Accessories , Accessorize.....

I have always felt that the accessories make a room! Yes, key pieces of furniture are the CAKE, so to speak, but the accessories are the ICING, and that's the first taste you  get, right?

After taking down Christmas, and boy is that depressing, my house seems naked.  All the glitz and sparkle are gone, and lots of the extra color is too. Back to my neutral palette and the lovely job of re-accessorizing my mantle, tables, and corners. Here are some shots of my Christmas accessories, and now back to my non-holiday arrangements.

First of all my mantle:

I have a collection of Santas that I display every year. I use frosted white crystal garlands, white lights and some toile ribboned around each Santa.  Although I don't generally use RED in my decor, the holidays are an exception, so I intersperse the red here in my neutral white-ish living room.

Here is how I set it up after Christmas...B O R I N G!!!!    If you have any suggestions, let me know. ( I always thought it would be great to rearrange each others accessories, cause a new 'eye' leads to innovation!-- come to my house and I'll come to yours! )

Next are corner "vignettes"  I love the garlands I put out on every door and room opening, so when they're gone it is particularly 'naked':

This is what it looks like now:

Then there are the light fixtures that look so voluptuous adorned in ribbons and garlands:

The family room mantel houses our Nutcracker collection:

And now it's time to put up my blue and white porcelain collection ( which has moved from several places around the house....Ive been collecting it for 30 years, and still am IN LOVE with b&w porcelain)

Boy, these photos are a true testament to how you need to stage more for pictures!!!! The room doesn't actually look this boring.. Im adding a mirror or black and white prints over that mantle ASAP!

 -Nancy