Transform your Space with Versatile Accents
Tired of a ho-hum home? Add some vitality, life and style to your existing decor without having to clear out your furnishings and start anew. Adding versatile, multipurpose accents like a chair or side table or smaller accents like pillows, candles, and mirrors can bring a fresh vibe so you'll love spending time at home.
You've got style!
Before you start adding accents to your home, give some thought to your existing furnishing style and whether you'd like to stay with that style or tweak it. If you're unsure about what style might be right for you, check out our blog about different furniture styles. No matter what your style is, you can find both functional and fantastic accents that lend beauty, grace, zen or excitement to your space. But the most important thing is to find what makes you happy.
Crave color?
Look for opportunities to add color accents to your space. Gray is decidedly on-trend, but too much gray makes a space stagnant. Incorporate contrasting color accents to add intrigue to your living room, den, office, bedroom or child's room. And don't be afraid to let your playful side out. If you have a neutral-colored sofa, try accenting with a yummy plum-colored throw or a sunshine-yellow patterned pillow. You can also use accents to tone down a room's existing color or business. For instance, if you have a vibrant red sofa, you could opt for a subdued accent pillow, a neutral-shade table lamp or a clean-lined, silver tone end table. It's all about balancing and complementing colors.
Make a piece offering.
You don't have to replace all of your seating or bedroom furnishings to change up your decor.
Accent Chair
Experiment with a new key piece to your seating area. A side chair or a comfy recliner in a bright color can create a new focal point or lend a fresh flair. A chair accent doubles as extra seating for visitors or as the perfect spot to curl up with a good book and a hot cup of tea - or glass of wine.
Ottoman
One amazingly versatile accent piece you can invite into your space is an ottoman. Much more than a footstool to prop up tired feet, an ottoman offers awesome extra seating and even pulls duty as a soft, flat surface to hold remotes, papers, a tray with food, and more. Some ottomans also offer storage, always a bonus when you're wanting an organized home. Ottomans come in all kinds of different styles, shapes, colors and sizes, and there's bound to be one that suits your space and personality.
Coffee Table
Coffee tables are another fabulous way to transform your space practically. Coffee tables have evolved into pieces of art, no longer just a gathering place for a pile of magazines and papers. You can find coffee tables with storage, with clean lines or a sculptural base, iron frames or traditional stained woods. Whatever your style, you can find a coffee table to fit your needs and your space.
End Table
A cousin to the coffee table, an end table can work beautifully beside a sofa or recliner or as a lovely accent table beside your bed, providing valuable storage space and a top surface for essentials and smaller items.
Lighten up!
Introducing a new light source brightens up your space and adds new interest. Try adding a table lamp to an end table or a wrought-iron lantern set to a buffet table. Accent lighting can turn a drab corner into an irresistible, softly lit reading nook or a brightly illuminated craft table area. Or, introduce a modern floor lamp to one side of your sectional sofa for a brighter, more style-rich room.
Add a rad rug.
Not only can a rug accent add warmth, texture, pattern and interest to any room, but it's a cozy host for bare toes. It's also a soft, inviting oasis for kids (and kids at heart) to spend time on the floor, enjoying board games, wrestling around or playing games with a pet.
In varying colors, sizes, styles and patterns, area rugs are a fabulous focal point for your seating area, dining room, or bedroom. Lay a runner in an entrance hallway, and it not only captures visual interest, but works hard to trap entryway dirt when you lay a runner rug in an entrance hallway. Place a smaller rug alongside your bed, so your toes receive a cozy greeting first thing in the morning instead of a jarringly cold floor.
Huggable, soft accents.
Update the look of your room with soft, versatile accents like nap-inviting pillows or throws. A few pillows make your sofa, loveseat or bed more welcoming while offering supportive comfort, A throw or small blanket is not only a delight to wrap up in on a chilly night, but it can add that coveted pop of color or hide a less-than-lovely sofa or chair until it's time to update your furniture. Throws add a welcome textural element to your decor, too. They're a breeze to update for seasons or holidays, or if you're just wanting to change things up.
Small accents, big impacts.
An accent doesn't need to be large to pack a punch with your decor. For instance, a wooden tray not only brings an inviting organic accent, but it's delightfully useful, holding drinks, snacks, remotes or devices. An ornate clock keeps you on time, as well as adding intrigue and pattern to a blank wall.
Mirrors not only let you check your image as you're going out the door, but reflect light back into your space, making the room appear more spacious. Pottery, greenery, and vases all make fabulous, useful accents as well. Look for opportunities to use accents in unexpected places.
