My niece has fashioned these one size fits all must have fashion headbands using a variety of colorful new socks. Each headband is finished with a special button or bow. To check out what’s she has in stock, go SockTales and check them out.

Each headband sells for $12.00. Awesome price! I love a one of a kind accessory. As I always say in the interior design biz, accessories are the jewelry that make a room look finished. The same is obviously true for fashion. It’s the shoes and the headband that make an outfit look pulled together.

Take a look at SockTales. These are original and fun.

Red is my favorite color, so I know I can’t go wrong with this red bamboo bowl.($28.00) It’s 14-inches wide and hails from Ten Thousand Villages.

I love a mix of cultures. This 7-inch square bowl is perfect to sit atop books, or to stand amidst other accessories on a table ($44.95). Find it at Novica.

Since my first trip to Colombia I have been trying to find an authentic bowl like these, to no avail. While the originals have a darker patina, these are the next best thing. I found these Naan Bowls at Restoration Hardware. The large size is about 20-inches in diameter at sells for $149.

Don’t rule out the tried and true shopping spots like Pottery Barn. If you accessorize them right, they will be uniquely your own. I like these authentic, antique dough bowls from Hungary. They comes in different sizes, starting at 37″ long and the small size sells for $199.

Spend a little, spend a lot. Buy it new or old. But make it your own and you’ll love where you live just a little bit more. Cheers!

I want you to love where you live. All of it! So make sure you’ve got the tchotchkes. They’re just as important as the right pair of shoes.

Today, I’m focusing on tabletop decorating. I love doing this for my clients. Here are some great accessorizing ideas to inspire you. And my tips along the way.

Let me start with the opening photo. This is the entry to a beautiful country home. There are no written rules, but if you’re feeling timid about arranging tabletops, take your inspiration from the style of the home. The accessories here are appropriate to the architecture and furniture.

Collections are a good thing to have, or buy. I love the hats! Did you notice there are three on each side? Odd numbers are a major rule when accessorizing.

If you need a place for the dog toys why not  hide them in plain sight. A simple basket is just the thing here.

Groupings, like this collection of Colombian pots, make for great tabletop displays. To give them a sense of unity, use stacks of books or trays. Don’t have a collection? Go shopping for one. Tag sales are a terrific way to find things that have some age to them. It makes a collection look more curated (Snob alert!).

Use height to create interest. Arranging objects with different heights creates a sense of movement which can turn some so-so things into something more interesting. The books might be overdone, but they’re used to create the different heights. You can do the same thing using vases, topiaries, and plates or bowls set on stands.

A beautiful coffee table arrangement begins by dividing the table into sections. Three is the rule in accessorising, but you can break it on a coffee table, especially if its square. Leave two sections plain if you like. Here, boxes were used as dividers. A simple bowl with wicker balls adds interest. Alternatively, keep things simple with one large bowl.

Dried grasses are terrific. They look great and they don’t cost a bundle. Great idea! Use a woven place mat to create a tray. On the left, you can see that there aren’t just three things, but they’re grouped as if there were. On the right it’s the same idea, but with the wheat bundle added to create height. Imagine how boring this table would look without it.

Mats are also a great way to unify accessories on a table. Above, A Chilewich mat sits under an Asian sculpture with aluminum apples (three) stacked on either side. The baskets on either side are a nice extra touch. Below, a strip of fabric sits across a rustic table. Books sit next to a handmade dish. Hey! What happened to the three thing? As I said, if you’re comfortable with accessorizing, break those rules.

Group photos together. This is sooo adorable. One way to unify photos is to reprint them in black and white. Mix them with old family photos. Interesting – at first I would have put the candle in the back. But it works better in front, doesn’t it? Play around with your arrangements. Don’t go for the standard thing.

Don’t be afraid to make a statement with balls. I know you see them everywhere. But they haven’t turned into shag carpeting yet. There are such a variety out there. What’s different with this arrangement is the basket instead of a bowl, and the balls are not only different but different sizes. Again, there is an odd number of objects. The eyes like it that way.

So I guess you could say the eyes have it. I would love to know your favorite accessorizing ideas are. Share!!! (I used three exclamation marks)

Resources

Chilewich: table runners, square and round place mats

Crate & Barrel: baskets, botanicals

Lazy Susan: just about every type of accessory you could want

Poppytalk: inexpensive art, accessories & vintage items

The Well Appointed  Home: Preppy waste baskets, and lots of unusual decor

Hammocks & High Tea: table runners

Restoration Hardware: Get that vintage look in an instant.

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Accessories are the most important part of any properly decorated room. They’re the finishing touch – much like the earrings, scarf and shoes you wear to complete an outfit.

Sculptures and statuary are an emerging trend that will help you put that final piece of jewelry in any room. Here are a few I’ve chosen to get your creative decorating minds a head start on this trend.

Have you visited One Kings Lane? They feature daily sales on individually selected home products. This Saturday, June 4th, interior designer, Michelle Nussbaumer, will be featured as one of their Tastemakers.  They select items from their own inventory. Which brings me back to statuary.

