The Magic of Accessories

by Christina Dennis

1 Hour

Easy

Accessories in a room are like accessories with an outfit – they can add so much personality and they can completely change a look! I love being able to change the feel of a room by swapping out accessories like art, pillows and drapes to give my home different feelings in different seasons, and to see what kinds of moods I can create. Recently, I changed our front sitting room into a dining room. Today I wanted to show you the magic of accessories and how the mood of this dining room can be easily changed for summer by changing accessories.

This is the before. I wanted to brighten it up for the summer.

First, I stripped the room down to its bare bones – the large furniture and the area rug. Investing in either neutral furniture or furniture in colours you’ve loved for years is always a good idea so that you can change accessories on a whim.

Instead of a plant in the corner, I opted to tuck the vintage cane chairs on either side of my updated side table.

Next, I swapped the bold artwork for this more light & feminine mirror. This is the Mansard Mirror from The Brick, and I love that it can look a little French Country, but a little Bohemian too. Isn’t it gorgeous?!

Paring down on the accessories on this piece helped make the room feel lighter and brighter too.

While I love the dramatic floral drapes, they were starting to feel too heavy for summer. I traded them with some light linen drapes in a solid cream colour.