10 Ways Accessories Can Transform a Room

Be inspired by the weather outside. "We love using objects seasonally, like bringing out the white pottery when spring arrives. The important thing is to have different levels of things to notice in a room," says Healing Barsanti Home cofounder Patricia Healing.

Stools are the perfect spot to perch or place a tray with drinks. Designer Nancy Boszhardt chose one upholstered in a zebra print for the fireplace of this New York home because it offers a lot of flexibility.

An antique Persian Malayer rug was inspiration for Boszhardt's blue-and-rust palette in this living room. "The rug is the most important piece in any room, I think. When you start with a great rug, you can build off of it. It's the foundation for the room," she says.

Add pillows in the living room to add touches of color and pattern. "Pillows are one of the easiest and quickest ways to experiment with color. The turquoise and plum are an atypical combination, but they unexpectedly complement each other. They're a great contrast with the neutral background, and they break up the sea of beige," says interior designer Sheila Bridges.

Be selective with accessories. "Loving stuff is not the same as displaying stuff. Accessories are like a woman's jewelry. You would never wear all of it at once. Our rule of thumb is to edit your accessories so that you never have more than 20 percent out at a given time," says Healing Barsanti Home cofounder Daniel Barsanti.

Barsanti says his favorite cheap trick for accessories is using repeated multiples of little things. He used that strategy in the entry of this Connecticut home, contrasting a red wall with a trio of white matching mirrors.

The trick to finishing a room is to organize accessories around similar colors and to display like objects with like objects, according to landscape designer Jay Griffith. On this living room mantel, he grouped several musical instruments together because they share both a similar rustic quality and earth tones.

There is no need to spend a fortune on a museum piece, but a work of art you love can become the accessory that defines a room. Interior designer Christopher Maya based this living room around the large Picasso painting above the mantel. "The aesthetic weight of a work of art lasts a lot longer than just one more pretty object. People don't use art enough," he says.

"Set the table as if you were dressing. Accessorize! Think of the plates as the necklace, napkin rings as earrings," advises Judi Roaman of The Accessorator. Tip: To add an extra splash of color, tuck together two napkins in contrasting shades at each place setting.

Using color and texture can change the tone of the room, but that doesn't mean it has to be complicated. Fruit or flowers picked up at a market are a small modification that can make a big difference. "I change the mood with things that are disposable, like orange tulips or a big bushel of pomegranates," says designer and antique store owner Kim Fiscus about her own home.