VIGNETTES
An “A” Formation Assemble your pieces and then superimpose an imaginary “A” or triangle over them. Use this visual structure to prevent a long skyline effect, which would scatter focus, and to carry interest around the frame. Positioning the shortest objects toward the outer edges will help form your “A” shape.
An “A” Formation Assemble your pieces and then superimpose an imaginary “A” or triangle over them. Use this visual structure to prevent a long skyline effect, which would scatter focus, and to carry interest around the frame. Positioning the shortest objects toward the outer edges will help form your “A” shape.
A” Is for “Anchor” Choose an item as the center of interest, the “hero” of your vignette. Pick something you love to see every day and that expresses your personality and that of your home. It will be the first point on which the viewer’s eye rests. A very small hero would be swamped by other objects in the group, so choose a statement piece with visual weight and height, like this dramatic starburst mirror.
Despite breaking the “A” rule, linear arrangements can work beautifully if there is a strong relationship between the objects and some contrast. The serpentine curves of the women in these photographs are duplicated in the central sculpture and contrast the precise angles of the frames, while the heights of the pieces differ and black and white has been carried throughout.
Asymmetry Sorry, all you neatness nuts, you may have to loosen up. Pairs placed symmetrically give the impression of an altar and can look very stilted and formal. We want the opposite: an unstudied gathering (only you know you have been to ABC vignette class!) that moves the eye around the articles. Deconstruct a too-tight structure by moving the items of a pair closer together or taking one of them away. This arrangement avoids the symmetry trap through the use of two paintings above the sideboard that, although similar in style, are still different. Underneath, smaller pieces have been placed at differing heights: three clear jars varying in size at one end and a lower stylish dish at the other.
ongratulations. You’ve decided to decorate your home. Now what? Whether you’re furnishing your first place or redoing the house you’ve owned for decades, decorating can be a challenging task, filled with costly decisions whose outcomes could haunt you for years. How do you figure out what style is right for you? Should you tackle the job yourself or hire a pro? How much should you spend? And what steps can you take to ensure you’ll be happy with the results? In this series I’ll take you through the entire decorating process, from initial inspirations to final floor plans. We’ll talk about choosing colors, shopping for furniture, arranging furniture, where you should scrimp and where you should spend. But before you do any of that, look around you. TAKE A CRITICAL LOOK AT Y OUR HOME. WHAT DO I LIKE ABOUT IT? WHAT DO I DISLIKE? ARE MY FEELING PROMPTED BY AESTHETICS OF DECOR, COMFORT, FABRICS &/OR COLORS? LEARN FROM THAT. REPEAT WHAT YOU LIKE, DON'T REPEAT THINGS I DON'T LIKE, JUST CUZ THEY ARE FAMILIAR.
Write your list for Santa. Create a wish list — your Santa Claus list. Write down everything you would like to do if money were no object. Then figure out which things you can do, which things you can’t do, which things have to be done now and which things can wait. “If you don’t have that master list, it’s hard to prioritize
Collect photos. Start collecting pictures of rooms you like. Even if you’re going to hire an interior designer, this will help him or her get a sense of your taste. Naturally, Houzz is a great place to begin, as you’ll have more than 3 million pictures at your fingertips. You can save everything into one ideabook or make individual ideabooks for each room or each aspect of the design (wall colors, furnishings, fireplaces etc.). Don’t try to do this in one sitting — give yourself a few weeks or months to compile your photos, as your tastes might evolve during the course of the exercise. Something that appealed to you on Day 1 might seem trite by Day 23.
Get your better half involved. For many couples there’s often one person who’s more interested in decorating than the other. The other person might say, “Do whatever you want.” Do not do whatever you want. Because as soon as you start buying things, Mr. or Ms. No Opinion will suddenly have an opinion. So make him or her spend some time with you at the very beginning just looking at pictures of interiors. “Spend an hour or two on the computer and look at some things together and talk about them,” says interior designer Alana Homesley of Woodland Hills, California. As you review each room, ask your partner, “What do you like about it? What don’t you like about it?” Alternatively, you can each collect a file of images independently, then sit down and compare what you’ve chosen. This way your initial selections won’t be swayed by the other person. As you review your selections together, your differences and similarities will immediately become apparent.
Do you have a favorite vignette in your house? Share a photo and tell us why you chose your hero piece. More: How to Start a Decorating Project 15 No-Cost Ways to Invigorate Your Space
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