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Articles
A cozy place for friends and family.
No matter what your house is like, you need accessories to pull everything together for a warm, inviting home.
 Years ago, a couple we had just met came to our home for dinner. The first thing she said to me was how warm, inviting and comfortable my home felt. I've always remembered that compliment. It wasn't the rooms or even the furniture she noticed, but all the accessories that gave it that cozy feeling. Its knowing how to add your own personal touches that help pull a room together... to make a good room great! You don't want your house to feel like a furniture showroom. They have a lot of beautiful things, but they lack that certain personal charm and don't have the warmth that your own special accessories provide. Display those items that you have collected (or have been given) over the years that are unique to you.
Here are several ideas to try in your home:
For big impact, group together similar small items like tiny pictures, pewter items, seashells, thimbles, spoons, porcelain collections... you name it. Shadow boxes can work well for this too. Get out your memories and put them on display.
Try tying tassels around lamps, chair backs or draping them over drawer pulls for a more elegant feel.
Visit your local hardware store and buy a lamp rewiring kit. Lamps can be made from just about anything; bottles, pitchers, decorative tins, etc. Add a warm glow anywhere. Put small lamps in out of the way places like a powder room, above kitchen cabinets, on bookshelves, on top of a grandfather clock, or on the kitchen counter.
Have you hidden away your mother's or grandmother's old china plates? Give any room more charm and appeal by displaying plates over doorways, collected in hallways, grouped on sides of framed artwork or mirrors, or on display shelves or plate racks.
Greenery is a designer's best friend. Entwine silk ivy across mantles or tabletops to fill empty space and add instant warmth. Use a small sprig around pictures or candlesticks. Don't forget above armoires and bookcases... use a large basket with greenery to bring the eye upward. It's the perfect finishing touch to any room in your home.
The next time your friends come calling, I bet they will tell you how cozy your home feels. Remember, it's the little touches that make a big impact on your home.
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