The walls have been painted, the rugs rolled out and the furniture installed. So why doesn’t the living room feel finished? Because it isn’t.

What it needs are decorative accessories — pillows and throws, trays and bowls, stacks of books, maybe a plant or two — to make it look interesting and inviting. “A room before it’s accessorized is often flat,” said Alyssa Kapito, an interior designer in New York. “It doesn’t have the depth and character that only those elements can bring.”

The trick is finding the right accessories, which is harder than it looks. We asked interior designers for tips.

Make a Plan

The key to choosing accessories is understanding that they all need to work together. You can’t just select them one by one.