If you’re waking up most mornings asking, “what day is it?”, you’re not alone. In fact, the whole world is right there with you. For example, I’ve lost Tuesday for the past two weeks. I literally wake up on Wednesday and can’t recall a thing from Tuesday even though I know it happened and I have evidence of things I completed to prove it. It just slips by without much thought. Maybe Tuesday is supposed to be that way? Just there, crammed between the start and the middle – not special. Tuesday is like the LMNO between A to Z - jammed together without a breath and passing swiftly, like a freight train in the night. Poor, lackluster Tuesday… But I digress.
If you’re looking for a creative way to spend the day, perhaps a Tuesday…have I got a post for you! It’s both a how to and a challenge to you, at the same time. I see that eye roll, lol! Don’t worry, it’s a fun challenge and a short post.
Today I’ll show you a 7 step process to easily and creatively get a new vignette styled with stuff from around your house. Now, this process can be applied to small spaces or big spaces, in any room of the house. There are no rules for where it should be. The only rule is to have fun, and to share your creation with me over on Instagram. And no, this isn’t a ploy to get more Instagram followers… it’s only partly that. I will be totally thrilled beyond words if you share your vignette instas with me! If you haven’t followed me yet, I’m @interiorsmh on IG, and everywhere else for that matter. Follow me and use the hashtag: #intstaetts so I can find you. I can’t wait to connect!
Let’s get on with creating a vignette with stuff you have around the house, shall we?
1. Pick a Foundation Piece
This can be a favorite piece of pottery or a sculpture that you love. Maybe it’s a horizontal stack of favorite books in similar color or subject matter. Perhaps you have a group of objects – preferably in 3’s – that could serve as the foundation? This may be 3 colorful vases or a group of 3 crystals of varying heights?
I love to bring natural elements into my designs, so something like a crystal tower that you want to move from one area of the house to another or maybe a beautiful salt lamp that will add some light and a sculptural quality. (more on that in # 3). The point is, bringing in a foundation piece to anchor the vignette does wonders for composing how you want it to look.
If you like the look of a curated grouping of items in your vignette, this is the ideal step to come up with that look. If you like the eclectic style where you have items that are grouped together for interest rather than relating to one another, I say go for it! I love both ideas and you can certainly tell a story with your choices whether they relate to each other or not.
I chose this fun abstract sculpture from my office bookshelf. I like the organic shape and the height of it. I wanted it just a tad taller so I added in a couple of books to add height. (Now you know where I keep my horns when they’re not on my head… It’s been a long week…)
2. Create Depth
Image: Eneida Nieves, Pexels
Place taller items behind shorter items. Think about what your arranging as a composition for a still life painting. You probably remember those from an art class at some point? The classic was a bowl of fruit arranged just so maybe with some other items placed around it. In. There probably was a blanket, fabric or texture placed behind the fruit bowl. It was there to provide depth and visual interest and to give the composition context. That is the idea here.
You might want to place a tall candle or lean some art behind the piece.
I had this pretty blue hydrangea print to give my composition depth. At one time it was framed at but the frame and glass broke and I kept the print.
I say go on a mini field trip to the hall closet or where you keep your seasonal décor and rummage through to find something with a bit of height. Place it behind your foundation piece and see how it looks. If you’re not feeling it, change it out for something else.
3. Add in a Light Source
Light gives a vignette some life and it helps to further create depth with focused areas of light and shadows.
You can bring in a lamp form another space or add in a candle or group of candles… It’s really up to you. Heck, you could even break out the Christmas lights and fish them down through a jar or a mercury glass vase to give the area a bit of light.
If your lamp is too short, place it on top of that stack of 3 books from step one. Or, maybe you have a decorative box that could be used as a step for the lamp.
Play around with the placement, nothing is glued down so keep moving things around until you find a placement that works for you.
I played around with the type of lamp I wanted for this vignette. I originally decided to put the lamp from my front entryway in the group but, I felt it was too heavy. I also thought about putting in my salt lamp tower but, the objects I was gathering didn’t quite fit well with it. Move stuff around until it feels right.
Remember, have fun and think about it like a puzzle: find the right fit and move on to the next step.
4. Vary the Height of Objects
This is related to creating depth but adding in things that have different height is important for creating an interesting composition.
Here is an example of what I mean: When everything is the same height, the vignette can look static and uninteresting. There is no place to focus and it really just looks like a bunch of stuff placed together without much thought. Adding in different heights will allow you to separate and highlight certain things. Now the focus is on being able to see things clearly and it demands that the viewer’s attention. Your eye can easily move from one piece to the next and it becomes a meaningful interaction.
5. Add in Plants
I don’t think there’s a vignette around that can’t benefit from the inclusion of plants. They can serve so many of the functions I mention here, depending on the size: they can be the foundation, add height, create depth, etc.
I brought in a few plants to from other rooms to see how they would work. I tried out a couple of air plants but they didn’t quite fit the vibe. I brought in a jade plant but it was a bit too short. Finally I settled on a small aloe in a green planter and, bingo! I liked the height and the green was a pretty compliment to my blue hydrangea print.
Tip: When in doubt, blue and green is a winning combination all the time.
If you don’t have a green thumb you can easily add in an artificial plant or silk flower arrangement. This is a great option if your vignette is in a darker corner without a lot of natural light. And, if you’re setting your vignette up in a dark corner, it’s even more important to add in some type of light source.
6. Mix Up the Elements
I love to bring in different metals, glass, stone, wood…
When you mix up the elements it really helps to add dimension to your vignette. Suddenly, you have a lovely mix of texture and shine. You have tactile elements with texture and visual weight and that goes the distance for curating a beautiful collection.
