A vignette is that “extra something” that can turn an ordinary room into a special space tugging at the heart strings of buyers. Home stagers use vignettes to emotional connect buyers to a space by grouping small decor together on a surface that tells a story of this home’s potential lifestyle.
If you’ve never put together a vignette before, chances are you can easily feel overwhelmed by all the combinations. But, once you know what to look for and the basic decor pieces to use they become easier to put together. Here are seven “must-have” basic decor elements that you can mix and match to spark emotion in a vignette to create a unique look all your own.
Wall Statement
Start with a statement piece on the wall (if your vignette flanks the wall of course) with a piece of art, metal work or even a mirror. Use a mirror to reflect light in small or dark spaces to make the area appear larger. A wall statement will help anchor the vignette, plus provide varying height. Artwork can add color and personality to the space, while a wrought iron piece can provide texture and direct the eye throughout the vignette. Want to avoid putting holes in the wall? Try leaning a smaller piece of art against the wall for a more casual look.
Serve It On a Tray
Like a wall statement, a tray can be used to anchor the vignette to a surface. It corrals the smaller accessories in place and makes the entire vignette look like a cohesive, larger piece. A tray could be great to use on a coffee table, a bathroom vanity or even on the kitchen counter to display a bar or coffee area.
Balancing Act
Creating balance in a vignette is an important part of making the display eye appealing. The vignette can either have a symmetrical or asymmetrical balance depending up the design style of the room. A symmetrical vignette is used in more traditional spaces where everything will be balanced on either side of the display – showing the same height, weight and color. Whereas in an asymmetrical vignette, one side will be taller, heavier, or maybe even bring in a different color.
Organic
Every vignette should have one organic piece on display to a warm and welcoming feel. By adding Mother Nature the entire vignette comes to life and can soften hard lines or man-made textures. Some organic pieces to use include: flowers, succulents, fig trees, fruit, driftwood or natural wood, shells, antlers, cowhide, baskets, crystals and rocks.
Light
Make the vignette stand out by using light. Adding a table lamp on a dresser or console table where a vignette is placed can help vary the height of the objects being used and can even connect a large piece like a wall statement to a smaller piece lying on the surface. Using light or even candles can also set the mood and again can direct the eye to the items being featured in the vignette, which should emotionally connect to a buyer to showcase an ideal lifestyle.
Books
Books are stackable, so they work really well in vignettes because you can customize how tall you need the vignette to be. Be sure to use a books with a hardcover (coffee table books are ideal), select varying sizes and display books together with matching subject matters and color. If you lay books horizontally on a surface or shelf add a small sculpture or decor piece in the room’s theme on the stack of books to complete the look.
Detailed Decor
Look at what other smaller sculptures, knick-knacks or antiques you can use to instill some personality into the vignette and define the room’s theme. These pieces are important to add because they can create that emotional connect point to trigger a buyer to remember the property and even make an offer. Use a few key pieces (up to 3) to use in each vignette and I recommend doing some research on the potential buyer or the neighborhood to determine what decor will stir up an emotion for your area. A few decor examples are animal or building sculptures, sports memorabilia and old cameras. Get inspired by checking out your favorite home magazine and see what they use to create a vignette.
Do you plan on selling your home this year? it’s time to get prepared for sale! Check out our online home staging video course, The Stage 2 Sell Strategy. It’s a 9-module online home staging video course, geared to help home sellers quickly and easily get their property prepared for sale with a proven step-by-step system.
What vignettes can you create in your home? Let me know in the comment section below, I’d be happy to help you create a vignette that provides a lasting impression on a buyer (or even a guest).
Happy Selling,
