The Rule of 3: How to Style with Accessories

 

As interior designers, we naturally get a little giddy when we have the opportunity to style, well, just about anything. We appreciate that it comes with having an eye for it, but also with having the right accessories. Through our years of styling multiple clients’ homes (and having a blast doing so), we’ve created an easy rule to follow when styling any tabletop, countertop, entryway console, dresser, nightstand…you name it, it works. It’s ‘The Rule of 3.'

We start with our horizontal surface and build up in three ways: 1) layering bottom to top, 2) layering back to front, and 3) varying shapes, sizes, and sets. If we were to take it a bit further, you will see in the following examples that we especially like these 3 layers: the low/wide, the topper, and the tall. Got it? Here’s ‘ The Rule of 3’ in action:

 
Fletcher Rhodes interior design The Rule of 3 styling with accessories side table.jpg

The Side Table

Let’s start with an easy example, a pretty straightforward fave of ours: a stack of books, a topper, and tall accessory (the vase) next to it. And notice how we pushed the tallest item to the back in order to provide that layering from back to front.

Wine Country Style Tip: instead of flowers, use branches! We love olive branches that tie in with the Mediterranean climate we enjoy here.

Fletcher Rhodes interior design The Rule of 3 styling with accessories entryway console.jpg

The Entryway Console

With an entryway, we get to pull our layers up onto the wall. See ‘The Rule of 3’ here? We’ve got a low tray and a stack of books topped with a vase of greenery on the table, while our “tall” item is that stunning mirror that provides that height in back. A gorgeous trio!

Wine Country Style Tip: throw in something vintage! Showcasing a piece that shows some age adds character and depth.

 
Fletcher Rhodes interior design The Rule of 3 styling with accessories dresser.jpg

The Dresser

Oh this one is fun: we got a little tricky here. We started with the low/wide items (a low platter, a few vintage wood pieces), then layered a piece of art behind it, and added the tall item to the left. But surprise! Adding the same pitcher helps to break up the two bigger/taller items and tie it in with the lower item (eh, sometimes we do 4).

Wine Country Styling Tip: original artwork! We’re a community who supports artists and artisans here, and we incorporate as much original art as we can.

 
Fletcher Rhodes interior design The Rule of 3 styling with accessories kitchen countertop.jpg

The Kitchen Countertop

Are we getting the hang of it now? You see here we started with the platter with low bowls of fruits, next to a stack of books with a vintage olive oil and vinegar dispenser, and added those tall cutting boards in the back. Back to front, tall to low. Check. Check. Check.

Wine Country Style Tip: We’re a fan of mixing cutting boards! Mix shapes and sizes. The larger, the better.

 
Fletcher Rhodes interior design The Rule of 3 styling with accessories bedside nightstand.jpg

The Nightstand

We think you’re having fun now!

Because a bedside nightstand typically includes a tall lamp, we know we’ve got that covered. Adding a low, small box and vase topped with pretty flowers creates that perfect trio. As always, the item with the most height stands tall toward the back, the smallest in the front so they all get equally noticed.

Wine Country Style Tip: we’re all about natural materials here, so any time that we can incorporate natural woven items like a grasscloth or basket to add texture, we do it willingly and happily.

 

We hope you enjoyed these tips on how to style with accessories using The Rule of 3!

Find unique vintage items like the ones above in the FR Shop >


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