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.

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:

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.

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.
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.

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.
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!


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.