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Make a Scene With Vignettes and Tablescapes
Draw attention to objects on a table or shelf by arranging them in a vignette. These guidelines will get you started
Vignettes, those small, lovely scenes we create on surfaces around our houses, are what take our homes from merely well put together to personal, artistic, and unique. Also called tablescapes, they're where we get to show off family heirlooms, weird collections and beautiful items we've collected. They're more or less what art books were created for.
But there are rules. A good vignette has balance and forethought. We must consider color, height, theme, texture and mood. Which isn't to say a perfect vignette can't be created with a mishmash of unrelated items. Those are some of the best. But it is not cluttered. In fact, creating a vignette is a good way to prevent clutter. No one wants to mess up a pretty little scene by piling the mail on top of it.
Here are 15 lovely little vignettes to inspire and a few pointers for creating your own perfect arrangements.
But there are rules. A good vignette has balance and forethought. We must consider color, height, theme, texture and mood. Which isn't to say a perfect vignette can't be created with a mishmash of unrelated items. Those are some of the best. But it is not cluttered. In fact, creating a vignette is a good way to prevent clutter. No one wants to mess up a pretty little scene by piling the mail on top of it.
Here are 15 lovely little vignettes to inspire and a few pointers for creating your own perfect arrangements.
Houseplants are wonderful in a dozen different ways (keeping the air clean being a big one), but there is no need to have them in a jungly mess. Use sculptural plants such as mosses or succulents to create a leafy vignette. Note the book as pedestal.
A high shelf in a kid's room is the perfect place to create a vignette out of all the lovely things that are too fragile or special for Junior to actually play with. This one is all about color and symmetry. Note that it utilizes the multiheight principle.
Candles are like flowers; they work almost everywhere. A good rule: Odd-numbered groups work better than even-numbered ones.
Another illustration of the basics: Books as pedestals. One bright color. Multiple heights. And a loose theme: vintage beach.
A vignette can be spare, especially when it involves a piece of art or sculpture that requires our attention. This scene is about this bust and the branches. The two other pieces are there for balance.
This modern vignette is well balanced by the horizontal books, the vertical vases and the organic shape of the bamboo. Note the odd number of vases clustered together.
Balanced. Minimalist. Playful.
A tray keeps things looking tidy and brings together seemingly unrelated items, like this bowl of shells and the antique seltzer bottle.
This entire corner counts as a vignette because everything is in relation to everything else. Oh, and because it is so pretty.
More:
Titillating Tablescapes
Creating a Tablescape
More:
Titillating Tablescapes
Creating a Tablescape
• Use books as pedestals.
• Fresh flowers or foliage always, always looks good.
• Include at least one bright, weird or unexpected piece (like the bright orange box pictured).
• Place things at different heights (like books as pedestals).