These Tang Dynasty-style ceramic rams (pictured above) will be included in the sale ($749 – marked down from $1,400). You have to grab these deals fast as there are only a few pieces available and they sell out quickly. In the case of these horses, they’re one-of-a-kind. I often see statuary and sculptures at One King’s Lane.

These four  figures from Fantastic Decor ($69.99) shown above, aren’t your Mama’s Italian maidens. These are actually new, but are nicely antiqued. Don’t you think?

I love this metal bird created by artist Llana Goor. These birds (there are several on Nia Goods Etsy’s shop ($350). I have a few iron birds, painted white that I use to decorate the edge of our pond. You can copy me. But at this price, I might leave this indoors.

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I adore Novica. I found these cuchimilcos statues ($58) made by Peruvian artist Jose Acosta. These are made in pairs depicting a man and woman.

Finally, I couldn’t resist Jonathan Adler’s shark sculpture ($495). It’s big! And will make a biting statement. I’m loving it. Brain ticking away.

Jennifer’s Styling Tips

Sculptures look terrific on mantles, atop a stack of books, on a bookcase or a side table. Some make great centerpieces on the dining room table.

If your sculpture is large, consider putting it on a pedestal in a corner of your room. It will give your room height.

Do you have your own favorite way of using sculptures? Let’s make a list.

Upload a photo, play around with the effects you want, and they’ll send you a kit with a 12″ x 16″ canvas, the paints you need, brushes and a large image of the finished project for reference. The cost is $40.00.  Campers rejoice!

Their gallery shows lots of paintings of people and a few animal (no wolves). I’d suggest some landscapes – but not autumn with a brook running through the trees. Flowers would be cool. I think they’d look better than people. Check out their site and let me know what you think.

The only dark side of Paintapic is that, after you upload your photo, you have to pay before you get to play with the design. I couldn’t find any information about a refund if you don’t like the results. At any rate, this looks like a lot of fun. All aspiring artists will love this. Hmmm… I think I’m loving this idea.

This being an interior design site, you might expect me, the man decorator, to have some interior design-y gift ideas for Christmas.  I think it’s important to point out that in most homes, the manly parts are limited to the garage and/or the basement. Hence, while this gift giving guide may not appear to be directed towards improving the look of your home, it might make for a happier home life overall.

In general, follow these tips:

1) Bigger is better than smaller. (Size, volume, weight – it doesn’t matter. When in doubt, go for the larger option).

2) Louder is better than quieter. (Applies to everything from home theatre systems to tools).

3) Dangerous is better than safe. Always.  (If there’s a risk of injury in the use of the gift, so much the better).

4) Not needed = Better

5) Warning labels are good.

Here’s what I mean. Men work in the yard. They rake leaves. You might think a beautiful, hand-crafted rake would make a nice gift. (And look nice, to boot). Like this beauty, from Coppice Crafts of New Zealand.

In a word, no. A leaf blower would be more appreciated. But remember the tips above. You might be tempted to get an electric leaf blower. Like this dainty Toro® model.

Or a small gas-powered model. This Poulan item is gas powered, hence noisier, hence better.

But not loud enough, or big enough. What you want to spring for is a Commercial Grade, Backpack model. Like so: A Shindaiwa EB630RT from Equipment for Construction Pros: Big, loud. Overkill.

The same rules hold true for “hand tools”  Hedge clippers are cute.

Gas powered hedge shredders are a much better choice. Note the gas tank. Not that you’d really need gas powered hedge rippers, but that’s exactly the point.

Now that you understand the basics, here are some gifts you may not have considered.  TV remotes are a necessary coffee-table irritant. Think of the genius who combined a Clicker with a bottle opener!

My friend, Joe Godard, put it best: “I want one for every television in the house”.

He also suggested an acetylene torch. “I don’t even know what to do with one, but it involves explosive tanks, fire, and I want one.”

He’d also like a nail gun.  ”Part tool. Part weapon. All dangerous“, which is a nice summary of the kinds of things men want.

(That nail gun is pneumatic, so you’ll have to get him a compressor as well.  Added bonus points for a gas-powered model, of course.)

I thought a nice gift would be one of those forced air heaters they use on the sidelines at football games. I found an excellent model at Masterheaters.com

You can run this model on Kerosene, Diesel Fuel Oil, and (if you can find it), Jet Fuel! Yay!  Wrapping it might be an issue.

I hope this helps get you started. Best wishes for the man in your life this Christmas!

A ran all the way home (not really), and checked out their site. Nettleton Hollow is now my new favorite floral resource. With all the Holidays coming up I thought I’d share some of their products, and brilliant ideas for creating lovely centerpieces. Here we go!

Many of us are opting for a more casual style of living. That includes losing the formal dining room, and entertaining entirely in the kitchen. I love this kitchen – it’s formal enough for Thanksgiving. Wish I were invited! The arrangement of flowers on the table gave me the idea to replicate the look with year-round options. Try dry fruits and pods. They’re soooo much better than silk flowers, which scream “last century!” PLEASE! Don’t use fake. Use dried. I’d choose a better pot than the one shown with the lavender. Check out the terrific pots available at Jamali Garden.

