Posted by Want to know a secret to styling your home in a way that will have people asking who your decorator is?
It is a called a vignette. A vignette is a point of interest, a grouping that puts items together in a way that makes them interesting. Creating a vignette is an artistic endeavor, but you need not be an artist to figure out how to do it. In fact, you’re probably creating vignettes all the time in your home but didn’t know that that is what you’re doing! Well, now you do.
Matthew and I were interviewed yesterday for our local Design and Living magazine, our DIY stories will be featured in their April issue. (That was quite the adventure! Not sure if this photo will show up or not in the published article but at one point my husband was balancing a 150 year old rustic beam above his head. It is a DIY project that we have planned for a new mantel for our fireplace. I am standing next to him with my Joanna Gaines “OMG WHAT ARE YOU DOING” look that she gives Chip all the time. Lord help us.)
Anyway, in preparation for the photo shoot of our home accompanying the interview, I went completely hog wild on the vignettes. I thought that this might be a blog post people would appreciate? So here are a few that I created for our photo shoot with associated tips and tricks for styling vignettes like these in your own home.
First up, if this is your first time stopping by the blog I’ll show you a bird’s eye view of our main living area. We have a 1990’s four level split and here are a few vantage points that show the lay out:
One of the first places I styled for the shoot was our formal dining room. I had a blast hitting up some of my favorite local shops (follow me on Instagram at @_grace_1972_ for a full list of stores that I used to source the look) to create an Easter themed table scape:
A few of these pieces I already had (like the Pottery Barn dinner and salad plates) – but everything else is pretty much new. This layered look is a popular table scape vignette and one you can easily create yourself. Note that the flowers in the bowl are actually napkin holders. Who said they need to hold a napkin? There are no rules in decor, honestly. As I say all the time, if you love it – it’s right! And I loved how it looked plopping this little guy in the bowl.
The next place I created a few more vignettes was in our kitchen. This Easter themed corner was fun to create!
This baking vignette I created in our built in hutch, which is a challenge to style because it has a mirrored back splash. (Subway tile goals, people.) I just love old crocks and went with a baking theme styled around my kitchen aid mixer.
Another sure fire way to freshen up your home is to add florals, both faux (like these blueberries in an industrial piece) or real (like these tulips and who knows what these green things are but I love them).
In other words, a vignette is just a little corner of your home where you group similar items together. You can choose a common style or collection (like my vintage crocks) or a theme, (like my baking or Easter vignettes) or florals. The vignette above has a clean white and simple theme accented by florals, both real and faux.
Vignette Tips
- Always use an odd number of items in your vignette – it is more appealing to the eye
- Try to keep the color pallet consistent or at least complimentary
- It’s a great way to display a collection of any kind
- Symmetry is an age old trick – our brains prefer things that are mirrored, use it whenever it makes sense to do so
So there you go, that’s it! The next time you are decorating a little corner of your home, you are actually using a professional design strategy and creating a vignette.
Happy “vignetting”!
Peace, Joy and Blessings,
~Audra
“Then my people will live in a peaceful habitation, And in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places.”
Isaiah 32:18
Audra Mehl Design Blog 