The Importance of Accessories in Home Decor

No home makeover is complete until all the rooms have been accessorized. By that I mean the addition of the final touches that give a room its personality – pillows, throws, art, picture frames, and other decorative objects. These small but important items are what dictate the mood of a room, and really tell you something about the people who live there.

When I was designing my furniture collection with Mobilia, a lot of thought and care went into the accessories – specifically the cushions and art. They bring colour and contrast to our foundation of solid neutrals, and help to create the modern but playful look we were going for.

Start with a Neutral Base

I’ve always been a proponent of keeping the fixed parts of a room neutral, but that rule often extends to large pieces of furniture as well. The main reason for this is because I’m always thinking about longevity and return on investment. The large, more costly parts of a home should be designed to last a long time, and for most people, that includes the sofa. A neutral sofa tends to be a safer bet than something colourful that people may later tire of.  And this is just one of the reasons why accessories are so important, and why I designed my collection the way I did. We included colourful and geometric pillows and art that feel like they’re jumping off the sofa and wall, creating excitement and fun. By playing around with accessories like these, you can completely alter the mood or style of a room, without having to replace the large, more costly items.

Combine Textures and Colours

Keeping all the accessories the same colour and texture will create a flat look that lacks coziness. In order to create a warm and inviting environment, I always suggest mixing colours and textures to some degree. Mix soft with rough, chunky with smooth and so on. When it comes to colours, use three to four, and try to keep them similar in tone. You want things to connect to each other in some way so the room doesn’t feel disjointed. If monochromatic colour schemes are your thing and you want to use only one colour, go for it, just make sure to use different textures in order to create some depth. While you’re at it, be sure to also add some organic materials, like wool, wood or marble.

Interested in some pillows from my collection? Check out these made-in-Canada options:

Quality Over Quantity 

One of the most important things about accessorizing is to not go overboard and fill a room just for the sake of filling it. Throw and pillows, for example, are great decorative accents, and they obviously add comfort, but don’t use so many that they become an obstacle. Invest in a few high-quality cushions that enhance whatever piece of furniture they’re on, as well as the room as a whole, and then stop. You shouldn’t have to move a bunch of cushions out of the way in order to sit down. And the same goes for tabletop accents like vases and frames. Include a few, but don’t cover the entire surface of a table so that you can’t put down a drink, or your phone, for example. 

Choose the Right Proportions

When it comes to accessorizing a room, make sure the proportions are in line with the furniture. So don’t put an oversize pillow on a tiny side chair, or a tiny pillow in the middle of a large sofa. With artwork, I always advise to go big rather than too small. If you have small pieces of art that you really love, hang them together in a way that they act as a single unit. If you space them apart too much the wall will look cluttered.

Accessories are essential to creating a warm and inviting atmosphere, no matter what the style of the room. So have fun with them and don’t be afraid to be playful – just make sure to think about balance and scale when it comes to colours, sizes and materials. The rest will fall into place. For more information on the Mobilia X Scott McGillivray Collection, please visit Mobilia.ca.

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