Home decorating accessories include numerous furnishings such as: pictures, paintings, and mirrors for your walls; sculptures and vases for tables and display shelves; decorative pillows and throws for sofas and chairs; and plants and rugs for your floors.

Have you ever noticed that after the walls have been painted, furniture arranged, and drapes hung…there still seemed to be something missing?...

What was lacking were the home decorating accessories that tell the story of who you are, what and whom you love, and where you've been. Without these personal touches, your room will feel unfinished and cold.

However, accessorizing your home does more than tell others about your personality, it also aids in creating warmth and conveying a sense of comfort.

But before you rush out and buy additional home decorating accessories, use the information below to first help you organize what you have and then to decide what you might need.

Getting Started

So, how and where do you start? First go from room to room and list or gather the things you currently own that might work as home decorating accessories.

Also, be sure to retrieve items such as pictures and keepsakes that may be stored in your attic or garage. Pull out objects that you've made yourself.

Finally, look for unusual or unexpected home decorating accessories to really convey your style.

After you've sorted through your personal belongings, you may find that you still need several more complementary home decorating accessories. Don't worry, it's okay to take your time in finding them...

After all, the search will be half the fun. On the other hand, you may lay out what you have and immediately know what home decorating accessories are required to complete a particular ensemble or motif.

If you need a few ideas for finding home decorating accessories that reflect your personality, there are a few sites that I would recommend.

Novica offers an amazing selection of home decorating accessories, including earthy handmade artifacts from around the world. These items will fit perfectly with Eclectic and Contemporary decorating styles. This is one of my favorite sites.

If your taste is a bit more conservative, Bellacor offers elegant and unique home decorating accessories for all decorating attitudes.

Tackle Your Focal Points First

The most important area in each of your rooms is the focal point. This is the place to which someone's eyes are immediately drawn when they walk into a room.

You'll want to accessorize this area first.

As an example, let's say that a fireplace is the focal point in your living room. Your personal touch might be to hang a beautifully framed painting (with a picture light) or mirror above it...

Then place two identical home decorating accessories, such as porcelain vases that you've collected, on either side of the mantel.

The main point to remember is to display only what is necessary. Avoid the temptation to display too many items that would create a cluttered look and weaken the drama and impact.

In my living room, an armoire is the designated focal point. The vaulted ceilings peak at 17 feet, so tall vases and candleholders were placed on top of it to provide additional height.

A decorative box and plate were added to round out a motif that would be pleasing to the eye. The little gargoyle is simply a reminder that decorating is supposed to be fun :-).

Tell Your Story

Home decorating accessories, like art, are a matter of personal taste. They don't have to be museum quality, but they should be decorative.

And even if you're just getting started, you probably already have a lot of what you need. Use the techniques and ideas below to help deliver your personal statement.

• Group objects by theme (animal figurines, collectible plates), material (silver, porcelain) or color. A group is always more eye-catching and dramatic than sprinkling items throughout the room. And the more tightly related the items, the stronger your personal statement. Remember to vary your shapes as well.
  
  If you're interested in figurines, collectible plates, and other similar objects that could be grouped, I recommend that you visit Go Collect.
• Gather a collection of 8, 10 or more family photographs and enlarge them. Then put them in frames of different sizes, and arrange them on the same wall in an interesting way. For added effect, have the photographs reproduced in black and white.
• Transform a blank corner into a colorful backdrop by setting a floor screen there.
• Use plants to add warmth to a room. But if don't have a green thumb, seek out high quality silk versions. They will last forever and can be cleaned by simply dusting them periodically. Also consider placing silk trees in some rooms for a dramatic effect..
• Hang a framed mirror on a wall instead of a picture. Mirrors are a decorator's dream because they can enhance a room in two important ways.

  First, they reflect what's in front of them and add sparkle by amplifying light. Second, they make a room look larger. Try positioning your mirrors to reflect an interesting view from a window or above a mantel to strengthen a focal point.

  Bellacor offers a large selection of decorative mirrors as well as other home decorating accessories.

• Drape a throw or afghan over a large chair sofa to add a splash of color and texture. Throws and afghans are readily available and come in a variety of fabrics including wool and cotton.

• Use decorative toss pillows to convey a sense of comfort to a room. Feel free to try a mix of patterns, fabrics, and pillow sizes. However, stick to a dominant unifying color.
• Place baskets on top of armoires, cabinets, and display shelves if a more casual or earthy feel is what you're after.
• Display a treasured collectible in a shadow box and hang it on the wall. This is a wonderful attention-grabber and adds depth to a room.
• Place small decorative boxes throughout your home for an artistic touch. Many of these boxes have very ornate designs and come in numerous shapes and sizes. There are boxes to complement every decorating style. Display them on tables, shelves, or anywhere for added dimension.
• Hang a beautifully framed print above your fireplace or group three or four prints together in the same type of frames. Hang what you love. Which types of pictures energize you or calm you? Display images that reflect your personality, thoughts, dreams, and memories.

