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accesorize!  how to add those final decorating touches  by Leslie Banker | 1 2 3

Throw pillows, ceramic dishes, silver boxes, small blankets, and coffee table books might seem like an afterthought when you're decorating, but these are exactly the kinds of accessories that will make a room look polished. Whether you're choosing pillows for your sofa or arranging a bedroom tabletop, it's the attention to details that will make your room look like you had a professional decorator helping out.

Tying the colors in the room together is essential to making any space look like it was mapped out and thought through. Here's where throw pillows come in handy. Throw pillows are not only comfy and cozy; they're also an affordable and easy way to connect your furnishings to each other and the surrounding space. A practical decorating tactic is to choose neutral colored upholstery fabric and spice it up with colorful throw pillows, which can pick up on the colors of the floor, the walls or other fabrics in the room.

The yellow throw pillow on the white upholstered chair helps tie in the wall color.

Sticking with neutral colored upholstery fabric means you can reuse the furniture in other rooms or in other apartments without worrying that it will clash in the new surroundings. And, chances are that fancy patterned upholstery fabric will be more expensive than a basic heavy cotton fabric in a solid color. Should you be a fickle sort, you'll find it's far less hassle to change a set of throw pillows if you get tired of your color scheme -- and much easier on your wallet as well, since sofas and chairs can be pricey to recover.

While on the topic of accessorizing upholstered sofas and chairs, don't forget the added value of a mohair throw, a soft wool blanket, or a funky textile tossed over the back of your furniture. In addition to giving you something warm to snuggle under on chilly nights, blankets and throws will add color and texture to a room. A mohair or wool throw is cozy and pairs perfectly with a wide range of decorating styles. For something more country, try a handmade quilt. Meanwhile, an Indian (or Moroccan, or Balinese, or Colombian, or Bhutanese -- you get the idea) textile will give a room an exotic flair and a dash of color.

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