October 28, 2015

Small Accents… Big Impact

Heidi Milton

There are so many different elements at play when we’re pulling together a room… everything from wall color to furniture scale and placement to window treatments.  I spent a little time recently analyzing images of rooms that spoke to me… and asking the question what was it that drew me to that particular room?  The answers surprised me!  It was less about the major elements or design choices in the room and much more about the smaller decisions and accents that made a space appealing to me, such as:

Interesting lamps or lighting.

Unique lamps and light fixtures or statement shades can add pop and interest to a space, especially when lit.

small Accents big impact - Mohawk Homecapes - interesting lamps - Houzz - Heidi MiltonHouzz

small Accents big impact - Mohawk Homecapes - interesting lamps - fortheloveofahouse - Heidi Miltonfor the love of a house

small Accents big impact - Mohawk Homecapes - interesting lamps - dearlillieblog - Heidi MiltonDear Lillie

small Accents big impact - Mohawk Homecapes - interesting lamps - bhg.com - Heidi MiltonBHG.com

Plants or greenery.

Let’s face it — they just add “life.”  I’m drawn to simple, large-leaved plants or clippings or a bouquet of all one type of flower.  Less fussy, greater impact.

small Accents big impact - Mohawk Homecapes - plants - huntedinterior - Heidi MiltonHunted Interior

small Accents big impact - Mohawk Homecapes - plants - athoughtfulplaceblog - Heidi MiltonA Thoughtful Place

small Accents big impact - Mohawk Homecapes - plants - hgtv - Heidi MiltonHGTV

small Accents big impact - Mohawk Homecapes - plants - primitveandproper - Heidi MiltonPrimitive and Proper

 

Collected wall decor.

Wall decor may seem like a big accent instead of a small one but, when it’s a collection of smaller pieces, it can take up an entire wall or fill an intimate corner.  And, don’t you just want to inspect each piece up close?

small Accents big impact - Mohawk Homecapes - art collages - prettystuff - Heidi Miltonprettystuff

small Accents big impact - Mohawk Homecapes - art collages - bungalowblueinteriors - Heidi MiltonBungalow Blue Interiors

small Accents big impact - Mohawk Homecapes - art collages - annerobin.com - Heidi MiltonAnneRobin.com

small Accents big impact - Mohawk Homecapes - art collages - habituallychic - Heidi MiltonHabitually Chic

Conversation pieces.

Try to have one accessory that will generate conversation.  It could be one of the elements above or your grandmother’s trophy on the mantel.   Any piece – no matter how small – that sparks interest is making a big impact in the design of your room.

small Accents big impact - Mohawk Homecapes - conversation pieces - 52mantel - Heidi Milton52mantels.com

small Accents big impact - Mohawk Homecapes - conversation pieces - decoist - Heidi Miltondecoist.com

small Accents big impact - Mohawk Homecapes - conversation pieces - apartmenttherapy - Heidi MiltonApartment Therapy

Not all of us can invest in a stylish sofa or custom window treatments, so I find it refreshing that smaller elements can have such a big impact.  Designing a space is best done in layers — even those finishing touches make a difference.

What small accents do you have that could make a big impact in one of your rooms?

Find more home decor inspiration and DIY on my blog, Decor & More.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *