Beyond Vignettes: The Secrets to Giving Your Home Life and Heart

Inside: How to bring life to your home without being staged and weird. Instead, you need to know how to have pretty things that you use. Yes, it’s that simple.

Vignettes are weird, right? Arranging groups of things in our houses that are supposed to look homey and natural, yet they can’t be touched?

The word vignette is actually a literary term that means to show a glimpse of something, to take a little snippet of a piece of writing to show the whole picture.

And at home, that is what vignettes in decorating are trying to accomplish. They are things from our lives, attractively arranged to tell the story of what goes on in that room. When it happens naturally, it gives a house soul.

A rustic wooden door with iron accents set into a stone wall, with a garden rake leaning against it, surrounded by lush greenery and pink flowers.

The Problem with Vignettes

But…what if your life is not all Burberry raincoats and beautiful scales?  What if everything you have is plastic stuff from Kohl’s and is hiding in the closet? Well, then the problems start. Everything is put away when you are done with it…. because it is ugly. So the house looks lifeless, and the urge to set up vignettes starts.

So, the solution we found was to pull out an excerpt from a fake story. Here is a glimpse of my life, just me reading antique books and enjoying these large vintage dice.”

Or perhaps something like this:

: A still life featuring several pale orange pumpkins arranged on a distressed white cake stand, surrounded by delicate ivy and autumn leaves, evoking a cozy, rustic autumn vibe.

Oh dear.

Embracing Attractive Utility

What if, instead of that, we searched for things that were attractive and actually useful? It’s not theoretically useful, like an antique rake hanging over the mudroom bench. (Even though I think that looks really cute.). But things that will be used by us.

Like a pretty watering can left out on the porch that is also used to water the flowers. Or wooden spoons and rolling pins used regularly, not just sitting there, like mine.

A warm and inviting cottage-style kitchen with white cabinetry, displaying various containers and towels neatly arranged, bathed in soft sunlight filtering through a window.

And what if the functional things of life were pretty? Cleaners are poured into clear bottles instead of ones with tacky labels. Cutting boards made of wood, not plastic. Dish towels in patterns we like and colors that go with the house.

Embrace Imperfection

Handmade and well-loved items often have more character than mass-produced ones. Don’t be afraid of a little patina or signs of use.

Then stuff could be out.  If people walked into our homes unexpectedly, it would be okay!  Because the stuff itself is not ugly.  

Our homes would seem alive naturally, instead of looking like a constant Home Goods ad, or like mine, looking perpetually empty because I stuff everything inside a closet or in the office that no one dares enter.

How to Start Making the Shift

Attractive utility will be my new guideline for buying anything I might need.  My broom is dying, and instead of replacing it with another hideous, shiny plastic one, I’ll be getting a pretty one like this. Avoiding plastic will generally result in a more attractive item, as will looking for something that could be, or is, handmade.

A vintage copper tea kettle releasing steam on an old-fashioned wood stove, suggesting a warm, homey kitchen scene filled with rustic charm.

And while attempting to decorate my empty, beige house, I’ll be looking for things that will function, not just sit there.  Except flowers.  And pictures.  And pumpkins.  Now I’m really confused.

Shop Mindfully

Before buying something “just to fill a space,” ask yourself if it’s genuinely beautiful AND if you’ll interact with it regularly.

Examples of “Attractive Utility” in Everyday Life

  • Kitchen:
    • A ceramic crock on the counter holding frequently used wooden spoons and spatulas.
    • A colorful tea kettle is displayed on the stovetop, always ready for use.
    • Open shelving showcasing a collection of mismatched mugs that get regular rotation.
  • Bathroom:
    • Apothecary jars on the counter filled with bath salts, cotton balls, or Q-tips.
    • A woven basket holding rolled hand towels instead of stacks in a linen closet.
    • A vintage bar cart repurposed to store toiletries and display a small succulent.
  • Living Spaces:
    • A cozy throw blanket draped over the arm of a chair, inviting you to curl up.
    • A small stack of your current favorite reads on the coffee table.
    • A tray on an ottoman holding a lit candle and a vase of fresh flowers.

What do you think about vignettes?  Love them or hate them?  Or perhaps you are a normal person and have never given them a second thought?  Let me know!

A charming windowsill decorated with pink flowering plants in metal buckets, complemented by a vintage metal watering can, against the backdrop of a sunny garden view.
picture of smiling female

By Katie Shaw

Katie lives in Virginia with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens. She loves creating simple tutorials for sourdough, bread, and soap. Her recipes, articles, and YouTube videos reach millions of people per year.

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42 Comments

  1. We took two antique wooden ladders from an old barn, refinished them and use them to hang cozy blankets. Double win….freeing up closet space.

  2. wonderful post, favorite line “Or perhaps you are a normal person and have never given them a second…” 😂

    I am not a normal person and I love vignettes, especially functional kitcheny ones!

  3. So glad I found you! I’ve been trying to prettify the practical for a while now.
    I tend to overbuy things I love and then have to try to squeeze them in, though.
    Work in progress.
    I also just started preparing myself to pick up the new hobby of sourdough, so this is a double win!
    Have a blessed holiday!!

  4. Vignettes displayed in the rooms of our homes. are a reflection of the people that live in those homes. They display our curiosities. our passions, our interests and they tell a story of who we are, where we came from and what sparks joy in our lives. Those vignettes are a window into the life of who lives in that home. Be they a stack of gardening books. family photos., cherished antiques, a basket of quilts, a box of beautiful shells or rocks acquired on vacations, or a collection of some kind.
    All those “things” make your house a home. So don’t cram them away in a closet or a cupboard, set them out and let the world see who you really are.