A Case for Accessories – How to Accessorize Your Space Without Burying Your Furniture

 Whether you’ve chosen a maximalist style, like Grandmillenial or Boho, or a less-is-more decorative motif, like modern or minimalism, you’re probably going to still want to use accessories.

But when is enough enough? We will provide you with tasteful accessory tips that won’t bury your décor or furniture. 

How the Pros Accessorize

You go to your friend’s house, and they immediately lead you to a large three-cushioned sofa in their living room and tell you to make “yourself comfortable” — but you can’t. There are so many toss pillows that you can’t find an open spot. And the patterns clash. You would sit on the pouf, but there’s a beautifully carved chess set on it. You decide to stand.

Professional decorators avoid these common mistakes by sticking to a theme and then knowing when to stop adding to it. Here are a few concepts that you can use to finish your space with accessories without overwhelming it. 

Moderation

Knowing when it’s time to stop is key to accessorizing a space. For example, four throw pillows on a sofa might be the right amount, but that many can really crowd a loveseat. A single throw carelessly draped over the back of an armchair might add some much-needed color and texture, but pillows might make it unusable. Notice how these two sets of pillows complement the Bernhardt Joli Contemporary Sofa without detracting from the clever lines and warm fabric of the piece. 

Combining Shared Elements

When selecting accessories for one or more pieces of furniture, it’s helpful to identify shared elements that tie the pieces together. Color may be the most significant factor, but don’t forget that lines and shape are also important. Consider the Tommy Bahama Siesta Key Woven Headboard in this image. The white of the pillows and bedding matches the off-white woven bed frame, while the subtle gray stripe in the bed connects with the gray colors of the decorative pillows. 

Applying the 60-30-10 Rule

In case you’re unfamiliar with the 60-30-10 rule, it means that 60% of your space should be a primary color, 30% should be a secondary color from the same palette, and 10% can be a tertiary color. Adding accessories can affect the balance of colors. There are a few ways you can address this familiar decorator’s dilemma. 

You can dedicate all of your 10% (the tertiary color) to one color family. However, this may give your place a “paint by numbers feel.” 

Another method involves trying to make the additions proportionate to the room. For example, 60% of the new accessories match the primary color, 30% match the secondary color, and 10% match the tertiary color. This will ensure that you maintain the balance, and it won’t seem quite as contrived as monochromatic accessories. 

Perhaps the most difficult approach to maintaining color balance is locating accessories with two or three colors in the approximate proportions you need. This can be extremely challenging, but online stores have made locating unique accessories much easier. 

Paying Attention to Size

Larger accessories are going to affect your room more. For example, curtains and area rugs will have a much bigger impact than a folded quilt or a lampshade. On a more granular level, consider the surface areas of throw pillows. If you have large throw pillows, you’ll need fewer of them than smaller ones. 

Accessorizing Minimalist Spaces 

If the whole point of minimalism is to reduce the clutter and celebrate empty space, why would you need to accessorize? While true, minimalist spaces completely devoid of accessories can come across as cold and unwelcoming.

Consider this living room featuring the Bernhardt Contemporary Leather Sofa. While the room does adhere to minimalist principles, the table surfaces are adorned with an adjustable lamp, a pair of metallic urns, and reading materials. The accessories augment the color palette without intruding into pathways or blocking the view of the major pieces in the room. Additionally, a crisp white rug adds texture and warmth to the space. 

Accessorizing Maximalist Spaces  

You might be thinking that if you choose maximalist décor, you can really go to town with the accessories, but you may require even more discipline to avoid a junky, overdone look.

Consider placing extra accessories in a curio cabinet or display cabinet to avoid the uncomfortable feeling of too many items intruding on your space. Accessories never looked better than when they’re displayed in a beautifully designed curio cabinet, like the Pulaski Cabinet from Pacific Heights. 

Return Unwanted Items 

Unlike most furniture, accessories are often returnable, so don’t be hesitant about taking risks. If you buy a rug or throw that ends up not looking so great, take it back. Just check the store’s return policy before making a purchase. 

When Less is More – How to Resist Gilding the Lily When Decorating

 

You've finished the floors, painted the room, and selected some beautiful high-quality furniture pieces from one of your favorite furniture store's 16 locations. If you're like most interior decorators, you're ready to start a round of accessory shopping. Or, you already have some accessories in place, but you want more. 