  All Posters offers prints on virtually any topic that comes to mind. I recommend that you browse their catalog for ideas.

• Lay an area rug on your floor to define each conversation area. The rug should be large enough so that each piece of furniture in the conversation area rests on the rug, partially or fully.

  Try placing the rug at angle to make a bold statement. (Note: Most decorators prefer oriental rugs because of the wide selection of colors and patterns.)

  Take a look at the impressive variety of rug colors, patterns, and styles at ifloor and Bellacor. I think you will easily find several beautiful rugs for your home.

  If your decorating style leans toward very Casual, be careful with selecting oriental rugs because they tend to be very ornate. A simple pattern may work just fine, but an intricate pattern may be overpowering and dominate your room.

Home lighting is arguably the most important element in home interior decorating. It is instrumental in setting the mood of any room.

It can convey warmth and intimacy or create the right atmosphere for entertaining.

To ensure that you will achieve the desired effect for your rooms, it is important that you first understand the four basic types of home lighting.

1. Ambient or general lighting - illuminates the whole room. You probably notice it from recessed and track lighting. Certain wall sconces are yet another example. I recommend that you install a dimmer with your track and recessed lights so that you have the added flexibility in adjusting the brightness.
2. Task lighting - provides sufficient light to help you perform the task at hand, e.g., reading, cooking, shaving, etc. Task lighting should be glare free. And it should make things easy to see without tiring or straining your eyes.
3. Accent lighting - is focused lighting that is used to illuminate a sculpture, piece of art, or architectural element in a room. Accent lighting is about three times as bright as ambient lighting.
4. Natural lighting - comes through windows, doors, and skylights. Depending on the time of day, season, or weather, it can vary in brightness and intensity.

As with all of your decorating efforts, do a little planning before you rush out and purchase your home lighting fixtures. Think carefully about the activities that will occur in each area of the room.

Don't be afraid to use multiple types of interior lighting in a room. In fact this is highly desirable and will create very dramatic effects.

Lighting can also be helpful in making a room look larger or smaller. For example, if a room seems too narrow, then wash one wall with light to visually expand it.

If a ceiling is high, but you want the room to have a more intimate and cozy feel, don't allow much light to escape beyond the height of the light/lamp shade.

And if you want to make a small room look larger, try up-lighting the ceiling.

If you're searching for home lighting ideas and fixtures, I recommend that you check out Bellacor. Their selection of home lighting fixtures is quite impressive. There are many items to satisfy all decorating tastes.

Room-By-Room Home Lighting Ideas

You'll find that there are literally hundreds of home lighting options for your home. Think of lighting from two aspects….functional and aesthetic.

Functionally, home lighting needs to provide the correct type of light in sufficient quantity for the intended purpose. Aesthetically, it can be configured to create the desired mood through its intensity and color.

Below are some ideas for lighting the various rooms in your home. And if you're interested in learning which light bulbs are best suited for your lighting fixtures, click here... Home Lighting Fixtures. Living Rooms

• Place a lamp behind every reader's shoulder…about 42 inches above the floor. Click on this link for ideas on re-energizing outdated Table Lamps.
• Highlight a framed piece of art with halogen track lighting or by attaching a picture light
• Use accent lights to illuminate book or display shelves.
• Install recessed lighting as your general lighting or to bring out beautiful wall textures (use a dimmer)
• Slim strip lights come in just about any length and can stick to the edge of shelves or ledges to highlight displays or provide a soft wash to a wall

Kitchens

• A grid of recessed ceiling cans will provide great general lighting
• Install individual recessed down-lights as task lighting for the sink and range
• Place halogen pendant lights over bars and counters
• Under-cabinet lights make excellent task lighting

Dining Rooms

• A chandelier over the dining room table creates a beautiful setting (use a dimmer)
• Highlight a framed piece of art with halogen track lighting or by attaching a picture light
• Install halogen strip lighting your china cabinet to highlight china or collectibles
• If a chandelier is not your taste and you have a long table, try a trio of pendant lights

Bedrooms

• Place table lamps on your bedside tables. (For children's rooms, avoid halogen lamps which can get very hot.)
• Wall sconces can provide good general lighting without being too bright
• If there is not much space, consider recessed lights or pendant lights
• Don't forget candlelight if a romantic setting is what you have in mind

Bathrooms

• Use shadow-free fluorescent or incandescent lights around mirrors for grooming
• To avoid heavy shadows, place mirror lights on the side rather than directly overhead
• Don't forget to install a nightlight