When it comes to creating a stunning home that marries elegance and style in perfect harmony, it’s important not to overlook the finishing touches. Accessories play a vital role in luxury interior design, they are the elements that can elevate any space and, when designed and styled well, they have the power to transform the look and feel of a room.
Read on to find out why accessories are so crucial in high-end home décor and how to use them to create a luxurious living environment.
Set the tone and tell a story
Accessories set the tone and help tell a story about the home’s residents, reflecting your personality, interests, and aesthetic style. For example, a seashell collection indicates a love of the ocean, while family photos suggest close bonds and cherished memories, and books, art and travel mementoes reveal intellectual curiosity.
Carefully curated accessories that align with your lifestyle help to create a cohesive design story. The textures, colours, and styles should work together to express the homeowner’s passions and design vision. When accessories seamlessly mesh with the rest of the décor, they help create a luxurious environment that feels like home.
Add visual interest and draw the eye
One of the most important roles of accessories is to add visual interest to a space. A room filled only with furniture often looks bland and uninspiring, but adding accessories will draw the eye to different spots around the room, adding depth and dimension.
Without accessories, blank walls tend to dominate a space, so be sure to hang art, mirrors, and wall shelves filled with treasures break up large expanses. Collections displaying eye-catching shapes and colours; pillows, throws, and area rugs to offer different textures and patterns; and candles, vases, trays, and decorative boxes provide surfaces for the light to catch, adding up to an interesting space.
Layering in carefully chosen accessories activates all areas of a luxury interior to create a visually rich environment with attention to detail.
Elevate the luxury factor
The right high-end accessories can instantly boost the luxury appeal of a space as they demonstrate that thought and care have been put into the décor. Accessories with precious materials, fine craftsmanship, and elevated design are sure to improve the overall aesthetic.
For example, a glass vase by Lalique or a coffee table book of Helmut Newton photography brings artistry into a room, while a cashmere throw from Hermès adds sublime softness. Mink pillows on a sofa provide indulgent comfort and objects made of brass, marble, velvet, and leather add luxe texture resulting in quality that you can see and feel to elevate the entire space.
Accessories also provide opportunities to add glamorous metallic touches. Gold and silver décor in the form of frames, candlesticks, dishes, and jewellery boxes dial up the drama as their dazzling shine catches the light, adding a sumptuous designer look.
Allow for personalisation
While furniture tends to remain relatively fixed, accessories are flexible and this allows homeowners to easily refresh, update, and personalise a luxury interior. Swapping out pillows, throws, ornaments, coffee table books, and artwork enables you to give the décor a new look according to your mood or the season.
You can also move accessories around to reinvigorate a space, for example, grouping candlesticks on the mantel or hanging mirrors over a sofa brings new life to the area. Display some ocean-inspired accessories like driftwood, shells, and art in the bathroom for a spa-like feel then swap them with equestrian décor for a hunt country vibe.
The ability to update, rearrange, and reflect your changing passions is what makes accessories so essential. Furniture forms the backbone, while accessories breathe life into a high-end home.
Harmonise and unify the design scheme
For a space to truly feel luxurious, all the elements must work together harmoniously; the colour palette, materials, and style should feel cohesive. Accessories present opportunities to tie everything together into a unified design scheme.
Use accessories in colours that are drawn from the furnishings and fabrics. Bring in table lamps, vases, or decorative storage boxes in the same metal finish as the light fixtures and incorporate pillows or throws made from a textile that also covers the chairs.
Repeat shapes and motifs with accessories to reinforce the design concept. For example, use round mirrors, wreaths, and trays to echo an arched window; or display starfish shells and nautical maps if you are going for a coastal vibe. The accessories should feel like they are part of the same design family.
Don’t overlook small accessories
When decorating a luxury home, it’s easy to focus on the big statement accessories like artwork, rugs, and decorative lighting, but small accessories play an important role, too. Don’t underestimate the impact that small decorative objects can have on a well-designed, high-end interior.
Small accessories introduce nuances of colour, shape, texture, and material. Groupings of objects with slight variations create visual interest through their differences, for example, a collection of decorative boxes in an array of metals, shapes, sizes, and patinas makes a strong design statement.
Small accessories also allow you to layer in colours and patterns without overwhelming a space. Try different colour throw pillows against a neutral sofa, add a variety of candlesticks to a mantle display and use a range of vases and vessels for flower arrangements.
Take care to vary the heights, shapes, materials, and subject matter of artwork to create an artful composition full of visual delight and discovery. The same goes for curating a book collection – include books of different sizes, colours and topics.
Finishing touches for overall harmony
Accessories truly are the finishing touch that brings harmony and completeness to a well-designed luxury interior. Just as an outfit is not complete without the perfect shoes, bag, and jewellery, a room needs accessories for finesse.
When designed thoughtfully, accessories enhance the existing elements. They breathe life into a space through added beauty, interest, personalisation, and visual harmony. Accessories introduce a variety of colours, patterns, textures, materials and shapes to create a multi-layered, multi-dimensional environment that delights the senses.
The right high-quality accessories reflect the homeowners’ passions and interests. They tell a story and express a personal aesthetic vision. Accessories elevate the look and feel of the space, creating an ambience of elegance and luxury, making them integral to any high-end interior design scheme.
Work with interior design experts
Creating a gorgeously styled, luxurious home with accessories requires expertise, so be sure to work with accomplished interior designers who understand the design principles and aesthetics needed for a luxury interior.
Hire a high-end design studio that has experience designing stylish, comfortable environments for discerning clients. Look at their portfolio to see examples of their work and make sure they have created cohesive, glamorous spaces with accessories that enhance the overall design.
Top designers have connections with vendors to source unique, high-quality accessories, they can find statement pieces to become focal points. Designers also know how to pull together all the accessories so they complement each other, so take advantage of their knowledge and relationships to help craft your dream luxury home.
Investing in a talented interior designer pays dividends when it comes to elevating a home with accessories. Their guidance saves time and prevents expensive mistakes, but, most importantly, a high-calibre designer creates spaces that truly resonate with the homeowners’ lifestyle and personality.
