In terms of decorating your home, a little spice is more than nice. Think of how this one little word historically conjures up images of the exotic and powerful. When you introduce something that is unusual to your repertoire, you can lift a room from the mundane to something quite special. When I was a kid, I never could comprehend how colorful powders that were sold in the grocery store in tiny tins were the cause of wars in our human history. From the 3rd century B.C., the ancient Phoenicians (current day Lebanon) controlled the sale of that which stimulates our senses. Huge fortunes were gained and those who owned the spices had supremacy.

You might consider drawing upon your own ethnic heritage as a place to begin your search for the unusual accents at home. I am not suggesting that if you are Chinese the entire house be Oriental in flavor, but rather you might use red in your color palette. If your family is Hispanic, you could introduce textiles from Latin America. You might alternatively display a collection of clay platters from Mexico. Perhaps a kimono or obi might be displayed as art if you are of Japanese heritage. Or consider the introduction of pillows made from a kimono. The Internet is such a friendly and easy place to hunt for such artifacts.

Personally, I am attracted to the folk art of many nations and have a true collage in my own home even though I am full-blooded Italian. I have wood architectural carvings from both China and Japan. I have obis from Japan that I use as table runners and framed Guatemalan molas. I collect red lacquer ware from both Japan and China and display that along side English porcelain plates. The whimsical character of Haitian steel drum art is one of my favorite mediums and several hang on my walls along side oil paintings of more traditional nature. I stare at each display area and make sure that it is balanced and harmonious.

Perhaps it is your travels around the U.S. that inspire you. We have a rich cultural background in this country that artistically ranges from Alaskan native art to Southwestern art to Colonial Williamsburg. There's the refined French influence of New Orleans to the pole lodges of Montana. Again, you may not have the desire or space to create a faithful rendition of the style that you admire, but you can influence the flavor of a room. Just know that a lot of small items spread randomly around a home can become unimportant clutter in no time. The trick with a lot of smallish items that you may have gathered during your travels is to group things together in larger blocks. For example, somehow I began to collect small crucifixes when I traveled abroad. Rather than hanging fifty of them, I culled through my collection and weeded out about fifteen of my best items. I grouped the tiny crosses around a large wood angel and confined the entire collage into an area that is only about 24 inches wide and 36 inches high. It now reads as a unit, which is more pleasing to the eye.

The Tibetan chest shown is another way to spice up an entry or even a bathroom. Know that you can use a vintage or antique piece as your lavatory by installing a vessel-style sink that sits on top of the wooden surface. Faucets come out of the wall behind the chest. Imagine this accent piece in a room that is neutral. This one piece of furniture suddenly introduces a feeling of faraway places! An addition of the same vibrant coral — in a picture frame or throw pillow — is all that you need to pull the room together.

Photo Credit: Home Goods

Christine Brun, ASID, is a San Diego-based interior designer and the author of "Small Space Living." Send questions and comments to her by email at [email protected]. To find out more about Christine Brun and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.