One of my favorite things to do is mix up metal tones. I never hesitate to bring in silver and gold tones, it’s fresh and pleasing to look at.
I also find nothing wrong with mixing in a modern stone piece. Maybe something smooth or polished?
Throw that in with more organic elements that are rough and natural, and you have a great combination.
7. Add Something Unexpected
There is nothing like a bit of whimsy to brighten up a fresh vignette. While you’re hunting for Christmas lights, why not bring out a couple of ornaments that deserve a second look after the season. Yes, it may be a bit weird at this time of year but, it could be just the thing to finish your arrangement up.
If that isn’t your speed, maybe frame up a piece of your kid’s art from kindergarten and let that be the little special moment. It will probably embarrass them and add that exact touch of whimsy you need, #win, #win!
Maybe you have a favorite toy from when you were a kid that could uses a special place for a time? It could be your teddy bear or a favorite doll or action figure. It certainly ticks the box for adding in the unexpected, don’t you think?
My touch of whimsy is my 3 amigos here. I’ve had them for 18 years and they’ve moved with me many times. I always seem to find a spot for them wherever I land because they’re fun and interesting. Anyone who visits me always comments on them and returning guests always poke around to see where they are. They are legendary and part of my history. What’s your touch of whimsy?
That’s it. A simple how to for creating a vignette with stuff from around the house.
1. Pick a Foundation Piece
2. Create Depth
3. Add in a Light Source
4. Vary the Height of Objects
5. Add in Plants
6. Mix Up the Elements
7. Add Something Unexpected
See, it’s not so hard to put together a fun and interesting vignette. Now go, have some fun and copy me in on your creation.
I love to see what you come up with even if it’s years from now! And, if you would be so kind, I’d love to hear different ways that you would style a vignette in the comments below.
Until next week, stay safe, well and don’t forget to keep your dreams big for your small house.
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What to Read Next:
From Blah to Fantastic, 7 Ways to Style the Wall Behind the Sofa
I’ve dragged my feet on this one for way too long. I have this blank wall in my living room and I have thought about filling it since moving almost a year and a half ago. It’s one of the last hold outs in my house and I just can’t seem to find the inspiration to get it done. The worst part is, it’s one of the first impressions in my home. When guests enter my foyer, the living room is immediately to the left and the first thing they see is my giant empty sofa wall.
There are probably a million reasons why it’s not finished, but the number one reason is that I’m picky. I don’t want to just throw something up on the wall to take up space. I love a personalized space and that’s why it’s important to have things around me that are meaningful as well as appealing. I’m also not one to change up my décor super often, so the things that I place above my sofa must have staying power because they’ll be there for a while. If you can relate, then this one will be a great dose of inspiration. Believe me, I’m ready to take my giant wall behind the sofa from blah to fantastic! Let’s get to it.
My aesthetic is simplicity so the designs that resonate with me are also simple. I like balance, soft colors and not a lot of fuss. That’s what I’m going to focus on here.
1. The Statement Mirror
Simple is the absolute best way to describe this option. Mirrors are wonderful for reflecting light in a room. They add in texture, shape and color. They can also make a room feel larger because they reflect space. A large floor mirror, for example, can really open up a space because it gives the illusion that there is a doorway or another room in a small space.
For this example, I like the idea of a round shape to play against all the rectangles in the room: the end tables and coffee table and TV console opposite. Layering in a different shape adds interest and breaks up repetitiveness.
My front windows are directly opposite the sofa wall, so for me, the round mirror is not the best option. I try not to place large mirrors directly across from windows. I much prefer them on perpendicular walls. My rule of thumb: only place mirrors opposite what you want to see because you will essentially be doubling the view.
2. One Large Piece Of Art
Along the same line as the large mirror, a large piece of art that adds in color, texture and/or shape will go la long way to filling up a large blank wall.
I like to choose art that is more abstract because I think it pairs really well with most transitional, traditional, modern and eclectic rooms. Abstract lines don’t compete with a favorite style of décor. They support it in a subtle way by being non-representational.
A statement piece can be a beautiful focal point that introduces a new color or texture to the space as well. Here, I picked up the rose pink color of the art with the small quartz planter on the right hand side table.
One of my tried and true decorating principles is to pick an inspiration piece for a room and to design all the items that fill the space based on that inspiration piece. Picking art that provides a rich color palate can be the road map to a successful design because you can pull all kinds of inspiration from it.
3. Wall Gallery
I really love the look of a wall gallery. As I mentioned before, I love simplicity and balance, so my eye always goes to the structured compositions in wall galleries. I just like the line that having all the same size and shape things brings to a composition. It also reminds me of one large statement piece.
Now, if you prefer mixing shapes and sizes in asymmetrical ways, then I say have at it! For me, I prefer this type of gallery wall.
Black frames are timeless and I love to bring in touches of black throughout a room because they punctuate a space. What I mean by this is, black allows your eye to rest as you take in a space. The color black is like punctuation in a sentence. It allows you to tell a story visually, breaking up points of interest around the room.
Here, I flanked the pictures with two simple black and gold plant sconces to balance the sides of the sofa and to give the wall a bit more interest. It’s still simple but any chance I have to add in some more green, I’m going to take it.
Read On
Michael is Principal designer and blogger at Michael Helwig Interiors in beautiful Buffalo, New York. Since 2011, he’s a space planning expert, offering online interior e-design services for folks living in small homes, or for those with awkward and tricky layouts. He’s a frequent expert contributor to many National media publications and news outlets on topics related to decorating, interior design, diy projects, and more. Michael happily shares his experience to help folks avoid expensive mistakes and decorating disappointments. You can follow him on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook @interiorsmh.
