The Secret to a Well-Balanced Vignette

It’s not a secret that I enjoy styling and restyling, arranging and rearranging my home. There is nothing I love more than applying a new lens to an old formula and exploring a space with a fresh perspective. But sometimes inspiration just doesn’t come and oftentimes I too get trapped in a formulaic styling rut—and I know I’m not alone in that sentiment.

Case in point, the entryway vignette at the bottom of the stairs in my Brooklyn townhouse. It has always remained the same or a similar version of itself for years. No doubt pretty, but often in order to breathe new life into a space we need to wipe the slate clean! So, I thought I’d share my process for how I recently reimagined it.

• My starting point is always something alive—here I chose to use seasonal peonies in a bulbous vessel. I placed this piece off to one side as its proportion is low and squattier.
• For the central point of this vignette, I needed something with height and chose a linear element to offer verticality and ground the overall composition. Since styling in proponents of three is generally more appealing, memorable, and satisfying to the eye, I chose to nestle a third sculpture into this grouping. This forces the eye to move around, offering a compelling visual experience. Sure, each piece could work on its own individually but how they interact is far more engaging to the viewer and way more fun for the stylist to conceive!
• Finally, I recently received this beautiful, textural artwork from @aliyah.sadaf and have been seeking the perfect place for it. When I stepped back to take in the overall vignette, I felt a void on the wall. Hanging artwork on a wood panel wall may seem atypical but I love breaking the rules—always and forever! A hammer and nail later, the diminutive art felt right at home and truly expanded the entire composition.

As you know I love to distill and dissect the creative process so watch the video below to see it in action, then shop the look.