Unlikely Accessories

One of my design show faves is the ever popular Dear Genevieve on HGTV. Genevieve got her start way back on Trading Spaces on TLC. I get a big kick out of watching her shop for accessories. She always takes homeowners to these funky eclectic stores in Manhattan where she salivates over various oddities like Bocce Balls, benches made out of reclaimed Tree Stumps, or some tarnished bronze wall sconces that she insists will look good in the overall design thought the man always protests.

I think the difference between artsy designers and many of us normal homeowners is that while we want our homes to look nice, we aren't going gaga over random objects simply for their stylistic charm. Some people I'm sure will pay big bucks for a bowl of designer Bocce Balls but not me. Then at other end of the spectrum are people who have an overload of chotchkes and all kinds of cluttery stuff everywhere so you can't even see the surface of something. I think the challenge of accessorizing is finding something interesting enough that you want to look at it all the time, but personal enough that it makes things feel cozy, and something that is not expensive. Let's face it, most of us just can't go home and tell our spouses, hey check out these reclaimed candlesticks I got for 100 dollars. On tight budgets, accessories have to be cheap cheap.

I cannot stand clutter and chotchkies, so I tend not to have a lot of personal items as accessories other than a few photos, but I also can't afford to buy official "accessories" at places like Pottery Barn or West Elm. Most of my purchased accessories are between 5 and 15 dollars, and most come from Home Goods, where you can get the same type of stuff for less. (For tips on what I use to accessorize check out my Interior Design Page of the Blog)

However I was so impressed with myself and my recent addition of an unlikely accessory, I just had to give it special attention in it's own post.

So-One of my husband's simple pleasures is a bit of whiskey every so often.

It turns out that whiskey bottles can come in some pretty fancy wooden boxes, I guess to help you justify spending three times more money than on a six pack.

Anyways, I needed one more item for my fireplace mantel, something with a more rustic feel. In a moment of utter creative experimentation,  I grabbed 2 of the darker wooden whiskey boxes and voila! Two stacked on top of each other and it just worked. Ideally I'd like a third one on top to round it out but I have to wait for Ben to finish another one.

I found it very validating when later than week we went to a restaurant and the same whiskey box I had used was sitting at the bar, holding straws and napkins. Design element plus function!

So the whiskey box of all things fit my three criteria for an accessory: Nice to look at, cozy and personal, and the total cost (whiskey not included): Zero.

So if someone gives you whiskey, make sure you save the box.