A Lesson in Styling: 1 Space, 5 Variations

The overall design of this vignette is rooted in asymmetry.

That choice began with the sconces. I designed the console to follow suit, amplifying the imbalanced configuration.

The cavity on the right was intentionally designed to be larger, knowing I would huddle something into that space. And the left side tips the scale in just the right way with the cantilever tabletop. The artwork is subtly skewed to the right, retaining this unorthodox placement.

Although it seems counter-intuitive, I am actually trying to balance the overall composition as I remain rooted in an asymmetrical configuration.

As I looked throughout my home, I was seeking objects that would fill the voids. While each vignette is subtly different, I followed a specific formula to unify the composition…..

• A tall, dominant piece to the right that adds verticality — a column or floor lamp
• A lower curvaceous piece to the left — the sphere ceramic piece or sculptural low side chair
• A singular statement piece atop the left console — larger vessel, a lamp
• Supporting players, paired together, on the right — a book, a bowl, a sculpture, a candle.
• A grouping of low stools to sit within the large cavity under the console
• Something found in nature — a branch will add both sculpture and life
• Engage a variety of materials and finishes to either create cohesion or contrast

“The cohesion and the clashing of form and materiality is essential.”

More than anything, try to find what unifies the entire composition and what contradicts it—always be sure your objects tell a story.

Perhaps it’s a unifying color scheme but with polarizing finishes. If you introduce a color, as I did with the green lamp, be sure it has a friend in a coordinating hue so it feels unifying. Or if you choose to throw in a polarizing wild card, as I did by introducing black objects in an otherwise all-neutral space, a trio allows that rebel object to feel intentional. The cohesion and the clashing of form, scale, and materials are precisely what creates friction and intrigue.

You want the eye to wander, to move up and down, to discover something new.

As you begin to style, notice where there are voids, where you need verticality, when you need something wild, and where you might want to retain negative space. Engage scale with a variety of shapes, take note of where you want something soft to offset more angular shapes, or if you need a more delicate object paired with a piece that is more weighted.

Most of all play around and have fun. Layer items like art, stack books, rearrange objects subtly, bring some something into the vignette, remove an item, take a picture to see it through a new lens, live with it, step away to give your eye a reprive, and then return to see if it needs more or perhaps less. Or maybe it’s just perfect for you – exactly what your eye is craving, in your home!