Decorating with accessories is an immediately gratifying way to transform a room. Because you're not committing to major changes in your home, it's a great approach for experimenting with current trends if you're not quite ready to let go of your taupe walls and latté chairs. Here, effect is maximized through minimal effort and cost.

At this year's Maison et Objet show in Paris, an event where home décor trends are set for the year, Japanese designs reigned supreme. At Chocolate Mousse (1553 Robson Street), co-owner Karen Tennant points out a series of owl-shaped dishes that have been extremely popular. Animal motifs have long been a staple in Japanese design, and lend a whimsical charm to otherwise simple, functional pieces. The owl bowl with lid is shaped and decorated to look like a plump, inquisitive owl and is perfect for patting, but will also happily hold your kitchen scrubby pad or be cellar to your herbed salt ($20.95). The matching owl bottle is smaller and narrower, and is actually meant for soy sauce, but can be used for any liquid such as cream, rosewater, or vinegar ($17.95).

Japanese ceramics quietly exude so much character they'll instantly liven up any dining table or kitchen countertop. Chocolate Mousse's candy-like assortment of sumptuously coloured flower-shaped bowls are perfect for condiments, dipping sauces, garnishes, or even floating candles. Priced from $4.95 to $6, and in colours from deepest aubergine to turquoise blue and shimmering bronze, these bowls beg to be displayed, even if empty.

For larger pieces, Liberty (1635 Broadway and 1037 Marine Drive, North Vancouver; www.libertyinside.com/) is the grand dame of grand statements. Currently, it has a lovely selection of beautiful ceramic stools ($850) that double as end tables, ideal for parties when extra seating and tabletops are in demand. Their classic drum stool ($450) is organic in shape and motif, with a subtle, textural element that provides a lovely contrast to the glossy white glaze.

For a more masculine look, there's a cylinder stool in rich, shiny black with geometric cane relief pattern ($219). And for those seeking even more multitasking, their very tall urn-shaped stool comes in an exquisite cream crackle glaze. Tucking a pillar candle inside allows the light to flicker through the leaf-motif cutouts ($479 for the large, $309 for the small).

And should your head grow weary from all these accessory options, rest it upon one of the scrumptious cushions at 18 Karat (3039 Granville Street, www.eighteenkarat.com/). It couldn't be any easier or faster to transform a room than by tossing an armful of fresh, playful cushions onto a couch, bed, or patio chaise. The store's Damask cushions are a generous 22 inches by 22 inches, and come in a bright, grassy green or a vivid cerulean blue, both with a large floral celery-green damask pattern ($50). “We can't keep these cushions in stock,” says manager Gail Wingate. “As soon as they're on the display couch, they're snapped up.”

If you're looking to spruce up your outdoor living space, check out 18 Karat's ultra-large modern planters. Bold and minimalist, they drip with style and will instantly divide or define any space. Used in a series, they can create some privacy, or staggered they provide a visually stunning display. The Alloi planters are handmade from sheets of galvanized aluminum, which are dipped into a chemical bath to achieve a unique, subtle colouration (available in black or titanium, ranging from a 15-inch urn planter for $45, to a 23-inch cube for $145, and a 42-inch rectangular planter for $325).

The Terrazzo planters are made from a composite of cement, crushed stone, and resin, which makes them weather resistant, impenetrable, and heavy (available in black and grey, in a variety of shapes and sizes ranging from a 14-inch pot for $75, to a 43-inch bowl for $370, and a 59-inch vase for $595).

And for some truly instant, low-maintenance accessorizing, 18 Karat also offers very realistic and artistic looking faux grass to gracefully crown your new planters (green, black, or grey; $14 for four-inch pot, $40 for six-inch pot). Now there's truly no excuse not to have a beautifully accessorized home.