5 Tips and 5 Rooms - How to Accessorize a Space

New York is considered an interior design world capital, and we're fortunate to know some of the finest design firms in the City. We talked with Benjamin Bradley and David Thiergartner of Bradley Thiergartner Interiors, and asked them if they could share some of their top tips for accessorizing a room with our readers.

Room 1: Riverside Drive Living Room - accessories harmonize with important art deco furnishings

1. Be detailed from the start of any project. Rooms, even small rooms, require certain elements and almost always more moving pieces than are fully understood by the client. This adds up in both time and cost. Each element or labor or material on its own may not seem financially significant but as the tally ticks, clients can become nervous at the bottom line cost. When accessorizing comes at the end of a room project - after key furnishings have been selected and the architectural bones have been worked on - some clients have decorating fatigue and may not want to go the distance to accessorize. Cut fatigue off right at the start of any project by giving a very complete and detailed design presentation upfront. Show how the room will look with accessories as well as the basic elements.

Room 2: Soho Entry - the power of a few well-placed accessories2. Show incremental results. When a client can “see” their home coming together, they get excited. It is our job to keep the excitement going. Keeping the job at a certain pace also helps. Once a client is engaged, they oftentimes become used to the outlay of cash but are also seeing results at the same time. We all want something for our money! Go room by room and show what a completely accessorized space looks like, and keep going with that momentum throughout the rest of the job.

Room 3: Hampton Showhouse Bedroom - an oversized end table helps to pile on the accessories

3. Involve your client in accessorizing. We like to be able to install the lamps, consult on the artwork, place throw pillows and throws, books, etc. in quantities enough to warm any room. We then like for the client to purchase things on their own so that the room takes on their own personal feel. And sometimes we'll collaborate, as in consulting back and forth with each other when one of us is at an auction, antique mall, or flea market - we'll create a budget together, phone each other pictures of objects to get one another's opinions, and seal the deal. That's fun! But back to your client making some of the purchases: many times a room lacks personality if all of the items are selected by a designer. While the room will undoubtedly be beautiful, how it reflects its owner is a crucial factor to the success of the “feeling” of the room.  

Room 4: Park Avenue Study - displays on built-in shelves, comfortable pillows, and artwork groupings

4. Appeal to all the senses. Accessories are such an important element of a room. They add tremendous warmth and interest. They provide “eye candy” and allow you to discover elements of the room long after you have taken in the feeling of the space. They also give us great insight into whom the room belongs, what are their interests, hobbies, etc. Finally, accessories can add comfort to a room. A wonderful down-filled pillow, a cashmere throw, a good reading light, and the soft scent of a candle - all of these things add to the comfort and sense-uality of the room. We think that accessories can be much more than trinkets. Some of the most important accessories in a room are ones which you only perceive such as color, sound, and scent. Entering a room with an intoxicating fragrance, warm accent lighting, and soft music is a completely immersive experience.

Room 5: Katonah, NY Living Room - books and off-white vessels on the mantel that allow the art to shine

5. Go for the unique and use collections. We find that in most cases, the client is thrilled to know that their designer has selected unique and interesting objects that none of their friends will have. We like to haunt the flea markets, antique stores, and auction houses to find these unique pieces. We also LOVE collections! Any items, when massed together, can make for an interesting accessory. A collection of Mexican Santos became the focus of the living room shelves in a Santa Fe project, Chinese bronzes inspired a display in a Soho loft. For one client we discovered a collection of clear glass chemistry funnels and had them mounted, museum style, on black metal stands. Taking a utilitarian object and elevating it to “artwork” status is great fun. Working with collections or masses of objects can cut down on the number of individual accessories you need for a room, as their impact can be great.

As lead curriculum developer for Sheffield School, I enjoy introducing our students to experienced interior designers who enjoy sharing their craft with others. If you're interested in learning more about interior design and accessories, then I encourage you to explore the Sheffield School, New York, NY. Sheffield began as an Interior Design school in 1985, and then expanded our course offerings to train people in other design-related fields, including Feng Shui, Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design. With thousands of active students and more than 50,000 graduates, Sheffield has trained more design professionals than any school in the world.

• Request a free Sheffield School catalog describing our distance education courses.
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Comments

[Telephone Answering Service]

It doesn’t matter whether you have a big space or a small one. With a bit of creativity you can always do something nice with your bedroom. Using appropriate carpeting, painting, tiling, lighting fixture, furniture, murals, and so on you can do this easily. The beauty and request of the bedroom can be better extensively by means of a new style colors, furniture’s and accessories. We were all going crazy here and clearly we can see that you have vast experience. Please keep up your amazing work I’ll attempt to visit more frequently for getting new ideas.
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[toothpaste on pimples]

All articles of this blog is great and fun I really like you give information about interior desing

Abaraham

[Alex @ http://howtomakesweetpotatofries.org/]

Too late. I was just buying a set of furniture for my living room and found it was just too small for the room. I love simple design and never once I thought about the size of the furniture.

[Sanchi Russels]

I read your post and it helps me a lot in choosing a new furniture for my home.I love your tips.I will visit your site more often.