"Adjectives" (Accessories)

 Accessories are what give a room it's personality, they set a tone and maybe even a theme to a space. Like adjectives, they are the descriptives to a room, (or an outfit)!  I am a huge lover of accessories and love changing accessories with the season or just for a change of pace. By changing a lamp or pillows in a living room, you can create a completely new vibe.

As a home stager/interior re-designer, I have seen how accessories can transform homes. I wanted to share with you today some photos from a cabinet showroom that I "staged" for an open house. Now, these aren't drastic make overs, they are just about accessorizing. The most drastic change I made to any of the spaces was to switch out knobs, everything else is subtle, but made some bold differences in the displays.

"Cafe" Kitchen before

"Cafe" Kitchen after

"Cafe" ~ I loved the striped wallpaper they had used with this display, but felt that the white knobs were not "accenting" this kitchen in the best way possible. I replaced the knobs with black metal ones and brought in very few simple accessories, but I think the space looks completely different! I placed glassware in the cabinetry, centered in each panel, for a symmetrical and clutter-free look.

"Peaches" Kitchen before

"Peaches" Kitchen after

"Peaches" ~ This kitchen is a bit outdated in finish, but is still shows a lot of the cabinet options that this company offers, so my job was to use accessories to enhance what I had to work with... actually, isn't that the job of accessories in every space? What was here didn't match at all, and a great deal of thought wasn't put in to placement.

I simply added a bowl of peaches, two bottles of lemonade, a plant and cookbooks, but what a difference! This just goes to show you that "staging" is powerful! Am I the only one who sees it?

"B&W" Kitchen before

"B&W" Kitchen after

"B&W" ~ This is one of my favorites! The most imaginative thing about this display was the wallpaper, and I loved it. I just happened to find plates with a very similar pattern on them and used them to add color to the simple black and white palette. I chose to use red, but you could add any color to this space and make it look completely different.

I, also, added clear canisters with rice and black beans and a decorative infused-oil that repeated the black and red color scheme. Again, basically four accessories, but changed the look drastically.

Now, this is just a showroom, and no one has to live in these kitchens, but the same accessorizing ideas can work in your kitchens too. Never underestimate the power of changing hardware. That one little change can make a huge impact on your design. It is one of the easiest things to do and probably the least expensive way to change and update your cabinetry. What do the accessories in your room say about you, or how you live? Try putting new "adjectives" in your rooms today!

Starting with Inspiration

I've written several times about using inspiration pieces to start your room design, and Amber from Atlanta has taken this suggestion and designed a beautiful master bedroom using her wedding rings as her inspiration! ( I only consulted on this room, she did all the work!) The room isn't complete, and when it is I will share the before and after photos, but for now, I want to talk about how she translated her inspiration.

Amber's Engagement Ring

First, let's take a look at the ring and think about the characteristics that can correlate to a room design. Amber told me that her decorating style was a little bit modern or contemporary and that her husband liked more traditional. So, since this is their most intimate shared space, it is important to make sure that they are both represented; and they wanted it to feel romantic. Here's how we broke down the details.


Traditional -  Wedding rings are all about tradition, and become a part of the history of, not just a couple, but their family as well. Their home is an historic home with traditional details like plantation shutters, crown moldings and original hard wood floors. It is a place in which they are building the "history" of their lives together. They have dark wood, very traditional furnishings with matching night stands, a triple dresser with matching mirror and a beautiful large bed. So, having taken stock of what they have, traditional is covered!


Contemporary -  The yellow diamond is contemporary, the styling of the ring is contemporary, so we set out to find the contemporary details for the room. Amber found beautiful bedding with pin-tucked pleating in a slate gray color, very contemporary in style and fabric. The color palette which is yellow (for the center diamond), gray (from the color of the white gold) and white (isn't it obvious?), is very contemporary and extremely popular right now. We found  lamps with a chrome finish which are contemporary and also translates very well as the metallic finish of the rings. They have glass accents and beautiful silvery gray shades which deliver a little bling and continue the color story! The walls, she painted yellow and has added yellow accent pieces and a wonderful zebra printed rug. (you can't wait to see pictures can you? me either!)

Romance - It is a master bedroom, that should be romantic no matter what! and, there is nothing more romantic than an engagement ring! The color palette and fabrics are soft and romantic. By choosing very personal accessories, like the hair-piece she wore in her wedding in a shadowbox, photographs of the couple or other special moments for them, just enhance the romantic theme. 


Now, that you know how we've "translated" an inspiration piece into a room, keep checking back for the progress and the final outcome. If it could only get done as quickly as I can write about it, that would truly be a magically "romantic" room, right?




(When choosing bed linens you should always get the very best you can afford. Remember that you will spend more time in these than any other single article of clothing you own, they should be the most comfortable and durable fabrics in which you spend time.)