Access all areas Melissa Penfold accents sofas, coffee tables and bedsides.

ADDING A FEW great accessories to a coffee table that with stacks of books, candles or a bronze. Pile or sofa are touches that make a room look like you’ve glossy hardcovers or magazines in deep stacks to the done a lot more than you have – and signal confidence, edges. They will finish your table and reflect your style. glamour and luxury, and are the first thing people notice. DON'T GO OVERBOARD No need to be a total minimalist ACCESSORIES Play with fashion and introduce but curating your bits will keep you from looking like personality. Work in fun pieces with a nod to the season, a hoarder. Keep surfaces clear and curated. and have enough cushions, lamps and vases for variety. CHOOSING ACCESSORIES TO MATCH SOFAS AND COFFEE They are the sunglasses, handbags and heels of interiors. TABLES Keep accent shades to a minimum. One is more Accessories have to work as a team with your house. dramatic than two. Every new accent you add muddles CREATE SYMMETRY Go for a pair of matching lamps on the effect, from magazines to flowers, plants or candles. side tables flanking a sofa for a polished look. Repeat GO GLAMOROUS From baskets to bowls, we’re always cushions, colour. Repetition soothes and balances. on the lookout for pieces that can freshen an old room CUSHIONS Distil your sofa to two 60cm cushions for far less than a complete overhaul. A beautiful bust properly made with ethical down filling. Try a bespoke or bronze can overcome any space. cushion in a luxe velvet or embossed silk in the middle. MAKEOVER YOUR OTTOMAN Pop a tray or low basket THROWS A beautiful cashmere or wool throw folded on on top to create the perfect place to display everything. the centre of your sofa will add life, warmth and comfort. ORGANISE A TABLETOP A wicker tray breaks up a coffee RULE OF THREE Always work with uneven numbers on table, and can also be used to serve food and drinks. surfaces – think one, three or five. Start with a horizontal ADD PLANTS Greenery is a quick way to soften tabletops, object – such as a book or tray – add something tall and add focal points and make a room look lived-in. vertical such as a vase or candlestick, then a low and FLOWERS Blooms in small flashes also have big impact. bulky item like a paperweight or bowl. It’s foolproof. Stick to one or two hues for maximum effect. The vase CHANGE UP YOUR COFFEE TABLE Start with something is vital. Also, a vintage basket filled with a bromeliad, large in the middle, like a huge basket filled with a plant, agave, cyclamen or orchid is a time-honoured look that flower arrangement or hurricane shade. Build out from graces the best houses everywhere. Try it. 1 B&B Italia ‘SAKÉ’ sofa, from $14,785, and B&B Italia ‘Up2’ armchair, $1585, spacefurniture.com.au 2. Kifu Paris cocktail shaker, $695, beckerminty.com 3 ‘Roche’ velvet cushion, $165/60x60cm, jamessaid.com.au 4. B&B Italia ‘Mirto’ dining table, $3980, and B&B Italia ‘Jens’ chairs, $3330, spacefurniture.com.au 5. ‘Bullion Confection’ side table, $5820, kifuparis.com 6. Naga roof piece, $270; Buddha head, $270; rice container, $95; Yorub beaded figure, $840; Schumacher ‘Osmand’ fabric in Aegean on wall, orienthouse.com.au 7 Living By Design ‘Concrete’ dining table, $1499, and ‘Dana’ chairs, $149, livingbydesign.net.au 8 Ikea ‘Almalie’ throw, $40, ikea.com.au 9 Ikea ‘Jofrid’ throw, $59, ikea.com.au