Make a Better Impression With These Decorative Accents

Sometimes a room is only a few small touches away from feeling completely different. Clear the clutter, simplify the personal items, then add just enough color, texture, and warmth to help buyers picture themselves enjoying the space. You don’t need to redecorate your entire home. A few smart accents in the right places can help buyers look around and think, “I could live here.”

Your home’s first showing may happen on a buyer’s phone or laptop, so every room has an opportunity to make an impression before anyone walks through the front door. Accessories can bring a photograph to life with color, warmth, and texture. The trick is knowing when they’re adding something—and when they’re simply getting in the way. Let’s start by clearing out the distractions.

WHAT TO AVOID

Highly personal or potentially distracting items can make buyers focus on you instead of the home. Political, religious, or other strongly personal displays may be important to you, but temporarily storing them can give buyers a more neutral backdrop for imagining the home as their own.

Personal items such as shoes, clothing, toiletries, medications, and toothbrushes are easy things to put away—and clearing them can make counters and rooms feel instantly calmer.

Unusual or oversized furnishings can be terrific conversation pieces when you live in the home, but selling calls for a different test: Does the piece make the room look better, larger, and easier to understand? If not, this may be the perfect time to pack it for your next home.

Refrigerator magnets, notes, calendars, and photos can create more visual noise than you realize. Clear them away and suddenly buyers are seeing your kitchen instead of your refrigerator door.

Memorabilia and collections can create the same distraction. You don’t have to erase your personality, but paring collections down lets the room get some of the attention back.

Limit wall art and personal photos enough to let the walls, windows, fireplace, ceiling height, and other features come forward. A few great pieces can look much stronger than a wall filled with them.

Artificial food and flowers can sometimes feel dated or overly staged. When practical, try fresh greenery, healthy live plants, or a simple arrangement of flowers for a more natural touch.


WHAT WORKS

Now for the fun part. Once the visual distractions are gone, you can use a handful of accents to give each room some life. Think neutral foundation with small doses of color, texture, and warmth. You’re not creating a showroom—you’re creating possibilities.

Plush Bedding & Linens
Fresh bedding can transform a bedroom quickly. Layers and textures create comfort, but don’t bury the bed under pillows and blankets. In the bathroom, clean, neatly arranged towels can give the room a fresh, finished feeling with almost no effort.

Well-placed Mirrors
Want to brighten a darker area or reflect some of that great natural light? A well-placed mirror may be just what the room needs. It can also become an attractive decorative element without adding clutter. For inspiration, read “13 Ways Decorating with Mirrors Can Transform Your Space” from Bob Vila.

Throw Pillows & Blankets
A chair, two pillows, and a folded throw can turn an overlooked corner into a place someone suddenly wants to sit. The same idea works on a porch swing or in a reading nook. A few simple touches can help buyers see not just the space, but what they might do there.

Table & Accent Lamps
Lighting can change the energy of a room in seconds. A lamp can brighten a dark corner, supplement natural light, and make a space feel more welcoming. Just keep the scale and style appropriate so the lamp complements the room instead of becoming the main event. Click here for some accent-lighting ideas.

Fresh Flowers & Live Plants
A little green can go a long way. Healthy plants bring natural color and texture into a room, while a simple vase of fresh flowers can add an easy finishing touch. Keep the scale appropriate and fragrances subtle. For more information about some of the benefits associated with indoor plants, take a look at these science-backed observations.

Area Rugs
The right area rug can pull a room together by adding texture, warmth, and definition. The wrong size can do the opposite, so proportion matters. If you’re unsure about dimensions, this rug-size guide can help.

Coffee Table Accessories
Here’s one place where less really can be more. A small stack of books, a tray, or a simple arrangement may be all you need. Leave plenty of open space so the table looks useful rather than decorated for the sake of decorating.

Outdoor Areas
Don’t stop at the back door! A porch, patio, balcony, or backyard can become another memorable part of the home. A couple of chairs, a small table, cushions, or some simple lighting can help buyers immediately understand the possibilities.

  • Create a stepping stone path that leads to a private bench w/cushions.
  • Create a sitting area around a fire pit on brick, stone, gravel, or concrete pad.
  • Add patio lights for a relaxing evening inside a gazebo.
  • Hang a beautiful hammock between the trees.
  • Place a couple of chairs next to a side table with an umbrella.
  • Solar pathway lights help illuminate the way.


You don’t need a truckload of new décor to make your home feel special. Sometimes the difference is a brighter corner, a welcoming chair, a fresh plant, or simply removing what doesn’t need to be there. Give buyers room to notice the possibilities, and let the best parts of your home do the rest. If you’re getting ready to sell, I’d love to help you figure out which small changes could make your home shine.