Accessories That Work

While I love home accessories, I get a irritated with decor for decor's sake. I'm not a huge nicknack girl and I hate faux fruit/floral and that sort of thing. I prefer that dual-purpose accessories - to me, almost everything should be useful and decorative (and yes, real flowers count as useful)!

If you simply make sure that everything in plain view serves a purpose and aesthetically contributes to the space, then you're on the right track. For instance, if you use matches to light candles all of the time, why not get a snazzy looking pack of matches that not only does its job, but also looks good while it's sitting out?

It's all about upgrading to well-designed items that will get some use and emit style. Thoughtful details - even seemingly insignificant ones like a candy dish - can complete the look of a room, so don't overlook them. To illustrate my point, here are some accessories picks that look cool and serve a purpose:

1) Caldrea Refillable Hand Soap - Grounded - $18

2) Graphic Image Python Photo Album - Barney's - $195

3) Dolomite Alarm Clock - Barn Light Electric - $50

4) Turning Triangles Terrarium - Urban Outfitters - $39

5) Mercer Golden White Tray - Vivre  $290

6) Fallen Birch Branch Votive Set - Terrain - $48

7) Blue Potted Accent Lamp - World Market - $25

8) Waylande Gregory Red Pineapple Oblong Box - Vivre - $235

Soap: Next to every sink, there should be soap so don't miss out on the opportunity to make a necessity a stylish accessory.

Photo Albums: In the age of digital photos, flipping through a real photo album has become a rare event. In the spirit of nostalgia, print some of your favorite pics to fill a gorgeous album like this python knock-out and keep it on your coffee table.

Clocks: Even though I religiously wear a watch at all times, it's still nice to have clocks around, especially in bedrooms.

Planters: Plants and flowers are the ultimate accessory, but only when they are properly displayed so be sure to complement natural accents with a chic planter, vase, or better yet, a mod terrarium! Orchids and succulents are my faves because they last a long time and require very little maintenance.

Trays: Stacking and grouping objects in a tray is a quick way to make an area look a bit more polished and orderly. Plus the tray makes it easier to move said objects.

Candles: Candles put off good light and good smells and unfortunately, they become necessary during power outages, so sprinkle them around.

Lamps: If you only have one "accessory" in your house, make it a lamp and make a statement with it. It's hard to go wrong with shapely color-saturated lamps.

Boxes: Pretty boxes conceal not-so-pretty things like remotes, phone chargers, business cards, and the like.

Well...what are your thoughts on the matter? Do you like your home accessories to serve a purpose too? Or are you ok with purely decorative accents? I'm not entirely dogmatic about the form-function balance but I don't like too many objets. It's definitely a slippery slope with nicknacks...I'd say one or two per room is a good limit!