Back to holiday decor, I’d love to see this lovely and unexpected arrangement on a coffee table or a round hall table. It’s made from three 18″ – 24″ sandblasted grapewood branches, Protea Repens flowers and sword fern – all sold on their site. The grapewood interlocks.

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I am all about accessories. They finish a room. Fresh flowers can be expensive, so dried botanicals are a wonderful and colorful option. You can always pluck a branch from your own backyard. Or, try some long grasses. This lovely arrangement is made from Mitsumata branches and orchids. To learn how to make this yourself,  follow this link.

Okay, I think I went a little crazy here. But it was a lot of fun. Do you think of creating ginormous arrangements? I often don’t. You need a lot of space. Give it a try! Now that the leaves are off our trees, I put together some options from Nettleton’s stock. They include: dyed Oak Leaves, 18″ Willow Eucalyptus branches, preserved, 30″ Myrtle branches, decorative Hops glued to Manzanita branches, and Craspedia pods. Could this work?

Here’s a simple idea – dried oak leaves with red Manzanita branches in a decorative box.  You can make this so easily. Use Oasis or styrofoam to arrange the branches. Then, tuck the oak leaves into the bottom.

Finally, back to more holiday ideas. Sand blasted, Red and (sprayed) gold Manzanita branches are the backdrop for these hanging votives. Check out Nettleton’s blog for lots of ideas and instructions on making your own. Also, check out Jamali Garden for votive holders. Nettleton made their own hanging glass votives using wire. It looks pretty simple.

So, I’m obviously wild for botanicals, and Nettleton Hollow in particular. Their selection is so broad and they have a how-to section.  I just need to add that I wasn’t paid this post. It’s true love. Here is a brief list of other places to find similar products. Do you have a resource of your own? Leave it with a comment!

More Botanical Resources

Nettleton Hollow

Jamali Garden

Crate & Barrel

CB2

Manzanita Bulworks

Have you been using grasses and other botanicals? Send me photos! I’d love to create a post featuring my readers’ creativity.

Here are 8 great resources for finding the perfect basket to finish your room – just in time for the holidays.

1. Serena & Lily

I adore the baskets from Serena & Lily. They’ve taken classic African and Asian designs and tweaked them with modern color and spirit ($68 – $290).

2. Crate & Barrel

I don’t think many people know that Crate & Barrel has a truly fantastic selection of baskets both decorative and useful. A tip is to tuck them under tables and benches. They add style and a place to store all kinds of things ($10.95 – $89.95).

3. Indego Africa

You can’t get much better than the variety of styles and general terrificness (I made up that word) at Indego of Africa. Their styles include platters and Agaseke baskets. They’re all made by hand by women in Rwanda, and take over 5 days to make ($35.00 – $110.00).

Decorating tip! A tray is a favorite way to set a tablescape. Antique bottles, a long tray and mini baskets look beautiful on this small entrance hall table.

4. Simon Pearce

I like the delicate nature of these baskets from, Simon Pearce, and have used them in kitchens. They’re a bit pricey, but are handmade and I like the size. They look great on a counter ($28.00 – $180.00).

5. Mission Del Rey

You don’t need a lodge or fishing shack to use Native American baskets in a decorating scheme. Mission del Rey sells a large variety of baskets handmade right here in the US of A. Fill the bucket style with apples or a plant. The platter style can stand alone, or place a decorative ball – just one – in the middle ($22.00 – $80.00).

Decorating tip! Use an odd number of what-nots when filling a basket or arranging just about anything. It always looks better than just four. Don’t you agree?

6. Pottery Barn

Ye old faithful, Pottery Barn. They’ve got a varied selection of storage baskets and decorative. Mostly storage. I have a large covered one under my bathroom sink. I keep extra toilet paper and my hair dryer in it. It’s useful, stylish and reasonably priced. Like everything at Pottery Barn ($24.99 – $89.99).

Personal note: I’m never sure whether people like Pottery Barn or don’t like it. Or, if it’s the place everyone does like, but doesn’t want to admit it. Truly, they have wonderful things. The key is to not buy everything from one store – whether it’s Pottery Barn or Barbara Barry. Your home is yours. It should reflect your personality.

7. Novica

My hit or miss online resource is Novica. Sometimes they’ve got really terrific things. Sometimes not. I adore these storage boxes – a thousand and one uses for those. And the little basket, above, is cute and perfect for a kitchen counter. I see fruit! ($39.95 – $59.95).

8. Baskets of Africa

I saved the most spectacular for last. Baskets of Africa sells the coolest baskets ever. Their Fair Trade baskets are made all over Africa. Their baskets are large and small and all are the real deal ($24.99 – $299.00).

That’s it! Basketland is done. Unless you’ve got a resource you’d like to share with all of us. Or, if you’ve got a special use for a basket let us know. Or, send me a photo! I’d love to see everyone’s basketed home (I made up that word too).