Vignettes and tablescapes are those pretty little “landscapes” of beautiful items displayed on every horizontal surface in any professional interior design photo. These little “arrangements” are far from accidental, and could be considered a minor art form in itself. There are so many different opinions on the use of vignettes, some feel they can look too stillife-y and contrived, others think they are a must in any room.

Whether you love them or hate them, vignettes can be of great inspiration for getting the most out of a small space without compromising the overall look of the room.

So where would you create a vignette? The answer is quite simple; literally anywhere! Rearranging the items on your windowsill, mantle, shelves, dresser top or even night stand can have a dramatic effect, and here are some tips and inspiration for creating the perfect vignette.

One approach to creating a vignette is to start with a large background object, like a mirror or a framed picture. A mirror or picture frame can be hung on the wall or placed on the table surface, leaning against the wall. You can even layer it by placing a smaller picture in front of the other. Build the vignette from here, paying close attention to proportion, color and composition.

Two popular compositions are the V and the A -shapes. Lets take a look:

*

The V-shape:

Starting with a mirror or a framed picture, create a V-shape by layering objects. Start with a tall object like a lamp, and add a few fitting accessories with the lowest point being around the centre. We are not trying to create a perfect V here (more like a tilted back L). Below is another example, starting with a layering of picture frames or mirrors:

*

Notice how the tallest items are placed at the side of the tallest frame. If it was placed on the opposite side, the overall result would too square, like a box, which we are trying to avoid.

Lets put it to life by looking at some V-shaped vignettes created by the professionals:

*

Phoebe Howard created a simple vignette on this dresser top, in the classic V shape. Can you see the V?

*

This vignette has a beach theme of corals, seafan and tiny bottles with sea star caps built around a framed print of divers.

(Design by Fluegge Interior Design, image via Houzz)

*

This V-shaped vignette is designed by Kelly Wearstler. Notice how she repeats the color of the painting and frame in her vignette.

*

Eileen Kathryn Boyd started with a framed palm leaf print, and chose a potted white orchid as her tallest item. She then added some smaller items of various shape and height, all while keeping to a theme of nature.

*

You don’t need a square frame or mirror at all, as illustrated by Tobi Fairley. She sets the background with a sunburst mirror, building a V-shape with a table lamp, a tiny vase and a jewelry box.

*

A stack of books from your bookshelf works great as a pedestal for a pretty ornament, or it can bring extra height to your “tall items”. Choose books that fit the color scheme of your vignette.

(Design by Janie Hirsch).

*

The A-shape:

This basic shape could not be more easy, and still I think it is one of the most dramatic.

*

A-shaped vignette by Phoebe Howard. I adore the way she combines the hard triangle (A) shape with the soft shape of the round mirror.

*

Bedside table with a beautiful tablescape of purple and green,  the lamp creates the overall A-shape in front of the lovely picture.

(Design by Amanda Nisbet, view original post here ).

*

This is another example of the A-shaped vignette, also designed by Phoebe Howard. I think this one is really dramatic and beautiful. Almost like a live painting!

*

Sometimes symmetry works best:

Symmetric vignettes like this one designed by James Michael Howard looks more strict, clean and organized as opposed to the layered ones we have previously seen.

*

This vignette is designed by Phoebe Howard and is a perfect example of how style is underlined by composition.

*

This simple symmetric vignette is created by Erinn Valencich, and is built around the beautiful colors of the painting. A stack of books adds height to the yellow vase, leveling out the height of the objects. The only purpose of this vignette is to underline the color of the paining, therefore the objects and composition are kept as simple as possible.

*

Your entryway can be both functional and beautiful at the same time, as proven by Dayka at Life + Style. Her vignette includes a bowl for keys and change, and a basket underneath the console table for paper recyclables. Beautiful and practical!

*

The best thing is you don’t really need to go out and buy anything, just rearrange what you already have! If you use a picture as a base, you can build a vignette around that color scheme.  If you lack a tall item, go out and get a few branches and arrange them in a slim vase. Smaller objects work best in groups or pairs, some prefer to use only odd numbers like 3 or 5 similar items. Your only limit is your creativity!

*

Green living room with a botanical vibe. I love how the candle holders are placed at different height among the plant pictures. Very unexpected!

(Image via House to Home)

*

*

*

These beautiful botanical prints are available at Botanical Style.

*

Did you make a herbarium when you were a child? We used to put flowers and leafs in a book and leave it there til it was dry, then we framed them. It didn’t turn out nearly as pretty as those above, though.

*

I adore these easy holiday DIY projects from Better Homes and Gardens:

*

Blue, green and silver ornament trees in white planters. Push a stick into a styrofoam ball and hot glue pretty ornaments to it. Cover the stick with a pretty ribbon, and secure it into a planter with gravel. You can probably use something from your kitchen instead of gravel, like dry rice, peas, beans etc. I love the combination here with the matte green and blue ornaments together with the shiny silver ones.

*

Another doable ornament tree, this time with cone shaped styrofoam. For a complete theme, make a wreath to match! I bet an ornament wreath like this can be made equally pretty on both sides, so you can hang it in the window like shown above.

*

This plum, gold and green wreath is so pretty! Looks like guilded roses, ornaments and artfully placed green leafs.

*

*

Fun idea: use a mantle as a frame for your headboard! We already saw how to use a mantle to camouflage the TV when not watching.

*

The padded headboard is simply placed inside the mantle (or is it the other way around?)

*

Cute bedroom.  Very girly.

*

You can see more photos from this room at Cottage Magpie!

Here is a great idea for sprucing up your home without using too much time and money; instead of painting your whole wall, draw up a square and fill it in with your favourite color:

*

Olive green mural in the hall.

*

If you can’t decide on a color, why not use two? One pink and one blue mural in this living room.

*

Colorful dining room with a pink mural.

*

And last but not least, the bedroom.

So, you have a beautiful old dresser that you love, but it does not fit in with the rest of your home. What do you do? Check out these photos by photographer James Merrell:

*

This beautiful 9-drawer dresser is painted a wonderful shade of grey, while the pretty details are hand painted in a lighter shade. The tulip lamps are very cute, and the furniture fits perfectly into the room.

*

This small desk is painted black, while the beautiful carvings on the legs and puller handles stand out in gold.

*

This dresser is completely covered in purple paint, and even so, the beautiful details shines trough. A real eye-catcher.

*

I guess these beds still has their original paint. Mint green with gold details is the idea here.

*

This classic dining chair is painted pink, with cream colored upholstery, and adds a fun element in an all-white dining room.

*

You can see more beautiful photos on James Merrell’s site.

*

If you want a unique nautical style coffee table, why not put a set of legs on your knot display box?

(Sorry about the bad quality of these pics, I was in a hurry. But you get the idea =)

*

*

*

*

Do you like the idea?

Hot idea: If you cannot commit to having an aquarium, why not make a shell and choral display ‘aquarium’?

*

*

See more pictures on PointClickHome!

*

Corals:

*

*

*

Sea stars:

*

*

*

Snail houses:

*

*

Sea fans:

*

Urchins:

*

You can get anything from the ocean here… and I mean ANYTHING!

Who says you need paint to decorate a wall? Take a look at these adorable wall decorations made out of felt:

*

Bunnies:

*

Tropical Blues:

*

Pink and green:

*

Blue and green, bears and butterflies:

*

Mint green and pink apple blossom and birdies (twitter? lol):

*

Blue and pink butterflies and ladybirds:

This is a pretty easy do-it-yourself headboard idea. So I would love to hear what you guys think about this one… is it hot or not?

*

*