Decorate With Intention: Tablescapes Complete Rooms
Vignettes, tableaux, tablescapes ... whatever you call them, there's no disputing how these artful arrangements finish the look of a room
Houzz Contributor. You can also find me on Lolalina (http://www.lolalina.com/), my blog devoted to all of the things that make a house a home - decorating from the heart, living with intention, and savoring life's simple pleasures.
Houzz Contributor. You can also find me on Lolalina (http://www.lolalina.com/),... More »
Tablescapes give a room that finished look, enhancing your space and making the most of your belongings. Creating tablescapes, which are basically intentional arrangements of objects on flat surfaces, is something all decorators pay attention to, but they can feel mystifying and out of reach to the rest of us. Here we examine what goes into great tablescapes, breaking it down so you can easily create your own artful arrangements at home.
First stop: the dining table. An infrequently used dining table is a natural place for a tablescape. Why not set it up with an attractive scene to feast your eyes on between meals? For this space, I recommend going for large-scale pieces that won't get swamped on a big table. Try a vintage birdcage, an interesting sculpture or bust, a large vase with cut flowers, stacks of art books or several chunky candlesticks.
If you're using objects of different heights, arrange them from tallest to shortest for a change from the typical flowers-in-the-middle setup. Play with the spacing between items until it feels right — sometimes it helps to move one smaller item out of the height order for a more dynamic feel.
If you're using objects of different heights, arrange them from tallest to shortest for a change from the typical flowers-in-the-middle setup. Play with the spacing between items until it feels right — sometimes it helps to move one smaller item out of the height order for a more dynamic feel.
by Design Manifest
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The TV stands alone ... no more! We may love curling up on the couch to watch our favorite shows, but the TV doesn't need to stick out like a sore thumb the rest of the time. Treat the entire surface of your entertainment center and the wall above it as a style zone and you can successfully draw the eye away from the attention-hogging box.
A long, low entertainment center works best, but on a smaller piece you can still flank the TV with a pair of sculptures, as shown here. If you have more room, try a pair of urn lamps plus a stack of books. Either way, a gallery-style art wall or floating shelf above the TV is a great distraction.
A long, low entertainment center works best, but on a smaller piece you can still flank the TV with a pair of sculptures, as shown here. If you have more room, try a pair of urn lamps plus a stack of books. Either way, a gallery-style art wall or floating shelf above the TV is a great distraction.
Follow the rule of three. Arrangements containing an odd number of items look more natural than an even-numbered group, so keep your tablescapes edited to three or five items rather than four or six. If you take away only one tip, make it the rule of three.
Put it on a tray. All decorators do this, for the simple reason that it works. Combine a tray with the rule of three for an arrangement that can't miss. For instance, place a small vase of flowers, a stack of books and a bowl of candy on a tray in the living room; a dish for change, a toast rack for letters and a box for stamps and envelopes can go on a tray near the door.
Browse trays in the Products section
Browse trays in the Products section
Seek visual balance. Looking at your tablescape head-on, aim for a balance of visual weight from items on the left and right sides. For instance, you may have a tall, narrow lamp on the right and a short, heavy stack of books on the left. This would be unbalanced on its own, but add a sculpture on top of the stack of books or a painting hung on the wall above them, and balance is achieved.
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| Take a bird's eye view. Some arrangements are best seen from above, like a desktop or a jewelry display. Even if your arrangement has height, you still might want to take a peek at it from above. Are the objects clustered too much in one area? You might need to spread things out a bit. Is the arrangement too rigid and perfect? Play around, tweaking and adjusting until it feels right. |
Create depth with a foreground, middle, and background. For arrangements on tables pushed up against the wall, you can create more visual interest by arranging shorter items in front and taller items toward the back, with some middle-height objects placed in between. This is something many of us do without thinking about it, but if your tablescape is feeling off and you can't put your finger on the reason, check to make sure the heights of the objects are in the proper order.
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| Study the work of designers you admire. Top designers' portfolios are filled with inspiring examples of tablescapes. This is why they get paid the big bucks, so take the time to really observe the looks you love. Break them down and think about how they were created and why they work. For instance, in this space designer Thom Filicia used a heavy potted plant to anchor an arrangement on a round table. The rule of three would include the plant, the tall sculpture and the stack of books with ram's head on top. But use your hand and block out the round tray on the right side — would it work as well without that? I don't think so, because the three main items are all really heavy, and the flat round tray lightens things up and repeats the round shape of the pot and table, which then become their own group of three. Even the best designers need to experiment with what looks best in a certain space, so cut yourself some slack and allow time for trial and error. Decorating should be fun! More: Creating a Tablescape Titillating Tablescapes |
Comments
Charmean Neithart Interiors, LLC. This is such an important part of an installation and very difficult too. Accessories are very personal, so there is much to consider when creating a grouping for somone else's home. Thanks for the beautiful examples.
14 months ago · Like
Ideabook published on April 25, 2012.
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