ACCESSORIES CO-ORDINATION
& GROUPING
One of the easiest ways to
give cohesion to a group of accessories and ornaments is to pick a theme. It
may be a color, a subject, or a similar shape, although the things you collect
need not necessarily be in the same style or period. Start with a core of items
with some connection and keep your choice flexible. A thoughtful, eclectic
mixture can reflect truly individual taste; in a collection of jugs, for
instance, a few genuine, antique examples will blend in beautifully with new,
reproduction jugs of any period.
Color grouping
Grouping ornaments and
accessories by their color is a powerful way to highlight a color scheme. You
could choose cushions, lampshades and picture frames in antique, muted soft colors
that pick up one of the tones in a rug, carpet or wallpaper. Select your colors
carefully: coral ceramic vases and lamp bases contrast well in a smoke-blue
living room scheme. In a predominately apricot bedroom, accents of soft
aquamarine could be introduced - in delicately embroidered cushions and
decorative glass.
Collecting ornaments in the
same colors, such as blue and white jars, bowls and plates and displaying them
against a matching backdrop brings a welcome freshness. Conversely, a
collection of brilliant saffron yellow plates on a dresser can make a
predominately cool blue and white kitchen scheme feel sunny and Mediterranean.
Large blue and white ginger jars were a favorite early-Georgian accessory
offering a welcome focal point and light relief to many heavily carved
mantelpieces.
A pair, or group, of blue and white ginger jars can still do the
same for traditional mantelpieces, or use them to bring a classical touch to a
modern setting. Covering old blanket chests and screens, small card and wooden
boxes and metal wastepaper bins in fabrics that either co-ordinate or blend in
with the rest of the furnishings helps to link some of the more disparate
elements.
Extra touches Collections and accessories can be witty and
tongue-in-cheek. An assortment of necklaces can enhance the necks of plain
glass and pottery vases. A trompe l'oeil painted cat on a fire screen with a
collection of needlepoint cat cushions makes an amusing point. If you haven't
much wall space on which to hang all your objects, consider displaying them on
a freestanding fabric-covered screen - the panels are perfect for pinning up collections
of old Valentine cards and dolls' hats. Antique toy and games collections can
be carefully displayed in special Perspex cases to great effect. Medals, coins,
stamps, old pieces of lace and fans can be framed in deep box frames