According to the Oxford Dictionary, "gilding the lily" means to "improve or decorate something that is already perfect and therefore spoil it." No one understands the compulsion to buy accessories better than the Baer's Furniture Design Team members. But how do you know when enough is enough? If you choose too many accessories or combine too many patterns, your room can go from a tasteful and comfortable living space to a busy, cluttered hodgepodge. We have some tips to help prevent you from gilding the lily. 

Purchase Functional Accessories First 

A functional accessory is anything in the room that is not solely for decorative purposes. Functional accessories include lamps and lampshades, curtains, area rugs, etc. Selecting these necessary accessories can help avoid over-purchasing and throwing off the room's balance. 

In this beautiful bedroom featuring the Sag Harbor Tufted Bed, functional accessories include the end-table lamps, curtains, bedspread, and the area rug. Additional decorative accessories include the throw on the bench, decorative pillows on the bed, and wall art. 

It's important to note that this is an extremely well-thought-out decorative space. While a toss pillows or wall art might not be necessary, they do make the room look great. 

Stick to the Plan

We are huge advocates of vision boards to help our customers plan their decorative themes. Vision boards are an accessible way to plan your space before purchasing. However, as your design vision comes to fruition and all of the major expenditures of time and money are behind you, you may be tempted to "take chances" with accessories that, for one reason or another, didn't make it to your original design concept. 

If you do decide to add or switch out accessories, avoid cluttering your space by observing the following rules :

• Use replacement accessories of the same size. Or replace one accessory with two or more smaller accessories that combine to be the same size as the original one you had in mind. 
• Replace accessories with similarly-colored items. If you decide the original color you picked was wrong for the space, choose from your existing color palette. 
• Solids and patterns are not the same. Prints give the illusion of a busier space. 

Keep Minimalism Minimal

Minimalism does not mean "bereft of character." You can have accessories in a minimalist decorative space — just fewer than with maximalist themes. If you've selected a minimalist design, choose your accessories wisely. This living room features the Joli Collection Contemporary Sofa by Bernhardt, but it has a decidedly minimalist bent with its muted neutral colors and efficient lines. As you can imagine, adding a few accessories or colors to this sophisticated design would throw it out of balance. It's perfect in its simplicity. 

Not Everything Qualifies as an Accessory

You might have a patchwork quilt that you love because it's really cozy, but it just doesn't fit with your modern, contemporary, or Mid-century Modern décor. And electronic devices, remotes, charging cords, board games, etc., should never be considered an accessory. To solve this problem, we recommend storage furniture to eliminate clutter from non-accessories. 

The Sea Glass Buffet with Sand-blasted Doors in this space provides a surface for actual accessories while providing ample space for whatever items don't really go with the theme. Note the way the decorative pillow, glass bowl, and vases all pursue the same family of blue. 

Use Curio Cabinets to Control Decorative Sprawl 

You may have a few items that you'd like to proudly display, but don't actually fit with your living room or dining room's décor. However, a curio cabinet allows you to group together thematic or disparate items in one central location. Instead of each item having to act as its own accessory, the curio cabinet becomes an accent piece. For example, it would be difficult to find a place for the number of accessories contained in this Chocolate Cherry Curio by Pulaski Furniture. However, they all fit nicely in this lovely display cabinet. The design also discourages visitors from handling breakable objects. 

Accessories are an integral part of interior design and an option you should always have in your decorating arsenal. Just remember that having too many could be just as detrimental as having too few.

5 Best Places In Sarasota

Sarasota is an exciting and historic city. It has a lot to offer, ranging from the Ringling Museum of Art to Myakka River State Park. In order to avoid bogging you down with too many options, we've kept our list of places to just five places. Be sure to check out each of these locations for both fun and essentials in Sarasota, Florida.

1. The Ringling Museum of Art

Filled with classical architecture and art, this museum will transport you to a different century. Come and view the paintings and artwork dating from the Renaissance to Ancient Greece and Rome. The unique panoply of precious artwork and architecture found in this museum makes it a worthwhile visit for everyone — from the seasoned art expert to the amateur browser. Take a look around the Ringling Museum of Art, founded by of Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus. There are over 10,000 individual pieces of art, ranging from paintings to sculptures to photographs. These many art pieces are distributed across 21 different galleries, each dedicated to a different region and style.

2. Myakka River State Park

Sarasota has one of the most beautiful state parks in Florida. Enjoy viewing wildlife on the boardwalk, stroll through the treetop canopy walkway, or commission an airship ride on the Myakka River. Any one of these choices will provide you with an afternoon full of fun and whimsy. Watching the natural flora and fauna of the park is an incredibly rewarding experience you should be sure to try it while in Sarasota. Peruse the natural scenic beauty of the Myakka River State Park.

3. Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Located on the Hudson Bayou, right on the edge of Sarasota Bay, the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens are a unique set of gardens spanning seven acres. They contain the world's largest and most diverse collection of bromeliads, a type of flowering plant. Enjoy the natural scenic beauty of this botanical wonderland, and explore the natural flora of the area. There are over 6,000 species of plants in the garden and 20,000 individual plants. This is definitely a must-see location in Downtown Sarasota.

4. Central Sarasota Farmer's Market

Open from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., this farmer's market is a must-see whether you're a tourist or a resident. It's filled with local produce and goods like coffee, honey, salsa, veggies, and more. Sample the different food options or just go window shopping at the Farmer's Market in Central Sarasota. Be sure to try the world-famous cheesecake that this historic farmer's market is known for.

5. Baer's Furniture Store

Baer's Furniture is a Sarasota mainstay, with hundreds of in-stock furniture items for your home. With an expansive space and hundreds of pieces of furniture from designers like Tommy Bahamas Home, Bernhardt, Lexington, and more. Whether you're new to the Sarasota area or you're an established resident looking to upgrade your space, the friendly expert staff at the Sarasota Baer's Furniture location will help you find the exact products and styles you're looking for.

Make Your Dresser the Center of Your Bedroom | Baer's Furniture

When you walk into your bedroom, does a certain piece of furniture catch your eye? Perhaps there's a chair with a bold pattern or an oversized chandelier? Whatever the eye-catching piece may be, it's very important that you have one. Why? Well, every room in a home needs a furniture piece that will show off your personality and style, so it's crucial that you include something in your bedroom — a.k.a. your sanctuary — that shows off who you are. The perfect statement piece for a bedroom? While some love a bed, we want to show you how you can make your dresser the star of the show.

What is a Statement Piece?

You might wonder what sort of "statement" you want and/or need to make with a dresser. It's completely up to you! But before you choose, let's go over some of the functions of a statement piece of furniture: 

• Incorporates your personality into the space 
• Brings your personal experiences into your home and evokes joy 
• Acts as an interesting conversation piece 
• Serves as the jumping-off point for a design scheme 
• Anchors the room by providing style and flair to the other pieces 

In short, a statement piece is supposed to stand out. While there are technically no written rules in furniture design and decor, it's a bit of an unspoken one that you should only have one to two statement pieces in a space. When styling your bedroom, you'll want to keep in mind that this is smaller than your living room and most likely should only have the dresser or the bed as the focal point. 

What Should I Look For in a Statement Dresser?

A statement dresser should both elevate the space and tie everything together. It's best to purchase something that complements the other pieces in terms of color, texture, and style. Something most statement dressers have in common is drawer handles that have a distinct look about them. These handles could be made of crystals, steel, or mixed metal, or they could just have a fun pattern.

A Unique Texture/Style

Texture can certainly set a piece of furniture apart, especially if it's accompanied by a specific pattern as well. The key is to select something that enhances the space and doesn't clash. Experts recommend choosing a texture that complements the vibe of the room — for example, this Bernhardt Trianon Dresser has distressed gray wood, which highlights the floors and wall space without clashing with other patterns in the room. If you were looking for something more smooth and geometric, consider this Bernhardt Axiom contemporary dresser, which features a pattern of shapes that make the piece look more three-dimensional.

A Distinct Set of Handles

If you can't find a dresser with a fun pop of color or a unique texture, try looking for a monochromatic piece that features an eccentric set of handles. Sometimes, this is actually all a piece needs to be distinctive enough to make a statement. If you look at this Miranda Kerr Universal Love. Joy. Bliss. drawer chest, you'll see how its gold flower handles and bottom structure are just enough to set it apart and allow it to take the spotlight of the space. The white and gold complement the wall and are also cohesive with the pink velvet loveseat on the side. This Fusion Heron Island Asian-inspired dresser also serves as a good example as to how drawer handles alone can transform a simple piece into a statement piece. The innovative handles on this dresser combine to create a large decorative rectangle.

A Sense of Timelessness

Lastly, make sure you select something that feels sentimental and classic. Any classic dresser piece will be cohesive with most aesthetics and visions – even an antique one from your grandmother's house could work! 

Anyone can make their room more personalized and fun through the use of a statement dresser, as long as you know what to look for! If you stay true to your own style and choose something that complements the other pieces and color tones, you can't go wrong. As one of the most popular brands in Florida, Baer's Furniture offers a wide selection of statement dressers, as well as other types of pieces, to help make your space more unique. Shop Baer's today!