Decorating
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Vignettes That Spark a Warm, Fuzzy Feeling the Moment You Come Home
A personalised entryway display can ignite an emotion, mood or memory that brightens your day every time you open the front door
When you open your front door and walk inside, what do you see? And, more importantly, how do you feel? Approaching your entryway with an intention to create a particular emotion is a great place to start when it comes to this important area of the house and when you think in terms of vignettes, a feel-good welcome is even easier to achieve. A vignette that gives you a lift or makes you smile or reminds you that life really is wonderful could be just what your home (and you) needs.
Just because a family member is no longer with you in person doesn’t mean they’re not still with you in spirit. A painting or photo can make you feel warm and fuzzy whenever you come home, as can a keepsake. A piece of furniture from your grandmother’s house, a book your friend gave you, a rug your mum owned – let whatever it is that brings you a sense of comfort and connection guide your choices. Don’t limit yourself to accessories on a table when it comes to vignettes – larger pieces such as mirrors, furniture and lamps can all be worthwhile features to consider.
TIP: Sometimes keepsakes of loved ones that have passed on bring about sadness rather than a smile, especially if your memories of an item are especially vivid or fresh. Consider painting a chair a different colour, reframing a painting or updating the handles of an old dresser to make it more your own.
More: How to Update an Old Chest of Drawers
TIP: Sometimes keepsakes of loved ones that have passed on bring about sadness rather than a smile, especially if your memories of an item are especially vivid or fresh. Consider painting a chair a different colour, reframing a painting or updating the handles of an old dresser to make it more your own.
More: How to Update an Old Chest of Drawers
Sometimes it’s not something old that gives you the warm fuzzies but something brand new. Maybe you fell in love with something in the window of a shop or gallery and couldn’t walk away without buying it, or spotted a lamp you at a restaurant and managed to track down one of your own – these things should be front and centre in your entryway display. Why? Because the joy you felt on discovering them can be relived every time they catch your eye at home.
Love the beach but can only get there on your annual holiday? Relish the juicy, sun-ripened pears of your childhood? Use artwork to bring your favourite things home with you – tuning in to what makes you happy whenever you come home can be a good reminder to that you should be doing so at other times of the day, too.
If the written word does more for you than visual prompts, consider a framed quote that inspires you – position it where you drop your keys and you’ll be sure to see it.
TIP: I love the idea of an old typewriter for your hall table – just be sure to buy one that still works. Feed it paper and type a note to you (or the family) that simply makes you feel good. If you live alone, typing “I love you” could be just the thing to say – we could all benefit from learning to accept ourselves a little more just the way we are. This simple vignette is all the more appealing because of its limited colour palette and simplicity.
More: Word Up: The Writing’s on the Wall
TIP: I love the idea of an old typewriter for your hall table – just be sure to buy one that still works. Feed it paper and type a note to you (or the family) that simply makes you feel good. If you live alone, typing “I love you” could be just the thing to say – we could all benefit from learning to accept ourselves a little more just the way we are. This simple vignette is all the more appealing because of its limited colour palette and simplicity.
More: Word Up: The Writing’s on the Wall
If you’re planning to move to a dream house by the beach post-retirement, a shell or memento from your future home can bring an edge of excitement into your daily life. Living for the future isn’t ideal, but it sure is fun having something to look forward to.
Mood-lifting colour can transform an entryway from forgettable to feel-good. Look through a colour chart or visit a fabric store to see which colours strike a chord. Chances are your favourite colours already feature in your wardrobe but don’t forget the colours that may not suit you – you might not wear them, but you might love to look at them. Use art, accessories and fresh flowers to introduce all your favourites.
If you’d love to feel uplifted and light the minute you come home, think about which colours will help you achieve that. Yellow inspires an optimistic attitude and a happy disposition in anyone who passes by.
While bright and breezy works for some people, others seek a sense of calm when they come home with the help of deeper hues. Blue encourages us to feel soothed and relaxed. It is a quiet colour that can create a welcome refuge from the stresses and busyness of the world beyond your front door. Painting a backdrop to your entryway display can breathe new life into your home – a change is as good as a holiday, after all.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you created a vignette that makes you smile? Tell us about it and share a pic or two in the comments section!
MORE
19 Low-Cost, High-Impact Ideas for an Enviable Entry
Heaven-Sent Entries: 12 Ideas to Make Your Home More Welcoming
Keep Mess at Bay in Your Entryway With These Do-Better Tips
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you created a vignette that makes you smile? Tell us about it and share a pic or two in the comments section!
MORE
19 Low-Cost, High-Impact Ideas for an Enviable Entry
Heaven-Sent Entries: 12 Ideas to Make Your Home More Welcoming
Keep Mess at Bay in Your Entryway With These Do-Better Tips
Displaying or repurposing some of your favourite travel finds in an entryway vignette is a simple way to jog a memory. African baskets used as pot plant holders, exotic fabric from a dusty off-the-beaten track market turned into cushions, a rug you paid to have shipped back from a far off land – all these treasures can bring back magical memories that transport you to another time and place … without leaving home. In this case, the baskets are from Anthropologie, the cowhide rug is from Yerra Rugs and the cushion fabric from Dransfield & Ross … but you get the idea.