living a little easier. “Trays are accessory items that we use on almost every project, on almost every surface, because it’s somewhere you can collect all your things: your watch, your wallet, your phone, your keys,” Dumais says.