In any space I am immediately drawn to the vignettes: grouping of objets that tell a story.  Be it a purposefully staged vignette for a party like a bar set-up or a cluster of appetizers to stationary groupings on a coffee table – loving the Hermès tray above! – to artfully styled bookshelves.  Every space is layered with elements directed by the architecture of the space first, hard and soft furnishings of furniture to lighting to pillows and then finished with personal items.  These personal items can be staged by professionals and their sense of style, but the most interesting spaces are curated by the inhabitant and their life story.

No matter if you rent or own your space, vignettes reveal bits about your style and your interests.  In my house, glass is the predominant object sprinkled in most groupings.  From glass candlesticks to glass bowls laden with jewelry to glass vases housing seashells to Water Buffalo bone carved eggplants from Egypt.  (If my camera wasn’t filled with pictures of my daughter that I have yet to sync to my computer, then I would show you.  Maybe a follow up post?!)

Since everyone is drawn to different types of collections – glass, metal, wood and more – it got me to thinking.  Does this mean anything?  According to the rules of Feng Shui Five Elements these grouping of objects create a harmony (or in some cases “destruction”, but that’s another topic) in a space through the element’s association to color and shapes.  There are five elements:  Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water.  And, my attraction to glass refers to the element of water typically represented by shades of blue and black.

While you ponder what your vignettes mean to you and what they’ll say to your guests – “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” – I will leave you with more images to excite your senses.

And my favorite vignette in Aerin Lauder’s office . . . 

Image Sources:
Elements of Style, Alisha Gwen, , Design Sponge, Decor 8, Zsa Zsa Bellagio, Seaside Shelter, Elements of Style