The Art of the Vignette with Obelisks

Posted November 3, 2016 | Filed under All Posts | Comments (0)

Decorating one's home can often lie in the smallest details, and creating a vignette that is nothing more than a grouping of objects to delight the eye is a wonderful part of the decorating art! It can bring such great satisfaction as it comes together, and over time you can update it with new pieces or change it altogether.

Bellamont House, Dorset

There was a wonderful profile of Bellamont House in Architectural Digest. The house is full of fanciful and fun decoration, and this entryway says it all! The visitor is greeted by a table with a wonderful vignette of rearing horses, leather bound books seemingly scattered about, and an obelisk at its center.

Paris apartment of Sylvain Levy-Alban & Charlie Garnett

I can almost count on finding at least one home with obelisks when I open my latest edition of Architectural Digest! Such anticipation when each issue arrives. This fabulous apartment of Sylvain Levy-Alban and Charlie Garnett is full of fabulous vignettes, and this mantelpiece is one of them. It is crammed with wonderful objects, with the pair of obelisks adding interest and height to the grouping. What else does one do with a mantelpiece but decorate it!

Karen Robertson Design

This rather lowly table is made special with a vignette of tortoise shell objects. The mirror gives depth, the obelisk adds height, the 'egg' provides shape, and the box completes the group. The vignette décor does not stop there, but includes some books and more rounded shapes with the white vase. These give color contrast among the tortoise shell objects.

Quintessence - Timothy Corrigan Design

Obelisks are among the favorite decorative elements used by the decorator Timothy Corrigan – a man after my own heart! In his dining room he has created a vignette of objects to wonderful effect. He includes and white marble obelisk, of course, among a number of other Grand Tour and classical objects, set among stacks of books. I would want to wander over to this table and rummage around looking at books, and picking up objects for closer inspection! I’m sure that's the idea!

Gather some objects together, think about shape, height and color, and add an obelisk for your perfect vignette!