Tidbit Tuesday : Top off those tables

What gives a room that finished, designer look?... Accessories!! (my favorite part) And table top surfaces are a great opportunity to showcase your very own style and personality.

To make it easy, I have come up with 5 no fail essentials for the perfect table top display

- a tray
- a decorative box
- a little prized piece or sculpture
- a small stack of books
And for extra credit?
- a bouquet of flowers

The best part?.. With a little of my guidance, we can achieve this entire look for less than $50 and a few minutes examining your personal style sense.

What's best about this tip is that this combination of accessories can work for any style.

For a traditional look, use a wooden tray with a ceramic vase and keep the color scheme simple and in the same family.

For a more elegant look simply use an antique silver tray with your bouquet of flowers nestled neatly in a glass or crystal vase along with the box and sculptural piece.

Scale is important when selecting such items. This pertains to anything in your home. You wouldn't want the vase, nor the flowers, to be too tall with the chance of easily toppling over or even obstructing the view to any of the other seats in the room. It might make conversation over coffee with friends a bit awkward and uncomfortable.

And Remember to layer! Layering the items adds detail and visual interest. And grouping the vase, box, and sculpture together (upon the tray) will draw the eye to your beautiful setting.

Groupings of 3 (or odd numbers) are always more visually appealing. Strange huh? But it's tried and true so follow along...


Next week, we'll discuss how to achieve this same low cost method on your bedside tables or nightstands.