Finishing touches – colorful accents, artwork and decorative objects or family heirlooms – add flair and impart character to home. They visually tell your story and infuse a sense of soul – they transform your house into a home.

Interiors – Bringing the Look Together

WALLS and GROUPINGS
Your walls are a backdrop and focal point. Art work and mirrors in various sizes work well when displayed as groupings. Create interest with a colorful theme – there is no right or wrong on the subject matter. Wall décor is an amazing way to show your home’s personality. Hint: The key subject items that you hang should be 57 to 60 inches from the floor to the center of the piece.

Small, singular objects can disappear or look out of place in a room when displayed on their own. Grouping a few items together will add weight and impact to your accessories. Be sure to stagger the heights of your accessories on a bookshelf or create symmetry with your wall hangings. Hint: Follow the rule of three; odd numbers of recurring fixtures tend to look more natural and effortless when incorporated into your design scheme.

COLORS
After you have determined your furniture layout and paint colors, choose a color theme from what exists in the room. Pull out a few of the key colors for your accessories from the fabrics and walls that will add interest and coordinate with the existing color theme.

LAMPS and LIGHTING
Selecting the right lamp design is probably the most fun part of accessorizing. Here you get the chance to really express your sense of style rather than simply light your space. Table lamps, sconces, and chandeliers will all add character to your room. Experiment with lamp styles and finishes. Hint: Most retailers will allow you to return or exchange your lamps until you find the perfect look!

RUGS
Consider your floors to be another blank canvas. Area rugs are a great way to add texture and color. Size does matter, you can choose to put your furniture on top of rug or the most cost effective way is to buy a smaller rug and keep the furniture legs off. From hand knotted Persian rugs to today’s incredibly well priced machine-made program rugs, this is a critical element to any room.

CROWN MOLDING
Crown molding adds the final bit of elegance and a personal touch to any room. Select a molding profile that is compatible with the style of your interior décor. Hint: Base the width of the molding you select on the height of the ceiling in your new home. Rules of thumb vary, but generally choose three to five-inch-wide crown molding with an eight-foot ceiling and six to eight-inch-wide molding for a 10-foot-high room.

Change with the Seasons

Regardless where in the country you live, changing your accessories throughout the year is one of the simplest and most cost effective strategies for keeping your design scheme fresh. Bring in spiced scented candles, new darker colors that will add a touch of sparkle to usher in the autumn, Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons or lighten up your space with a fresh room scent, linen cushions and soft blue accents to bring in the feeling of spring.

BOTTOM LINE: Have fun telling your story by mixing fun new items with treasured family pieces.

Related Links:
Best 15 Interior Designers and Decorators in Saint Petersburg, FL
Styled: Secrets for Arranging Rooms, by Emily Henderson
Home Decorating Ideas & Interior Design | HGTV