Decorative accents are crucial in transforming ordinary shelves and mantels into captivating focal points within your home. These small but impactful elements breathe life into a space, reflect your style, and create visual interest. Whether working with built-in shelving, floating shelves, or a fireplace mantel, mastering the art of styling decorative accents elevates your interior design.
- Start with a clean slate
Before starting the styling process, clear your shelves or mantel completely. This will allow you to assess the space with fresh eyes and consider new possibilities for arrangement. You also dust and clean the surfaces, ensuring a pristine backdrop for your decorative elements.
- Choose a cohesive color palette
Selecting a color scheme is essential in creating a harmonious display. Consider the existing colors in your room and decorative accents that complement or contrast them. A cohesive color palette helps tie disparate elements together and creates a sense of intentionality in your design.
- Vary heights and sizes
To create visual interest, incorporate decorative accents of varying heights and sizes. This diversity adds dimension to your display. Mix tall vases or sculptures with shorter objects like books or small figurines. The interplay between different scales keeps the eye moving across the arrangement, preventing monotony.
- Incorporate texture
Texture adds richness and tactile appeal to your shelves or texture. Combine smooth surfaces with rough or textured elements to create contrast. Consider incorporating natural materials like wood, stone, or woven baskets alongside sleek metallic or glass objects. This interplay of textures adds depth and visual intrigue to your display.
- Use the rule of odd numbers
When grouping decorative accents, aim for odd-numbered arrangements. Groups of three or five objects are more visually pleasing than even-numbered groupings. This principle, known as the “rule of odds,” creates a sense of balance and prevents the display from appearing too symmetrical or rigid.
- Create visual balance
While asymmetry is visually appealing, it’s essential to maintain overall balance in your arrangement. If you have a heavy or visually dominant piece on one side, balance it with a cluster of smaller objects on the opposite side. This doesn’t mean creating mirror images but achieving a sense of equilibrium across the entire display.
- Layer and overlap
Add depth to your shelves or mantel by layering and overlapping decorative accents. Place smaller objects before more extensive, lean-framed artwork against the wall behind other items. This technique creates a sense of depth, making the display more visually attractive and less flat.
- Incorporate greenery
Plants or botanical elements breathe life into your shelves or mantel. Greenery: adding small potted plants, succulents, or even high-quality faux Greenery to your display. These natural elements add color texture and refreshing greenery to your arrangement.
Keep your texture and mantel displays fresh by periodically rotating items or introducing new decorative accents. This allows you to showcase different pieces and adapt your decor to changing seasons or moods. Regular refreshing prevents your displays from stagnating and maintains visual interest over time. If your shelves have a solid back panel, consider painting it a contrasting color or adding wallpaper to create a striking backdrop for Decorative Accents. This adds depth and visual interest to your display, especially when working with neutral-coloured objects.
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