Olympia Dukakis once said ‘the thing that sets us apart from the animals is our ability to accessorise’ & she was right!
More now than ever, we have access to a vast array of inexpensive accessories for our homes – there are some pretty expensive ones as well, but they don’t suit everyone’s pockets. They can help us to bring seasons into our living room, draw a specific colour forward from our curtains or upholstery, or to simply inject some life into what could otherwise be a lacklustre scheme. We can even use our accessories to bring a theme to a room, such as a beach house for example.
I am sure we have all picked up sea shells when visiting the beach, or pebbles when sitting by a babbling brook, fir cones from the forest etc. These basic things that we collect say something of ourselves & our personality. They are a perfect way to allow our personality into our home. The fir cones, arranged in a fire place or in a large bowl on a hall table along with some candles, scrolls of bark etc is a great way to start dressing your home.
Likewise, images of things that interest you framed up & hung collectively can be a great inspiration for colour coding accessories such as lamps and cushions.
When you are looking for a subtle injection of colour and texture, this can be found in ceramic pots and vases – maybe try to group your accessories for greater impact. Not only will they look better, but leaving some areas free allows the illusion of space.

Don’t think that accessorising needs to be expensive – this collection of glass bottles have been displayed simply with a frond of a fern in each, the bottles don’t need to be anything special, just shapes & colours that you like, you could then introduce the colour of the glass with scatter cushions on your sofa or maybe a fabric depicting ferns.
You could even use a childhood toy as the centre of your accessorising – the great thing, is that you can use virtually anything that pleases you & add more or less to suit your taste – as always, try to have some fun with it, if it makes you smile on a day when you are feeling a little down, maybe it shall do the same for those that come to visit you.
For advice, inspiration or a full Interior Design service, get in touch or visit our studio at
2 Broad Street, Whittlesey, PE7 1HA
hello@orlandointeriordesign.co.uk | 01733 200800