Ask Priscilla
Accessorizing surfaces:
walls, coffee tables,
bookcases and more.
By PRISCILLA KOHUTEK
Photography VERNON WENTZ

Dear Readers, Accessories are the jewelry you add to a room to complete the look. Just as a great outfit isn’t complete until the jewelry is added, even the most beautiful room isn’t complete until the accessories are in place.We all know this, but we often neglect to put the required time and planning into the details of these finishing touches. I hope this month’s column will give you inspiration to accessorize with a creative flair that reflects your character and personality — the secret ingredients of every successful home.

Q. We’re moving into a new house with high ceilings and lots of wall space. How can we stretch our artwork to fill up all the empty spaces?

A. Empty is better than skimpy, I say, and designer Cheryl Christianson (Ronda’s Design Consultants) agrees. “Concentrate on one wall at a time,” she advises. Artwork is most effective when it’s massed together rather than strung out, so Christianson likes to arrange it all in big, dramatic groupings.

Whether advising clients or doing her own home, she follows the same formula for displaying art. “Pull out everything you want to hang and lay it on the floor. Pick the piece you want to be your focal point — it becomes your foundation.All the other pictures evolve from that one picture,” she says. With her expert touch, one piece leads to another and then another, and so on, until the wall is filled with perfectly arranged artwork that actually tells a story; and it all started with just that one picture.

Christianson also relies on framing techniques for unit groupings. Although this is subjective, and opinions vary from designer to designer, she prefers frames that are similar in scale, style and weight. Her personal passion is for heavy, European styled frames to add importance and dollar signs to the art.

What comes so easily for Christianson may be a nightmare for those less talented. This might be the time to call on a professional to help you make the most of what you have.“It doesn’t matter what your budget is, you deserve good design,” says Christianson.

Q. I want to decorate the coffee table in our living room to reflect the seasons, but I can’t spend a lot of time doing lavish tablescapes. How can I achieve a nice effect with minimum effort?

A. Start with a basic, everyday arrangement.The accessories you select for your arrangement should be of varying heights and should be relevant and in proportion to each other. Here’s a list of possible “props” to help you decide what might go into your arrangement.

• Books
• Candles
• Fabrics
• Fresh or faux flowers and plants
• Fresh or faux fruit
• Statue or bust
• Collectibles

Choose the most important piece of your arrangement first. It won’t necessarily be the largest piece, but it should be your most meaningful item. For example, if your grandmother’s Wedgwood teapot is your very favorite piece, use it as the foundation for your arrangement, and build around it.Think “tea party for one.”Cover the bottom of a small tray with a piece of decorative linen. Add the teapot and a coordinating teacup and saucer — it doesn’t have to match, but it must be compatible. Include a silver or pressed glass compote with faux strawberries for color. The height of the compote should be midway between the teapot and the cup. (I prefer this grouping to the predictable teapot, teacup and bud vase.) Always use an odd number of items in groupings within an arrangement.

Build your tablescape around the tea tray. Use books and candles or whatever you fancy — don’t forget the flowers.

To give your coffee table a seasonal or holiday look, keep the basic design, adding only a few pieces of a small collection to the tea tray. If the collection is extensive, replace the tea items with the collection. Change the books, candles and flowers to make them seasonally appropriate. Decorate the candleholders for the season: set them on a base of autumn leaves, nestle them among faux spring flowers or Christmas greenery. Always be careful to keep materials well away from the candle flame.To be on the side of safety, put candles in votives or cover them with hurricanes.

If you can’t be bothered with this much switching around, change out the flowers and simply incorporate one seasonal element like a lovely “Mrs. Bunny” next to the tea tray.

While the particular items in this example may not suit your taste, the basic design idea remains the same: choose your main attraction first, then build around it.

Tip: When using books within a tablescape, select those which are visually interesting and in some way relative to the most important piece. Leave them free of clutter so it’s easy for guests to peruse them.

Q. How do you “dress” side tables correctly? No matter what I do, they look stodgy.

A. There aren’t any hard and fast rules for arranging accessories on side tables, but there are some practical guidelines that also help to create visual appeal. Your tablescape should include the following elements:
• A light source — probably a lamp for either task or mood lighting, but it could be candles.
• A hard-line accent like a photo frame, a book or a collectible item such as a decorative lacquer box.
• Flowers, a bowl of fruit or a plant.
• Fabric, which can appear in the form of a table topper, a tapestry lampshade or a significant tassel. Personally, I like to use a combination of these fabric elements.Add an important tassel to the lamp, pair the lampshade with a compatible table topper and, voilà, you’re well on your way to creating a statement-making tablescape.

Put some life and personality into your arrangements by choosing your favorite things to display, even if it’s an eclectic mixture. According to American decorative arts expert and decorator Linda Fugit, it’s OK to mix textures and materials as long as weight and proportion are right. If you can’t tell whether or not the items are working together, you need a designer to come to your rescue.

When in doubt, ask the experts, I always say.

Q. What can I do with bookshelves to make them more interesting? I need the storage space for my books, but I don’t want the shelves to look like the public library.

A. For eye-catching bookshelves, keep in mind the basic elements of design: color, flow and balance. Vary the heights and sizes of the books, but for better organization, try to group them together according to subject matter. Although they don’t have to be alphabetized, they should be placed in some kind of order.

Decorative accessories can include photographs, collections, pottery pieces, plants and flowers (faux are best to prevent watering accidents), or whatever you like well enough to put out for viewing. These items are most effective when they’re clustered together between the books rather than spread out like birdseed. If your photos or collections are extensive, they will look good in several clusters, spaced throughout the shelving.When you need to add height, place the item on a stack of books. But don’t pile so many things on them that you can’t get to the books.

Be sure to sprinkle color around on the shelves, as well. Use colored photographs, kids’ artwork and bright objects to pull the eye into your displays. Varying the shelf heights contributes interest to the whole picture. If your shelves are adjustable, place them far enough apart to accommodate the tallest book or decorative item that you intend to place on each shelf, but no further. Big gaps between the shelves are not attractive.

Getting it right isn’t a slam-dunk, and actually, I prefer rows of books to silly or predictable shelf arrangements. Give it your best shot, though, and keep working on it until it makes you smile.

Until next time, happy decorating.

Priscilla Kohutek, internationally published home decorating columnist and author, draws from her own experience and the advice of experts to answer your questions. Send your queries to her via email at Priscilla@askpriscilla.com, or mail them to SAN ANTONIO WOMAN, 8603 Botts Lane, San Antonio, TX 78217.