1 of 3
2 of 3
3 of 3
Creating a vignette is one of the simplest things you can do to add designer flair as well as organization to your home. You can assemble one on just about any surface: Coffee tables, nightstands, entry tables, kitchen counters, bookcases, mantles, and so on. Trays are a great way to contain and display and are generally easy to find and inexpensive.
The idea is to create a mood, a still life of sorts using collected and everyday items. They could consist of photos, jewelry, books, vases, flowers, shells, boxes, beverages, and candles just to name a few. A vignette adds those final layers to polish off and create a personal touch in a room.
1. Choose your favorite tray in any size, color or texture. Gather your objects and accessories. Find things you love of varying sizes and shapes. It helps to set them out on a table so you can really see what you have and then begin to divide them up into groupings of like items, such as all your candles together, all your vases together, etc.
2. Choose items from the groupings that relate to the color and theme of your room. In the first vignette I used shells, buddhas, bamboo, a lamp, a candle for even more texture and light, and a modern mirror as a backdrop. This wicker tray serves as a base for a useful kitchen vignette. Items were grouped by color and theme and repetition was used to make the simplest everyday items look inviting and refreshing. The third vignette shown uses a geometric tray displaying lovely little groupings of jewelry, makeup, and perfume.
3. Use odd numbers. The design rule of thumb, is to use three items of different colors, heights, and shapes—that is the simplest vignette. Continue to build on your vignette by going back to your gathered groupings and pulling items that coordinate through color or shape. The key to a visually pleasing vignette is the relationship between objects. Keep materials similar but not necessarily the same. The most successful vignettes will have three core focal points and two to four complimentary accents.
4. Create Depth. Place objects from the back of a surface to the front. For example, you might begin by leaning framed photos against a mirror hung on wall—this creates a sense of dimension.
5. Vary textures. Mix reflective and hard with natural and rough.
Above are a few of my favorite Pinterest pins incorporating trays into the loveliest of vignettes. Enjoy!
By Trenna Travis, Trenna Travis Design Studio
