Tips & Tricks for Styling a Vignette

This week is shaping up to be busy, busy, busy.  We are heading into a bathroom renovation. Can you believe it? Seems like we just finished the children’s bathroom! This time we are tackling the master bathroom but not entirely on our own. I’ll keep you updated as we go along. This week we are looking at the fun task of demoing. In other news, Danielle Oakey and and I are getting super excited about an event we are hosting with West Elm this weekend. It will be a great chance to meet and mingle with some other Southern Californian bloggers.  West Elm is brimming with new designs and they were kind enough to let me test drive a few items in my space. I have always kept our master bathroom super neutral but it’s fun to see this bold color in here.

 

HOW TO CREATE A PULLED TOGETHER VIGNETTE: There are a few tricks I use every time I design my own space or that of a client or friend.

Find an inspiration piece: For this nook, I knew I wanted pattern. I chose the pillow in the chair first. I fell in love with it. The inspiration piece you choose should be something you LOVE. An item you see and instantly feel a connection with. Do not be talked into an inspiration piece. It will throw off the direction of your entire design. In fact, when I used to work with clients, I insisted they find the piece from which to build the room. To coordinate with the pillow, I chose another pattern but with a larger scale. I love this pillow, by the way. The colors are all so beautiful together that it made styling this area a piece of cake. Tip: If shopping several stores, be sure to take your inspiration piece with you. Pillow covers are easy to remove and place in your purse. But if it’s a bigger item, to be shy about tossing it in a bag {with the receipt} and carrying it into the store with you.

Pull out one color for a throw: Choose one color from the inspiration piece for a throw.  love the texture of this one.  It’s lightweight and soft. You can beat the price, too.

Add in accessories with varied finishes: Adding the accessories for the table, I like to keep in mind height. I always try to have at least three heights when styling a tabletop. You can always use books, like I did, to increase the height to where you need it. I also find that books not only look warm, but should evoke good thoughts from the pages that you read.

Keep it fresh: While it’s not always practical, you can not compete with fresh flowers. They add so much life and beauty to a space. And if you’re a blogger capturing a newly styled space, it really is worth a trip to the yard to cut fresh stems or a quick run to the local store for fresh blooms.

Choose items carefully: When using very few accessories, be sure they have a ton of interest like these do. With the multiple sides and texture, they pack a lot of punch.

Create visual balance: The furniture and lighting was already in place in this example. But because I had a brass lamp, I chose one brass accessory to include on the table. It creates visual balance and makes sense of the overall look.

chair pillow | pillow | throw {$10} | vase | terrarium | table & chair {HomeGoods}

Keeping a few tips & tricks in mind when styling will really help. At at the end of the day, it’s all about doing what makes you happy. We have always designed our home to maker ourselves happy, not to adhere to trends or rules. So while I strongly believe in these tips, create a space that you truly love.

For more ideas, read my post on Blogger Tips & Tricks | Styling & Shooting More tips & tricks can be seen in my Five Ways Series here!