A fall home refresh need not start with replacing furniture. Interior designer Taniya Nayak’s advice is to work with decorative accents—such as lamps, bowls, vases and picture frames—and consider how their colors and materials look together. In The Zoe Report’s original article, Nayak, a home style expert for TJ Maxx and Marshalls, shares ideas for updating a room with smaller touches.
The practical challenge is choosing accents that add interest without making the space feel overly coordinated. Nayak recommends keeping a concept board in mind and viewing the items together; if they look too similar, she suggests adding a different finish, such as metallic or wood.
Start With Texture
Mixing materials can add depth, Nayak says. The article’s examples include pairing a velvet pouf with a smooth marble tray, or setting a fluffy rug against a wooden chair. You can try the same principle with accents you already own, or change a smaller item such as a throw pillow or blanket rather than reworking a whole room.
The aim is contrast: combine surfaces that feel different, then see whether the arrangement suits the space. There’s no need to add several new materials at once.
Try Deeper, Less-Literal Colors
Nayak says rich, dark tones are taking the place of bleached wood in her view of the season’s trends. For seasonal color, she suggests considering burgundy or maroon instead of fire-engine red, and names navy and oxblood as shades she is drawn to. Beige can help break up those richer colors.
These are suggestions, not a checklist. If you already like your room’s palette, you can focus on texture or prints instead.
Add a Print, If It Fits
The article highlights moody plaid, stripes and animal patterns as ways to bring seasonal interest into a room. Consider choosing one print for a pillow, blanket or other accent rather than layering every trend together.
A useful first step is to gather a few pieces you already have and look at them together, following Nayak’s advice to keep a concept board in mind. Decide whether the area would benefit more from a contrasting texture, a deeper shade or a print before shopping for anything new. Which small change would you try first: texture, color or pattern?
Source image: The Zoe Report.