5 Must-Haves To Accessorize Your Living Space For Spring

Once you’ve done the heavy lifting of choosing your staple furniture pieces, it’s time for the creative part: infusing your space with color, texture, personality, and pizazz. It’s time to make use of all the unique surfaces in your room, including the sofa, chairs, tabletops, and floor. If you’re feeling limited in decorating potential, maybe it’s even time to introduce a surface that doubles as an artistic statement to give you another place to display your tastes and set your belongings.

Read on to learn more about five easy tactics to instantly accessorize your living space.

Throw Pillows

Did you know that there’s a scientific formula to throw pillows? It can be legitimately fun to come up with exact combination that makes your living area pop. Houzz suggests equations as simple as one patterned pillow plus one solid color and as complicated as one large geometric print plus one small geometric print plus one bold floral. The key is to build in succession, keeping in mind that sometimes two objects that clash suddenly work if you add more patterns into the mix.

Bonus: Throw pillows don’t have to be for eyes only. Be sure to choose a few that you’d want to rest your head on for an afternoon nap or reading session.

Candles

If you thought these accessories were mostly for old childhood rhymes or characters in dramatic TV period pieces, that’s where you’re wrong. Using various candle holders can create depth and warmth in a room, not to mention display your favorite seasonal candles. How you choose the appropriate holder for your favorites depends on size and shape.

Martha Stewart offers up the handy tip that you can pare down the base of a candle using a vegetable peeler if it’s a bit too large for its holder, or use masking tape to create a false base if the candle is too small. From there, have fun choosing colors and scents that match the mood of your room, and always practice proper candle safety.

Coffee Table Books

Let’s be honest: People judge others by which coffee table books they have on display. It’s a small clue into your personality, tastes, and interests. As much as these books can function as handy makeshift coasters or platforms for other accessories, they can also give guests a little peek into your mind. If you’re on the hunt for a coffee table book that will freshen up your living space, consider one from Elle’s “17 Coffee Table Books That Show Off Your Excellent Taste” list, or have fun at a secondhand store browsing for a unique title. My favorite coffee table book right now is Audrey: The 50’s by David Wills.

End Tables and Benches

Part of pulling together a composed room is making sure to hit multiple levels with your furniture, as well as exploring shapes beyond a typical table with four legs. Boxier pieces like Glacier End Table from the Gus Modern collection instantly add a sleek modern edge to your room that a standard end table could never muster. Low-level benches, irregularly-shaped tables, and multi-material pieces—think wood, wire, plastic, metal, and more juxtaposed—will provide a one-of-a-kind style spin for your living space.

Area Rugs

When you’re choosing a rug, there’s pattern, size, material, and price to consider. There’s a reason that so many people opt for a refined Oriental area rug, but an authentic and handmade piece may cost thousands more than your budget allows. Or maybe you want a look that’s simply more attention-grabbing. What are some guidelines to follow when you’re choosing an area rug that will protect your floors and make a statement? According to HGTV, you should keep these instructions in mind when finding the ideal rug to tie together your living space:

Keep it two feet shorter than the smallest wall in the room
Fit all the furniture or break the room into two smaller areas with multiple rugs
Shop high-end dealers first, even if you’re just looking for inspiration
Always touch the rug before you buy it to evaluate texture, pattern, and wear and tear

Above all, have fun and stay true to yourself when you’re dressing up your space. Find a few versatile pieces that work year-round, but periodically freshen up your decorations by sticking to these same strategies!