Table of Contents
A warm room without accessories would be uninteresting. Accessories lend personality, charm and individuality to a room. Each person’s selection and arrangement will reflect his/her own interest and sensitivity to good design. But the accessories should follow the theme of the room. Accessories must contribute towards the unity of the room.
Some will have specific functions, others will be purely decorative. The functional group may include ashtrays, clocks and lamps, decorative accessories might include pictures, sculpture, mirrors, flower arrangement etc. In the functional category, accessories should first of all be useful. Lamps should provide adequate light where it is needed. Clocks must keep time and have faces that are easy to read. In all cases, the shape, colour and texture should harmonize with the spirit of the room.
In selecting non-functional accessories, one should remember that a number is often more appealing if these pieces represent interests of the family.
Almost any selection, combination or arrangement is acceptable as long it is pleasing to the eye.
Kinds of Accessories
1. Books and Magazines
Books and Magazines are not actually accessories but are classified as such when used decoratively or in large quantities in a room. Displaying books adds depth as well as character to a room and reveals the interests of the owner.
Most books are placed on book shelves which allow some flexibility in handling. Bookshelves can often be adjusted to accommodate both tall and short books. Place heavier books on the bottom shelves. Not all books need to be placed vertically, position some horizontally for interest. A neat arrangement is to group books according to their size or colour. Books with the same binding or a set of books may be used as a unit. Any small objects that are on the bookshelves with the books should complement each other and provide an attractive setting. E.g. plants, bric-a-brac.
Magazines are usually temporary accessories. Most of them are read and rapidly discarded.
2. Clocks
An interesting clock may be not only a major accessory but a real centre of interest. Grand father’s clock-traditional homes-elegant note, clocks-a-chime, modern clocks of unusual designs and materials, such as cubes or spheres of glass are in harmony with modern decorations.
Some traditional clocks are extremely elaborate with hand painted panels and ornate cases, modern clocks tend towards severe simplicity.
3. Collections
Make your collection a vital part of your décor, arrange it attractively and give yourself the pleasure of displaying it. Collections should be displayed in an organised, significant fashion adding to the appearance of the room not distracting it.If the collection is inherently beautiful it can serve as the centre of interest in a room. Be sure that the collection harmonizes with in both colour and form of the room background. Collections can be grouped on walls, tables or shelves designed to display them.
Shells in a glass-covered coffee table, mugs in old-fashioned barbershop rack.
4. Lamps
Well-chosen lamps and light fixtures are extremely important in determining the characters of a room. Although the functional aspect should be the primary consideration in selecting them, it is no less important to choose designs that emphasise the spirit of the room.
More formal rooms usually require lamps with a certain kind of elegance. They may be extremely simple, but the colours and textures should have the richness that we associate with formal treatments.
Rooms furnished in the more informal styles should have lamps that are suggestive of luxury. For e.g. wood, pottery, copper and tin.
Modern rooms- modern but simple lamps. Polished wood with lovely colours and grain patterns, metals, china, pottery, glass and leather.
When several lamps have been chosen they must harmonize with each other.
6. Mirrors
In some areas such as bedrooms and dressing rooms, mirrors are essential. E.g. entrance halls. In other rooms, they are more decorative than functional. Mirrors produce a feeling of spaciousness. Sometimes an entire wall is covered with a mirror. Good mirrors, best-grade made from plate glass. The polishing and grinding of plate glass results in a smooth surface that provides distortion and gives the glass more sparkle. In plate glass mirrors of high quality, the silver surface of the back is protected by a copper coating. It is then heated with a coat of shellac and another coating of protective paint. Copper back renders durability and prevents discolouration.
In modern decorations, mirrors are often used without frames. Traditional styles usually have a frame of wood or metal in a characteristic design.
Mirrors should be selected with respect to wall area and furniture.
6. Pictures
They are not necessary but they can add considerably to the personality of the room if they are well chosen and well places.
Landscapes, seascapes, street scenes, flower prints and still life pictures are all popular choices for traditional rooms. They can be used in the formal and informal setting, depending on their interpretation and colour. Other types seem to be more appropriate for special rooms. E.g. Portraits are frequently quite formal whereas animal pictures express informality.
The colour and textures of pictures should harmonize with those used in the room. The size and the shape of a picture must relate to the wall area on which it will be hung and also to the furniture placed against the wall. It is frequently more interesting to group several pictures rather than to use only one. When pictures are exactly alike in shape and size, a group arrangement is usually symmetrical and presents only a few problems.
Picture Placement
Use the following suggested guidelines when deciding where to place pictures:
- Picture placement should be planned and arranged in an orderly fashion.
- Hang pictures at eye level, i.e., between 5-6 feet from the floor.
- Hang pictures where they will be enjoyed.
- When hanging a picture over a sofa it should be low enough to be a part of a grouping and high enough
- to avoid contact with a person’s head when leaning back or sitting on the sofa.
- A painting should hang alone only when it is large and important enough to hold interest.
- A picture will seem to float in space if there is no furniture under it.
Always choose the right frame which will blend with the painting and not look out of the place.
7. Plants and Indoor Trees
Plants and indoor trees can be placed almost anywhere in a home or apartment, provided they receive adequate light and the environment is favourable for their growth. Plants usually grow profusely in the bathrooms due to high humidity. They can be used to fill a window space or as room dividers. Plants should be chosen as accessories based upon their variety, shape and interest. They should be placed in attractive containers that complement the colour scheme of the room.
8. Sculpture
Sculptures can be various materials-stones, wood, metal, ivory, pottery, plastic or glass and of various shapes and sizes. When choosing sculptures, one most look for a good design, honest use of materials and quality in reproduction if applicable.
9. Wall Hangings
Wall hangings can be made of a number of materials or types. Printed fabric, carpets, macrame, needlework etc. have all served as wall hangings. Wall hangings are often used to fill large, plain, empty areas. They can also be the focal point of a room.
10. Miscellaneous Accessories
- Birds: Impart a garden feeling. Their songs, movements and colours make them delightful additions to fixed decorations. The cages can be decorative in harmony with the décor of the room.
- A folding may serve a useful purpose as an area divider or may be used only for a decorative purpose.
- Trays can be useful for serving as well as decorative
There can be in numerous such accessories depending on an individuals taste and liking.
Accessories Selection and Arrangement
- Accessories should be placed at important points in the room so that the eye is led to a focal point of interest. By choosing the same colours or shapes, the decorator can use the accessories to create unity in a room.
- Accessories need to be related to the furniture or the furniture groupings.
- Accessories are more interesting if they are not all placed in a straight line.
- Accessories need to be placed with space between individual items, so that they can be enjoyed separately while still forming part of a unit.
- Groups of accessories are more interesting if the shapes and the heights are varied. Too many items of one shape may seem monotonous. However, if accessories are grouped together, each must have something in common with the next. It may be the size, shape, material or colour.
- Accessories that are figured or decorated can be enjoyed best if they are placed against a plain background.
- Inexpensive accessories can look very important if they are grouped together and displayed well. Irregular- shaped bottles displayed in front of a window on shelves can be more dramatically effective than an expensive painting placed in an obscure part of the room.