When thinking about the décor for a room and how to make the most of it, many people won’t really give much thought to the windowsills until the last minute. Often we think in detail about things like where the coffee table should go in relation to the couch, and what colour carpet and wallpaper we want, but will then literally just ‘dump’ a range of left over items onto our windowsills at the end.

It’s no surprise then that often the windowsills are far from the most interesting part of our décor and that often they end up looking cluttered or unattractive. Seeing as your windows are something that can be seen from both inside and outside of the room, this is a decision that should take a lot more time and consideration. Here then we will look at some of the top tips for deciding what to put on your windowsills – you’ll be surprised what a difference it can make to your entire room.

Practicality

The first thing to think about when choosing items to go on your windowsill is the practicality of having them there. Many of us will have curtains as well as netting on our windows, and will want to be able to reach the handle to let cold air in from time to time. That means we’ll constantly be reaching over our windowsills and rummaging around on them and that any tall or poorly balanced items could easily get knocked over and damaged. If you are going to put items on your windowsill then, ensure that they are resilient enough to survive a fall onto the floor and preferably choose smaller items that aren’t going to get in the way/won’t be liable to fall.

Another consideration here is light, and while the light coming through your window can be very beneficial for your potted plants, it may not be so good for a range of your decorative items and may in fact bleach them over time. If you have anything that has a bold colour and you want to keep it that way – avoid putting it on the windowsill.

Finally, avoid anything on your windowsill that will potentially attract burglars. Remember that anything you put here will essentially be on display to passers by, and you don’t want to put things in temptation’s way if it can be avoided.

Appearance

In terms of what looks good on a windowsill it’s definitely normally going to be a matter of ‘less is more’. Clutter this area with lots of different items and it will look busy and crowded and this will mean that none of your items really stand out. On the other hand though, put just a few of your prized possessions on the window sill and you’ll find that they can really make a big impact. Think too about what will look good in this particular position – will people often be facing that window? And will the light from outside enhance them? Crystal items look wonderful in the window for instance as they can refract the light coming through.

This guest post is submitted by Linda Browns. She enjoys blogging on home improvement and tech related topics. She says home tinting helps in keeping your house safe.