When you’re planning a room, it’s easy to forget the details. In order to complete the look of a room, and make it feel like your own, you need to invest in some of the finishing touch pieces to add that final design layer. This is where we find a lot of our design clients get stumped, unsure of what to get, or how to put it all together, so we’ve put together a list of our best “must-haves” for every home!
Some key elements to completing the look in your home:
Decorative pillows – you can never have too many of these! It’s fun to change them up by season, with warmer colours in the winter, and more vibrant colours in the spring and summer. Don’t be afraid to add a little bling to a room, such as an elegant bedroom, with some jewels on your pillows. And one thing that we absolutely love to do is mix patterns for a more layered look.
Comfy Throws – these serve double duty at a great accent piece draped over a chair, sofa, or bed, and are perfect for curling up with on a cold night. They’re also a perfect way to add a subtle hint of colour to a room!
Area Rugs – especially in a gathering room, area rugs will help to “ground” the room and pull the conversational seating together. For larger rooms, area rugs can help to break up the space to create two distinct areas, with separate purposes, within a room. Ensure that the area rug is large enough to extend at least slightly under each piece of furniture in the room, to avoid it “floating” in the room.
Rugs can also be placed in front of a fireplace to create a cozy place to cuddle up in the winter, while adding some luxury to the space.
Wall Art – if you have a fear of commitment to art, get over it! And no, don’t try to tell me that you don’t want to put holes in your wall – that’s exactly what you’re supposed to do! If you really dislike the holes, you can explore the option of the
3M Command Hooks and Strips. Other artwork hanging solutions can be found in our
January Blog “Hang Artwork Like a Pro”. Wall art can range from framed paintings and pictures, to canvases, to metal wall sculptures, mirrors, decorative clocks, and whatever else you want to display.
Heck, you can even hang small accent furniture pieces or accessories on the wall if you want to! Adding a variety of styles of wall accessories will add texture to a room, and help to really complete the space by filling the eye-level areas for a cohesive look and feel.
Corner items – we all have that empty corner in a room in our house, and clients are often perplexed with what to do with these areas. They’re often considered fairly non-functional space, though an attractive shelf could fix this.
But what’s to say that every space needs to be functional, can’t it just be pretty? Create a decorative vignette with a large vase, plant, or other floral display.
Or add some fun boxes or trunks, stacked to add some height.
An old wooden ladder can work great in a corner on it’s own, or used to hang magazines, towels, plants, or other display items.
Large Mirror – These are a great way to reflect light to brighten a room, add the illusion of space, and fill a decorative need in a room, whether hung or leaning on a wall.
Statement piece – there are really no rules to a statement piece. As indicated in its name, it’s intended to make a statement, and create an impact for anyone that enters the room. This could be achieved by its size, colours, historical significance, or simply its overall uniqueness. It should be eye-catching, and most importantly, something that you absolutely love. It’s not necessary for every room or home to have a statement piece, but it adds a great element to a room, in addition to creating conversation amongst your guests.
When designing your room, don’t be afraid to add personal elements, and items that make you smile, for whatever reason, to create a room that you’ll be sure to love.
