SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016
By April Force Pardoe
Do you have many great accessories in your home but are a bit tired of seeing them in the same spots year after year? Do you
want to create a new look without buying anything new? An updated look is easy to achieve by using what you already have – it just takes some magical thinking. Here’s how!
1 Collect all of your favorite accessories from around the house and place them on one large table in groups. For example, all books in one area, vases in another and pictures in another. Repeat with all of your treasures.
2 Consider pulling items from other rooms to include in this staging area. A favorite mirrored box in your bedroom might look great in your dining room.
3 Go through cabinets, closets or storage room to bring out pieces you haven’t used in a while. It might 
be time to bring a few out of hiding and into your home.
4 Select an area to begin decorating (mantle, entry table) and “shop” your staging area for items. Consider grouping pieces by color or theme to get you started.
5 Start with the largest piece (lamp or tall decorative container) and work around that, building the display in varying degrees of height.
6 Mix textures. A table with many glass vases would benefit from a piece of driftwood to add texture to shiny pieces.
7 Once one area is complete, move on to the next. Don’t go back and pull items, try to get the best display you can and move on.
8 Live with the new look for a few days and edit as needed. Sometimes taking one piece away makes all 
the difference.
Think about displaying everyday things in new ways. A decorative necklace that you rarely wear might look great in a lovely dish on an entry table. Frame a treasured note to display where you’ll see it every day. The idea is to surround yourself with pieces you love – in places where they will be noticed.
April Force Pardoe, interior designer and owner of April Force Pardoe Interiors, helps clients who want stylish interiors but are overwhelmed by the process and too busy to take it on themselves. She presents solutions to her clients’ design challenges and makes sure all of the details are taken care of so they can spend time doing the things they love. Find out more at afpinteriors.com.
