By Mi-Ling StonePoole

If you live in a town home or a condo and you want to make the most of your décor, concentrate on adding accent pieces that will give your home a grander feel. Accessories are the like the icing on the cake. If you add just the right amount you’ll get beautiful results. Size doesn’t matter, it’s the details that count. You don’t have to spend a fortune buying new accessories, just take an inventory of your home, and use the items you already have in a different and unique way.

Dawn Struthers has created a warm and cozy environment for her two boys, Tony and Dustin in herEdmondtown home by adding just the right accessories. Dawn has worked as a decorator for the past 15 years.

“ I love taking what a client already has and rearranging it, I’m all about saving money,” Dawn said.

She suggests using floral arrangements to add interest and warmth to a home. Her expertise as a floral designer is evident in her home. It was filled with stunning fall floral arrangements that added personality and flair to her town home. She works as a floral designer for the Designer’s Market inEdmond.

“Working as a floral designer allows me the flexibility I need to raise two teenage sons,” Dawn said.

Adding accents to a room is Dawn’s forte. When she decorated her town home she also took into consideration her daughter Courtney’s new baby. She devoted a corner of her master bedroom for her granddaughter bailey. She draped mosquito netting around the crib and hung it from the ceiling for to create a cozy space for her granddaughter when she visits.

In her living room she utilized un-hemmed draperies and hot glued tassels on the fabric for an elegant and inexpensive look.  For added interest she added an iron screen to one corner of the living room.  To continue the cozy and inviting theme she utilized lots of colorful throw pillows.

Dawn didn’t stop with the inside she went outside of her entrance and spruced it up as well.  With the help of a friend she added wonderful landscaping and a bench for relaxation. The entrance looks into her dining room and provides a comfort zone for her entering guests.

When buying your decorating accents you might want to consider the following:

• Buy large pieces (they take up more space and are  more dramatic) you’ll get more bang for your buck.
• Use what you already have (go on a scavenger hunt in your home and take items from other rooms and reuse them in a different way) to make the most of your budget.
• Place groupings of similar items to fill up a space and display a collection.
• For a touch of whimsy place a large floor lamp or  candleholder on top of a table to add height to the room.

If you’re on a budget you can make your floral arrangements from items found in your back yard.  Items include:

• Pick fall flowers.
• Collect twigs off the ground.
• Collect leaves.
• Use old feathers found on the ground or from hunting trips.
• Gather berries.

After you collect all of these items you can create a natural table scape with pumpkins and squash or you can insert them in a floral arrangement

with fresh flowers.

If you’re scaling down from a large home to a condo or townhome here a few things you should consider before selling all of your furniture:

• Keep your large pieces of furniture, they tend to make a smaller home look larger.
• Consider using a room for multiple purposes such as a guest room / office space.
• Larger paintings fill up small walls and create a grander look.
• Add lots of texture for interest and drama.
• Create larger windows by bringing the curtain rods up to the top of the ceiling molding.

It doesn’t matter if you’re decorating a condo or a town home, by using just the right accessories, you can design a grander scale home and create your own unique comfort zone.

Photo Credit: Mi-Ling Stone Poole

Dawn Struthers made a beautiful floral arrangement for the dining table  in her home.