12 accessories to liven up your home
As we slowly emerge from the darkness of winter, your decor may need a boost for spring.
While you may not have the time, budget, or inclination for a complete makeover, simply moving things around or adding a few small touches can go a long way in rejuvenating tired interiors.
Here we present 12 accessories that will give your home a fresh touch.
The throw
Spring weather doesn’t mean wall-to-wall sunshine and balmy nights, so keep some cozy elements for cooler evenings. But instead of the dark winter color palettes of inky blue, charcoal and jewel tones, look for a more seasonal alternative, such as Cushendale.ie (from €90) made from Irish wool from Galway sheep, our only native breed.
Wool blanket from Cushendale.ie, from €90
The vase
Accessories offer a great — and wallet-friendly — way to explore interior design trends without buying a large piece of furniture. This year, the curve returns, from rounded sofas to wall arches to sculptural candles. Dublin home goods store AprilandtheBear.com has a set of twisted vases from Dutch brand HK Living that work beautifully together or individually: a matte vase (€36) and a larger glossy vase (€45), both in a lovely olive green.
Twisted Glossy Ceramic Vase, €45, aprilandthebear.com
The storage solution
It’s spring cleaning season and you can make life easier with organizing supplies that will help keep your home clean and tidy. Install pegs or wall hooks to store bags, coats, scarves, or towels. Coolree Designs Hardwood and leather loop hook (€30, CoolreeDesign.ie) are handcrafted in Kildare and come in two shapes and six colours, from muted gray to bright orange and sky blue, giving you plenty of stylish options for your hallway, kitchen, bathroom or children’s room.
Loop hook, $30, CoolreeDesign.ie
The mirror
Freeform, organically shaped mirrors can help dress up a blank wall and soften the hard edges in your home, while giving a room a more unusual, fluid finish than the standard round and rectangular frames.
The Pond mirror by Ferm Living (€295, AprilandtheBear.com) is a prime example and thanks to its interesting shape it can be used as an alternative to traditional wall art, providing a chic contrast to the rigid lines elsewhere in a room and making rooms appear larger than they are.
The Pond Mirror by Ferm Living, €295, AprilandtheBear.com
The candlestick
Bring a playful pop of color into your home with eye-catching glassware in vibrant tones. Hand-blown from recycled glass for a more sustainable production method, this glass candle holder (€44, item) plays on the curve trend with its bulb design, while offering bright color blocking with its contrasting orange and pink tones. Elevate things even further by pairing with candles in clashing colors for a maximalist uplift.
Glass candle holder, €44, item
The tablet
As unglamorous as it is, TV dinners have become a daily reality for many of us in lockdown, but you can restore some glamor with this rattan and bamboo bed tray (€99, UrbanOutfitters.com). It would be ideal for a romantic breakfast in bed, but it’s also handy for using on the couch while eating, working, or watching TV on a laptop.
A pedestal tray gives you a flat surface so you don’t have to balance a plate on your lap, and it can elevate your device without having to rely on a precarious stack of pillows.
Rattan and Bamboo Bed Tray (€99, UrbanOutfitters.com)
The pillow
A new pillowcase can do wonders on a tired looking couch, and there’s plenty to choose from across the high street. A fringed upholstery in contrasting tones will bring a cheerful eclecticism to your interior, and the soft velvet covers by Oliver Bonas (€34, additional lining €8.50) are machine washable and available in a range of colors including warm coral and blue or rich yellow and purple.
Velvet pillow, €34 (add inner lining for €8.50), Oliver Bonas
The plant hanger
The lockdown houseplant craze continues and you can now find a plethora of attractive pots, stands and hangers to display your greenery indoors. For a modern bohemian look, try the cotton plant hangers from Dublin Design Shop IndustryandCo.com (from €20) that can raise your plants off the ground, save space, keep them out of the reach of children or pets, and add visual interest to a space with varied greenery. The flexible cotton makes it suitable for all types of pots.
Cotton plant hanger from Dublin design shop IndustryandCo.com (from €20)
The lighting
A bold, irreverent lamp can liven up any space, and HK Living’s Round Base with Cylindrical Linen Shade (€175, TheOldMillStores.ie) has all the beauty of a sculptural work of art. Crafted from ceramic stoneware and finished with a textured glaze, the lamp design harks back to the retro shapes of the 1970s but is finished in a cool ice blue to create an ultra-modern ambience that feels fresh in any room.
Round base from HK Living with cylindrical linen shade, €175, TheOldMillStores.ie
The pet bed
The lockdown spike in pet adoption has been accompanied by a major boom in the pet market, with more of us trying to make our spaces more comfortable for our furry friends in a trend Pinterest has dubbed “barkitecture.”
Seagrass Pet Bed, Є96, oliverbonas.com
One way to better accommodate your dog or cat—without compromising on your own decor—is to upgrade their bed with a bed that better suits your decor style. Oliver Bonas has a good looking range of woven pet beds (from €72), including one with cute cat ears and seagrass dog beds in two different sizes, combining natural tones with deep pink, burnt orange and navy blue.
Geometric rug, from €189, Rugs.ie
The carpet
For a major upgrade of a room, consider swapping out your rug for a new statement piece. Specialist dealer for cork Carpets.ie has a wide range of great value wool rugs including their bestselling Reef Geometric Rug (from €189) which comes in three sizes and is handmade from 100 pieces of wool. Choose from a variety of warm-toned color options, with the option to upload a picture of your room online and see how it will complement your existing decor.
Braided frames, €20, reduced from €25, miramira.ie
The frame
We may all have our favorite pictures on hand by now, but printing and framing a photo you love is a great way to capture memories and add a personal touch to the home.
Choose a frame with character like the colourful, creative options from Amsterdam designers &Kleverling, available in their Dublin store MiraMira.ie. There are graphic checked styles in bright hues (from €17.50) or try one of the pastel woven frames (€20, reduced from €25) to add a little extra personality to your favorite pictures.
https://www.independent.ie/life/home-garden/interiors/12-accessories-that-will-revitalise-your-home-41480917.html 12 accessories to liven up your home