MIX IT UP: ACCESSORIES THAT ARE NOT LAME

Explore ideas to inspire your home décor. The RDID Home Accessories Blog offers insight on how to be creative with designer accessories .

DON'T BE BORING!!

OK people. You know what I get sick of? The same old décor and accessories over and over and over and over. Ugh. Let’s chat about how to stretch the details and chic home accessories so they embody the fabulousness of you. That’s our goal: fabulous accessories for interior design.

BOOKS

Books on Interior Design? STOP. Did you know you can buy cool, old books by the foot??? Do it! Old stuff is way cool. And always use books. It’s a bit of a lost art, but books are and will always be stunning and important, colorful home décor.

Buy books with cool topics- make your guest say “What? Huh?” and that they might actually pick up and read. Believe me, I am guilty of it too- but if I pick up another Kelly Wearstler book…well it won’t be good. If you are in Chicago, check out my favorite last minute photoshoot store and high end home accessories store, Jayson Home, they have a MAGNIFICENT selection of high end decorative accessories including books. Even I get surprised. Hell yes! I want to know the secret language of flowers!! There are so many fun interesting books, let your interior speak for itself- you don’t need the books about it. And if you are not so funky, its super great to have a book title that’s “out there,” conversation starter...

Seen it before? DON’T USE IT!

You don’t have to spend a ton of money to make it great. Our cool home accessories are often a huge messy combo of funky, organic, vintage, new and shiny, and meaningful. Etsy, 1st dibs- they exist and are 100% awesomeness- use them!! You could literally find some huge awesome weird rock and soak it with black gloss and voila! Visual interest- that’s what we are looking for…be creative, outside the box.

TRAVEL

Pick up art and accessories when you travel to add to that groovy Global interior. On the banks of the Seine or some funky chain store in Cartagena- it’s going be extraordinary in the US of A. I got this cutie on the streets of Paris…I love it, “Business is Business” it says…

SIZE MATTERS

Vary the scale, texture, and materiality of your art and home accessories. Use objects as art. Matte vs glossy, a mix of solid and pattern or conservative vs wild, colors vs neutrals. The juxtaposition of the objects in your home is what creates richness and depth for our eyes and emotions. Visual and sensual experiences. Create them. Be inspired by what is around you and what is NOT around you. Don't forget pillows and throws.

ART

IMPORTANT. ART IS WAY, WAY IMPORTANT.

You know those pieces that you can’t stop looking at? The ones that never bore you? Find them anywhere and everywhere.

Art is not in the eye of the beholder. Art is in the context of culture and time and place. There is lots of art that sucks. Then there is great art, expensive art, and then there is great AND inexpensive. So how can you tell?

Art is a tough for everyone. Nailing my client’s taste in art on budget is hard. Every single time. What I look for is what it does. Is it significant and cool? Is it emotionally inspiring? Is it adding to materiality and interest? Is it doing nothing? Don’t let your art do that. That is BAD art. Does art make you smile or giggle or evoke nostalgia? Art should contribute to life. It’s meant to provoke a response.

I don’t want to give away all my secrets, but I love Zack Smithey (above). From Pop Art to vintage shops, find amazing pieces and frame it all fancy (below). Check out City Folk Gallery (shouldn’t have told you) but they are AMAZING!!

I’ll leave you with two more awesome vintage finds from our Ultimate Man Cave project: Antique cigar tins and this adorable little Pug smoking a cigar. VINTAGE + PERSONAL + RELATES TO THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT ='s a score the home team!!