To Doodad Or Not To Doodad? There’s Only One Correct Answer!

We’ve turned doodading into a verb. Yeah, a little weird, but hey we like it and our clients seem to like it so, we’re sticking with it! Trademark pending.

Doo • dad: a curated, decorative object that helps a bookcase feel familiar and used, a side table feel like it’s collected treasured items, and a house feel like a home.

We are really big believers in creating a beautifully curated home that shows the owner’s personality and highlights the home’s architecture. This does not mean, and I repeat, does not mean clutter. We hate clutter. It only brings stress, whether you realize it or not! When doodading we make sure every piece we set out and style has a reason it’s there. Now this obviously differs between types of projects - interior design for clients vs. staging where we’re trying to appeal to a wider audience. But the rule pretty much stays the same - add the right pieces and the right amount of doodads to make the house feel like a home.

Adding texture: whether it’s with warm wood tones or organic materials, we like to mix our textures. If the pieces are larger, they can be a great way to anchor everything. Wood and organic materials are also ideal when you have a white or neutral surrounding that can use some personality and pop!

From The Sprawling Ranch

Books, books, books: and more books. Antique books, cookbooks, or books for pops of beautifully organized color.

Photo via The Home Edit. Clea + Joanna are the Gods of home organization and color coordinating. They wrote the rules, we just follow them.

Pops of color +/or metallics: try to keep colors organized and metallics consistent even if you’re mixing your metallics - which we like to do! Just make sure you have a rhyme and reason to it!

From The Dreamy Cottage

Greens n' things: is a great idea if you’re not adding pops of color into a room - it keeps a beautiful, natural color palette without infusing too much color, if you’re into that!

Hearth Homes Interiors Staging

The art of art: art is a great way of doodading! Smaller art can help fill in empty spaces in bookcases or small niches. Layer different size frames for a extra depth.

Photo via Studio McGee

Add some height: adding height, on a coffee table, dining table, in a bookcase, etc., eliminates dead spaces. Make sure to distribute height throughout but don’t make everything too symmetrical. It will look frankly, too staged.

From The Highland House

Follow us on @hearthhomesinteriors to see more doodading inspiration!