Tried-and-True Favorites to Finish Off a Project

Your backsplash is grouted. Your bathroom is ready for guests. Your fireplace is finally the star of the show.

You love it. But something feels a little…unfinished.

What’s missing? Did you choose wrong? ALL OF THAT MONEY. DAMMIT.

Don’t spiral.

This is one of the easiest fixes in the book: add the accessories.

You may already have them at home. Decorative bowls, fluffy towels, bath salts (the legal kind). Those finishing touches make a newly finished space feel like yours.

Suddenly, you’re saying, “Oooooh.” Your guests are saying, “Oooooh.” And you’re saying, “Aw, shucks. This old thing?” while secretly puffing up with pride.

Here are my favorite ways to finish off a tile project.

Hardware: Give Your Towels Somewhere to Hang

Towel bars, hooks, rings—all the things you forget until you’re standing there holding a wet towel.

For a cohesive look, I recommend matching your hardware to your fixture finish.

Then add fluffy white towels.

FLUFFY. Key word. FLUFFY.

The towels that have followed you through three apartments can retire to dog duty.

My go-to sources:

I love Kohler’s Artifacts collection for classic hardware with a little personality.

For the fluffiest of the fluffy towels, start with Frontgate’s Resort Collection. I’m always a fan of crisp white, but there are plenty of colors if that’s more your thing.

Bowls: Contain the Countertop Chaos

I hate countertop clutter, but everyday stuff needs somewhere to land.

Try two simple bowls in different sizes—ceramic or carved wood. One for fruit, another for the little things that otherwise spread across the counter.

For this job, I prefer bowls to trays. A tray can become a miniature countertop with a lip around it: same clutter, smaller footprint. A bowl has depth. It’s more forgiving.

This works on entry tables and mantels, too. Keys, remotes, mail. All the things.

Some faves:

Crate & Barrel is a go-to for classic white ceramic bowls in all shapes and sizes.

For something a little quirkier, I love the Shapeshifter serving bowl by Sarah Sherman Samuel from Lulu and Georgia.

Shower Bottles: Let That Niche Have Its Moment

You chose the tile, planned the layout, and created a beautiful shower niche.

Do not cover that bad boy up with giant, mismatched bottles of Kirkland products. Get a set of refillable bottles that fit, label them clearly, and tuck the bulk containers away.

Same shampoo. Much better outfit.

The Polished Jar lets you choose your bottle style and customize the labels.

Rugs: A Little Softness Goes a Long Way

Do you want to cover your beautiful new floor? Absolutely not. Do you want something soft underfoot while brushing your teeth or doing dishes? Yes. Yes, you do.

A small rug or washable bath mat adds warmth and texture. Keep it proportional so your tile still gets its moment, and use a nonslip backing or an appropriate rug pad.

Unless the floor tile has a busy pattern, I like a printed rug instead of the standard solid bath mat. West Elm is one of my favorite sources for options with a little personality.

A Signature Scent: The Finishing Touch You Can’t See

I love a home with a signature scent. A candle or diffuser adds another layer—and a pretty container doesn’t hurt. Once the candle is finished, reuse the vessel for tea lights or as a little vase.

Choose something that gently fills the space. We’re going for “It smells lovely in here,” not “What are you trying to cover up?”

A few favorites:

Paddywax Tobacco and Patchouli: I’m picky about scents - either fresh and crisp (spring/summer) or subtle and woodsy (fall/winter). This one was a pleasant surprise, considering patchouli usually makes me think of bare feet and Grateful Dead songs. Nothing against either. Just not necessarily the vibe I’m after in my bathroom.

Jonathan Adler Pop candles: If you like fresh, crisp scents, try these. The tomato scent is chefs kiss perfection. Never in my life did I think I needed a tomato-scented candle. But I do. I really, really do.

Layer. Edit. Live.

My go-to approach works perfectly here.

Layer: Start small with a few useful pieces you love. You don’t need to fill every surface or buy everything at once.

Edit: Step back. Move things around. Take something away. You can always add another layer later.

Live: Put fruit in the bowl. Use the good towels. Light the candle. Make it yours.

Sometimes all that beautiful tile needs is a fluffy towel and somewhere to hide the remote.