Ever feel design challenged? Like instead of interior decorator, you’d be called an inferior decorator? I know the feeling. I drool over Candice Olsen’s divine designs and Nate Berkus’s glam rooms as much as the next girl. Yet, I find myself as clueless as Alicia Silverstone in “Clueless” when it comes to professional decorating.

You can imagine my excitement then, when The Old Painted Cottage blogger (you know the one that transformed her home to this shabby chic dream) Jennifer Grey, offered to give Not2shabby readers the 411 on vignettes.

If you’re as clueless as me, I might have already lost you on the word ‘vignettes’. But don’t worry it’s not as technical as it sounds. Basically, they’re a grouping of trinkets and treasures displayed in your home. They’re also an inexpensive way to redecorate your home. Not 2 shabby, I’d say. But let’s let the expert speak…

Creating Vignettes

By: Jennifer Grey, owner of www.theoldpaintedcottage.com

A vignette is quite simply a grouping of objects that are thoughtfully placed in such a manner that is pleasing to the eye and can be used to reflect ones own personality. Vignettes can even be used to tell a story. For example, you can create a grouping of photos hung on the wall with a similar theme, such as antique portraits, cabinet photos, childhood pictures, etc.. This look is most effective when using frames that have similar color, theme or style.

In creating table vignettes, which are my personal favorite, I find that it’s always important to start with a good base and then work your way up. For example, I love antique silver trays and am always on the lookout for ones that are footed and have side handles. Antique stores and flea markets are great places to scout these out.

If you have a step in living room with no foyer, such as myself, correct furniture placement and well executed vignettes are key to creating a welcoming feel to your guests the second they enter your home. I used a small antique child’s armoire that is not too deep, pressed against the wall, and placed a library table on the other side of my “entry” to allow plenty of room for traffic flow in between both pieces, all while creating a faux entry that did not previously exist.

Once you’ve found the right foundation for your vignette, you want to consider function and design. You need to ask yourself “Is this a space that requires daily, practical use, or is it more for visual appeal?” Since I use drawers for “hiding” all my practical items, such as keys, pens and paper, batteries and remotes, etc, it frees up my visual space allowing for complete creativity.

Vignettes can be very effective when using similar themes, objects and colors. Height is another important consideration. Try stacking objects at different levels, making the objects more visually appealing and interesting. If using a piece of framed art, try leaning it against the wall instead of hanging it – it grounds the art and relates it more to the other objects within your vignette.

Most importantly, have fun with it! You can change your vignettes through the seasons, switch out your themes, and show off your collections. There is no right or wrong, so don’t be afraid to get creative!

For more information and to see more of Jennifer’s beautiful before and afters, visit her blog at The Old Painted Cottage.