The Designer’s Corner . . .
By McKenzie & Kline Design
7 Must Have Accessories To Pull A Room Together:
Once you have taken care of your foundational elements like paint, flooring, furniture, window
coverings, it’s then time to put a personality into your space. Whether you like modern, clean line
spaces or traditional to eclectic the following are suggestions to put your personal stamp and style in
your space.
Area Rugs: A good area rug can not only define a space but make a statement with pattern and
color. Rugs like sisals or seagrass can add texture to the room but remain neutral in color, where
a Persian or modern patterned rug can play up your style and infuse color.
Art/Mirrors: We like a mirror in almost every room, mirrors are not only for reflecting spaces
but they are nice to use as a type of art. We especially like Sunburst Mirrors over a bed or chest
or small ones grouped together on a wall. Art work is a very important part of any room.
Whether you have original art or framed prints, it is important to make sure the size of the art is
appropriate for the wall. - instead of using a picture on every wall, mix things up - use a large
picture on one wall and a gallery grouping on a larger wall or over a sofa.
Lighting: Task lighting as well as overhead lighting is important in any room. Consider what
your room will be used for and place floor lamps and table lamps where needed; a reading chair,
behind a sofa, a dark corner can look alive with a plant and an “up” light. Overhead lighting
should always have a dimmer which can gibe you the flexibility in creating mood for the space.
Books: Whether you have old leather bound books or coffee table books or stacks of
magazines, these are all an intrical part of putting your personality into your space. You can tell
a lot about a person by what they read; travel books, history, poetry, design all speak volumes
about who lives in the space.
Pillows and Throws: With all the hard lines in a room we need pillows to soften the edges.
Pillows, like rugs, are a perfect opportunity to put your style into your room with bold color and
pattern or subtle colors with varying sizes.
Plants / Flowers: We can’t imagine a room without greenery of some kind. We like to put trees
in a corner that would otherwise feel void of color or interest as well as scatter small plants on
tables or if you are lucky enough to be able to pick flowers from your garden or cut a couple
oversized leaves from a tree and place them in a vase to showcase an outdoor feeling inside can
really bring life to a space.
Pottery or Glass Accessories: Placing colorful pottery or colored glass on shelves or part of a
grouping will give another layer to your space. These can be used as candlesticks or round urns
and ginger jars.
The above suggestions are all part of what we at McKenzie & Kline Design use as a guideline to
create warmth and dimension to any living space that we are decorating. Now that you have the
tools, start creating!
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