If you prefer your home to have many layers of accessories instead of clean and simple, here are a few ways to decorate with an abundance of accessories without your home feeling cluttered and messy.
photo courtesy of love Maegan flickr.com/photos/lovemaegan/5789403634/
Quality Over Quantity
As with most decorating advice, make sure to decorate your home with quality accessories instead of spending the same amount of money on a larger quantity of accessories of a lesser quality.
If you can't afford what you like now, save up for what you want instead of settling for accessories of a lesser quality.
Avoid your local home decor stores that sell many of the exact same item that is typically low quality.
Instead shop at stores that carry one of each item or at specialty online stores that carry a limited quantity of high quality designer items at discounted prices.
Bigger is Better
Avoid decorating with smaller accessories.
One larger item has more drama and demands more attention than 3 smaller items.
Smaller items tend to look cluttered and messy.
High, Medium, Low
When placing your accessories, try to group them in 3's.
Use one tall object (such as a plant), one medium object (such as a vase), and one low object (such as a freestanding clock) for interest.
You can stack decor on top of each other to create a difference in height.
Group Collections Together
If you have a collection of similar items, such as figurines, group them together.
You can display them in a curio cabinet, on a shelf, clustered together on a wall, or together on a side table.
A collection of similar items looks better grouped together than having them scattered around the room.
Hardback Books
Hardback books look good on their own, but they can also elevate other accessories to give them more presence.
Consider using a stack of hardback books (remove the paper jackets first) as a pedestal for a smaller accessory that needs more attention.
You can purchase hardback books at a book store, a second hand bookstore, a flea market, a garage sale, or your local library.
Sometimes the older and more worn they are the more character and warmth they bring to a space.
Be Prepared to Clean
Whenever you have an abundance of accessories, you must be prepared to spend extra time dusting them.
It doesn't matter how precious and special your items are if they are covered in dust.
