10 Styling Necessities to Transform your Home ASAP

In a few weeks, there will be magic happening at Aimee’s house in Port Alberni thanks to all of you!

Irene will arrive with a team of 10 volunteers to assemble IKEA furniture and then the following weekend I’ll be there with my car full of accessories and lamps to hang artwork and create some tablescapes.

I’ve been compiling a list of basic necessities we’ll need for styling and here’s what I recommend for every house:

Portable dimmer.

I have one beside each of our bedside lamps and I have one attached to both of the lamps on the sideboard in my dining room (above). One little flick and both lamps can be adjusted at the same time.

White pots for potted plants (faux or real)

I have probably 10 of these basic 4″ pots and just as many larger ones for for bigger plants.

Maidenhair Fern

I bought one of these to put inside a white pot for my kitchen island and it lasted for a little over a month.

I was so sad when it died and thought “Well, better stay away from that fern” until I read a post by a stylist who said she replaced hers monthly.

Unfortunately, I have only been able to find small ones since then even though I look for them constantly.

Maybe I should try it in our dark bathroom, apparently they can ‘almost’ survive in the dark.

Kalanchoes are another favourite. They last for over two months in my sun-filled living room.

Baskets

 

In many shapes and sizes. They can be filled with magazines, faux granny smith apples, green moss balls or even family photos.

Throws

Even in the summer time, when I’m sitting on the sofa at night, I like a blanket on top of me. Unless it’s a real scorcher which doesn’t happen that often where I live.

My best tip is this: I have a queen sized fleece blanket that I fold in half lengthwise and then in half again and throw it at the end of the chaise on my sofa. Then I have a pretty faux fur throw that I lay on top of it and it sexes up my sofa like nothing else. This way when people sit down, their feet never touch the chaise because your blankets are always there.

Coral

Beach house or not, there’s ALWAYS a place for a pretty white coral. And the fake ones look real these days.

 

Coffee Table Books or Magazines

Books or magazines are great pedestals for countless accessories. They take the most mundane looking ‘what-not’ and turn it into something cool to look at.

Try it.

Birds, owls, penguins, elephants, squirrels.

A collection like this image below. . .

or four. . .

 

Or just one.

Hey, how can you resist that cute face, haha.

Trays

You need them for ottomans, coffee tables, if you have a pretty tea set, they look good in a tray on a sideboard.

In a bathroom, your hairspray and all kinds of other miscellaneous bottles look messy in a group on your vanity but so much more organized and decorative when sitting inside a little rectangular tray.

Tear Drop Vase

Click on images for sources

All you need is one flower, leaf or branch and a tear drop vase always looks good.

Tea Lights

I buy mine by the boat load from IKEA. They are a great price, unscented and last 4 hours.

While you’re at it. You can get these from CB2 and hang them anywhere. In your powder room, in between a wall of art, so fun and inexpensive.

Accessories are what truly create the look and feel in your home.

What’s your favourite way to add style?

PS. If anyone local has any fun accessories to contribute to Aimee’s house, let us know. 

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