Homefront: Accessorizing with Vignettes

I'm sure most everyone has seen a version of the "Home Rules". I loved this little vintage plaque of them I found thrifting and had to bring it home.

To me, I see things for more than what they are; the search of finding that little treasure and bringing pieces together to tell a story. The antique mattress spring I found at my favorite antique mall, the vintage leather gloves with the pearl buttons, and my favorite little brass owl family I found at a garage sale for $1. I see these owl families for sale on Etsy very often.

It looks so nice in my little vignette here. This is the reason I love shutters. They can be used anywhere (even propped on wall to hide outlets and plugs). But for vignettes, it creates that height it needs to create balance, otherwise it's just a bunch of stuff on a flat surface. Well, many people probably still think it is that too.

 Also, with larger accessries, like the ones on top of my hutch, it creates a little background for depth.

Basically, when creating a vignette, things to consider are angles, varying heights and groups of at least 3. Staggering the items, creating layers and playing with different textures are also essential. And for good measure, throwing in a touch of nature helps bring beauty and life. That can be accomplished with pinecones, acorns, seeds, dried leaves, flowers, branches, feathers, driftwood, wheat, potted grasses or sprouts, birds eggs, nests...

Try and avoid having an "Accessories on Parade" as penned by designer, JoAnne Lenart-Weary.
 It means to avoid the urge of stacking up all your favorite pieces and crated a 'parade' or straight line of them. Read how to break up the parade on The Nester. You will notice I break the rule of having 3 items, but one's got to live a little. I like to work in a triangle, a larger item in the back that acts as a spring board to branch out accessories in front and to the side.
 

My mom's little ice cream dish, makes a great notions holder. Old wooden spools, laundry clips and skeleton keys are the perfect size to hold small lengths of pretties. You never know when you will need a touch of lace, baker's twine, vintage seam binding or a dash of sequins to, tie on a necklace, wrap around silverware for a dessert party, wrap around your wrist, add to an accessory add to a giftwrap. You can read all about the use of goodies in my packaging series.

Part 1: Artful Giving
Part 2: Artful Tagging
Part 3: Artful Embellishing.

Homefront: The Vignette Staging Area

This dresser is always in a state of disarray. It is where objects go that are being switched out from mantels and such. A staging area, the green room, if you will. A lot of projects end up here. The green candelabra I painted here. The damask lampshade I slipcovered here. The cream dresser painted and newly knobbed here.

I love how my little nest can be stored in the Cinderella carriage I painted. I love pulling it out and filling it with vintage wooden spools, jewels, buttons and such. It's so fun to play with. Shutters are the perfect accessory. they can be found at antique malls for cheap and can be randomly placed anywhere for depth, color and height. Wouldn't an entire shutter wall be pure genius? Ooooh, snap diggity, I feel a project coming on.

The vignettes are ever changing. Not in love with this, but it doesn't matter. A lot of things go missing due to my boys curious hands. They especially love my vintage brass owl family that is usually here.

Our boys dresser has to be in here, since we can't have furniture in their bedroom. Otherwise it would surely be tipped and clothes strewn about every day. Our youngest is fond of climbing in the drawers. Breakage would ensue.

"I Love to see the Temple" print by have joy. I know I need to frame it, just haven't found the right frame yet. This is the Salt lake Temple, but you can custom request almost any one. What is a temple you ask? What is it's purpose? This short lovely video explains what we believe them to be, and why we believe they are so important.

Antiqued Salt Lake Temple portraits found at a flea market. I would love to have one.