How to add sparkle to your home with accessories

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press/USA Today Network • June 5, 2021

Accessories.

Without them, a room is just a box of furniture. They add the sizzle to our homes. Give the room its personality. Tell us about the person who lives there. Accessories are the frosting on the cake. The jewelry in a room. The sparkle. They make the home complete. They bring us joy.

Done well, they make us happy. Done badly, they can look like a hodgepodge of clutter. And there are some ways to make them work for you without a lot of expense and stress. There is a bit of an art to the process which you may find helpful.

Whether you’re a minimalist or a maximalist, have contemporary, coastal, eclectic or traditional décor, there are elements that accessorizing any home all have in common.

As a Fort Myers interior decorator, I go into a lot of homes. Within a few minutes, I usually know a lot about the people who live there. And it’s because of the accessories. Those rare times that I have been into a home and just haven’t been able to get a feel for the people who live there, it’s because they have just moved in and are sorting out their things or they have not yet accessorized.

The use of accessories give this room a light and easy look with tone and textures: plants, baskets, artwork, rug and light fixture. Shown: Summit slipcovered sectional and Anguilla rattan coffee table from Serena and Lily. Photo: Serena and Lilly. www.serenaandlily.com

If you came into my home you will immediately know a lot about me. I love nature, the water, contemporary mixed with vintage, the beach, driftwood, plants, traveling, antique market finds, animals and that I have a lovingly restored, old boat that is the focal point of my lanai. These all bring me joy.

What would your home tell me about you?

What are accessories?

Plants and flowers. Window treatments. Lamps and other lighting. Artwork. Rugs. Baskets, pottery. Mirrors. Collections. Books. Candles. Shells. Pillows. Flea market finds. Antiques. Statement pieces. Objects from your travels. Backsplash. Bath towels. Fixtures. Anything that brings to mind a happy memory.

Where do you accessorize?

Coffee table. Dining table. Walls. Shelves. Bookcases. Fireplace mantle. Desk. On a tray. Outdoor spaces. Even the welcome mat at your front door is an accessory because it says something about you.

Do this first.

Take a walk through your home. Say goodbye to anything that you don’t love. If it’s old and without charm, ugly or something that you don’t like, get rid of it.

Accessories shouldn’t be complicated. The Captiva console in light dune from Serena and Lily makes you want to stay a while with accessories that include a pretty plant, bowl of citrus fruit, pretty barware and a shell. Photo: Serena and Lily. www.serenaandlily.com

Plan to update outdated fixtures such as knobs, handles, drawer pulls. Replace old switch plates.

If budget allows, plan to add crown molding. It makes any room pretty.

Accessorizing tips.

Think quality rather than quantity. Have too many things that you love? Rotate them. Seasonally is a good plan.

Chances are that your best accessories are pieces that you already own.

Use three items. Designers love odd numbers. You can use more than three: five, seven. But you only need three. Example: On a coffee table: a tray, a small plant, and a book or two or three. Add a few shells or glass beads.

Set a pretty table. Put a runner down the middle of your dining table. Add a plant or two, some glass vases. Pretty dishes. Candles. Twigs. Glass beads. Pick three. Or five.

Tablescapes are a great way to accessorize with items that you already have on hand. Shown: Pottery Barn’s Mendocino dinnerware collection, faux Hydrangea, Carolina paisley table runner and rattan placemats. Photo: www.Potterybarn.com

Group like objects together rather than scattering them around the house. They will have more visual impact.

Use large pieces of artwork, especially in Southwest Florida’s open spaces.

Consider colors in the room and add pops of it to your accessories.

Decorating with books? Perfect. Add a few accessories to the shelves.

My favorite accessory tip:

Accessories are the final step in refreshing a room. Be mindful about what you use. Invest the time to curate your own personal collection of accessories. It’s usually not the item that is most important but how you display it. Most important: have fun!

Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator, A.S.I.D. associate and gold member of the Interior Redecorators Network. She helps homeowners throughout Southwest Florida with timeless, affordable ways to create beautiful spaces and solves decorating problems. Her articles appear the first Saturday of each month. For more information visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 239-850-5800 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog