When it comes to decorative pieces, less is usually more. You don't want the space to look cluttered, and you don't want the room to lose functionality, e.g., taking up essential kitchen or bathroom space.

Opt for quality over quantity and ensure you select items that are the right size for the space and that follow the general feel of the room. As well as the décor, the function of the room itself is likely to influence the subject of your decorative objects as well, of course, as the people who inhabit it.

• Choosing decorative pieces for the living room?

The living room in often the showpiece of your home; it is the room in which your guests are likely to spend the most time. Therefore you will want this space to look as good as it can and to reflect the entire family.

In terms of themes, this room can be anything you want it to be — from nature to animal to personal interest. It's best to select a single dominant theme. If opting for a nature theme, vases are great for spreading flowers around the space, or if you are a little less green-fingered than you would like to be, flower and tree figurines offer a good alternative.

If animals are your thing, then there are plenty of decorative options available here, too, whether you prefer domestic animals, marine life, or wild creatures. Cute animal ornaments can be added to bookshelves and corner tables to give the space a touch of whimsy.

Items used here can also indicate your hobbies and interests — anything from travel momentoes to musical carvings and wire dress sculptures. Aim to group ornaments and figurines in threes — this seems to be the magic number for creating the very best effect.

• Choosing decorative pieces for the study?

A study is an excellent place for incorporating words and letters into the decoration of the room. Everything from inspirational wall hangings to individual block letters, which can serve as bookends, will add to the effect of the room.

Aim to ensure that you are not placing too many ornaments on your desk or any other working space, though, as they could get in the way when you are using the room. Alternatively, make use of a tray to group the objects; this adds a special touch and means that the objects can be lifted out of the way as needed.

• Choosing decorative pieces for the kitchen or dining room?

Naturally, a great subject for either of these rooms is food and beverages, and these days there is quite a variety of decorative objects that incorporate both. Fruit sculpture sets make excellent table centerpieces and can also be used to add a touch of fun to a cabinet or to some shelves.

Although many people wouldn't usually consider placing decorative objects in the kitchen, they are great for incorporating a little color and personality to what can otherwise be quite a sterile and uninteresting place.

As with the study, though, take care to not go overboard on placing decorative objects on surfaces functional surfaces -- especially those needed for food preparation or in busy places where they may get knocked around and broken.

• Choosing decorative pieces for the bathroom?

The bathroom is another surprising room for decorative touches, but again, a few pieces here and there can really make a difference, making the space look more colorful, stylish, and attractive.

A water-based theme naturally lends itself to this space with coral sculptures and fish figurines looking great throughout. Just make sure to keep them up high on shelves so that they don't accidentally fall into the sink or bathtub and break.

Nature objects such as stones, crystals, plants, and wooden objects can also look great in your bathroom. They give the room a spa-like feel that can help you feel relaxed and rejuvenated when taking a bath or otherwise pampering yourself here.

• Choosing decorative pieces for the bedroom?

Now the bedroom is the place where you can really let your character shine through. The options are quite limitless here and should definitely reflect your personal interest. Abstract sculpture pieces can also look great dotted about the place for a contemporary touch of style. Just take care to keep shapes consistent (more on this below).

If you are decorating your child or teen's bedroom, make sure that you go the same way in terms of highlighting interests. Dancing figure ornaments make the perfect touch for your budding ballerina, and sports and transport objects look good in a boy's room. Just one of two pieces here and there high up on shelves is all you need.

The colors you choose when selecting your decorative objects will be based on the existing colors within the room, as well as on how eye-catching you want to object to be.

• Prefer an understated effect in the room?

Muted colors such as blacks, whites, browns, and greys are good for subtle, elegant touches that take a little longer to spot. These are great for adding a little creativity and intrigue to a room and also for creating a calm and ordered space.

• Aiming to make a statement?

Brighter colors are, of course, more attention grabbing, but you are going to want to ensure that they are in keeping with the colors used throughout the rest of the room. While they don't need to be the exact same shade as the walls or the furniture, they should be on the same spectrum.

Ideally, you want to pair warm tones such as reds, yellows, and browns with other warm tones and cool tones such as blue, grey, and green with different hues of this nature. When an object is more than one color, consider the dominant one as this will be the one most noticed.

Think also about the place where you will be displaying the object or objects. Place decorative items against contrasting background, e.g., light on dark or dark on light for a stunning and very noticeable effect.

The size of your decorative objects will depend a lot on the space you have available for them. In heavily trafficked rooms such as the kitchen and bathroom, smaller objects are probably best, so they don't cause issues with the flow of the room.

However, in your living room or bedroom, you may have more space for adding a few touches and can be a little more flexible with the size of your objects. Here you may consider oversized vases, statues, and specific hobby pieces.

• Love oversized ornaments?

Keep in mind that, as with bright colors, large objects immediately attract that eye, becoming one of the focal pieces of the room. So if you are going for something more substantial, make sure that you do absolutely love it first.

These items are usually stand-alone, so you shouldn't aim to put other objects around them as this will just look cluttered.

• Prefer something a little smaller?

With smaller pieces, grouping can make the effect more cohesive, especially if the objects are quite similar in size. As covered above, three is a good number, but if you want to add a few more, go up in odd numbers as this is naturally more appealing to the eye.

In terms of shapes, repeating shapes throughout a décor scheme is a good way of creating a harmonious feel. Take a look at the main items of furniture you have in the space -- are they mostly edged or curved? Align your ornaments as such.

For a little more of a contemporary look, add in small contrastingly shaped items here and there, a curved sculpture in an edgy room or a spiky figurine in a rounded room. This will serve to break things up a little and add a touch more interest to a display.

It is certainly possible to make use of two or three themes in a single space as long as they work well together. For instance, a more natural travel theme will pair well with ornaments depicting wild animals. A nautical theme will go well with a marine life one etc.

The danger with this is that you will end up with a multitude of decorative objects about the room that may make the space feel too busy or appear too crowded. This would not be a good effect. The best thing to do if you have like or have many ornaments for a single room is to keep some in storage and switch them out now and again to give the room a fresh and exciting new look every month or season.