Accents on Accessories: Ideas and Inspirations from Southern Accents [Hardcover]

Karen Phillips Irons (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Southern Accents | Publication Date: October 1995

Make the rooms in any home come alive with perfectly placed accent pieces and accessories. With this new idea book from the editors of Southern Accents magazine, learn how to add personality to home decor by arranging flowers, collectibles, pillows, even books in just the right places. Over 150 color photos.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Oxmoor House (October 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0848714520
• ISBN-13: 978-0848714529
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 7.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,061,040 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Accessorizing in a more formal Southern style..., August 2, 2007

By 

LinAnne "Lin22" (Puget Sound) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Accents on Accessories: Ideas and Inspirations from Southern Accents (Hardcover)

This book was written in the mid-1990's and some of the ideas may seem a bit outdated by now. However, if you still love the (traditional) CLASSIC SOUTHERN decorating style, (a style that was so popular in the 1980s to mid 1990's), then this book may be of interest to you.

For the price, which is quite low, this could be a book that would not be too expensive to read and review yourself.... Afterall, everyone does have their own decorating preferences. Example: some of the neo-classical decorating ideas can be used today, although in a more traditional home setting, and not in a current modern home setting.

Also, the photos are very nicely done, (although with yellow overtones).

NOTE: If you are interested in a more updated book on ways to accessorize your semi-formal (traditional) country home, then I would recommed another book called "Christi Carter's Art of Accessorizing" , by Christi Carter. I think that Christi's ideas hold up much better than the SOUTHERN ACCENTS book. Infact, I still refer to Christi's book quite often, but I'm not sure if I can say that about this SOUTHERN ACCENTS book reviewed here.

3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good if your style is more "Traditional", December 30, 2011

By 

NYCatHeart - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Accents on Accessories: Ideas and Inspirations from Southern Accents (Hardcover)

Keep in mind this book is nearly 17 years old (pub 1995), so it isn't full of the most current or "freshest" ideas & looks. If you were a fan/subscriber of the now-out-of-print Southern Accents magazine like myself, then you will likely enjoy flipping thru this smallish book. There are one-and-a-half to two page quips from leading designers of the time (not that they aren't relevant now) which offer somewhat useful tips & tid-bits, albeit most of it is fairly generic, especially if you're a regular reader of design publications & viewer of design shows.

As another reviewer indicated, if you lean towards cleaner, less "cluttered" environs, then this book will not appeal to you as it does focus on more traditional, monied looks--rooms full of high-end antique furniture, "collections" on every surface, and the obvious ACCESSORIES that come primarily from those same high-end antique stores & boutiques and/or from the owners great-great-grandparents. I added a few photos for reference.

That said, the photos are quite nice and there is plenty of inspiration to be gleaned. Many of the ideas can be tweaked with small collections of plates from thrift stores and pieces from garage sales and big-box retailers. I don't have antiques or family heirlooms, but I am a savvy shopper at the aforementioned places, and this book has given me several ideas to use with MY items in my own home. So if you need to use modern-day items from said establishments, but do not want your home to LOOK like those stores & perhaps have no idea where to begin, then this would be a good book (especially when found for next to nothing in the used section!).

I do miss Southern Accents (thank goodness for Traditional Home mag!). This book gives me a little of that vibe back.