Grand Little Place

Want to know a secret that most people miss when it comes to decorating, what makes rooms feel finished? Often we secure the basics in a room (furniture, maybe paint) and then move on to the next ‘need’ and then wonder why our rooms still feel flat.  The difference between a furnished room and a finished room is all in the styling. Read on to learn how to make vignettes easily to perfectly finish your spaces!

When I have a space that needs to be filled I start by shopping my house.  First I ask myself if I have a function that needs accommodating.  If so I pull the necessary items.  After that here are the things I gather when I need to style a horizontal space:

Styling basics:

• Books
• Nature/Texture
• Unique Item
• Tray
• Framed Photos
• Candles

As a rule all horizontal vignettes should have a ‘base’.  This is why trays are always a good find when you’re shopping.  When I don’t use a tray I will often use large coffee table books (which can always be thrifted) as the base.  The purpose of the base is to direct the eyes to a particular spot.  Everything you do in your home is essentially a big arrow pointing to look at a certain spot.  Books and trays do this for us.

Once you have your home base now think of a triangle.  We want to provide visual interest and, usually, items that are all one height are not interesting.  (Of course there will always be some exceptions, but when you’re learning don’t go for the exception go for the rule.)  Think of every surface as a display.  Try and create visual interest by varying the heights in your display.  Look for items that move your eyes up and down.  In this writers humble opinion, books are essential for vignettes because you can stack them to add height where needed.  They also can add in subtle color and texture.

On the list above you will see I listed ‘unique item’.  What sets your home apart from your neighbors is YOU.  Your home should be a reflection of who lives there, not just what the trendy accessory of the day is.  I don’t know a single person who doesn’t have some random knick knack or souvenir picked up along the way.  NOW is your time to pull them out!  Dorothy Draper was famous for saying she always added one controversial item to every room because it makes people talk.  She was right – follow her lead!

I can’t tell you which 3 items are going to be magic in your space because your items will be different than mine, but I can leave you with these photos to help spark your imagination!  Styling is always a little bit trial and error, but it’s an easy and fun way to experiment around your house.

To make things easier for you I’ve create a free printable checklist download for my email subscribers!  To get your checklist, and access to my full collection of printables, sign up for my email list and you will get automatic access!

 

Don’t forget to pin!