Last Updated on January 10, 2025 by Vannessa Rhoades, Three Bears Home Staging
Vignettes, or “tablescapes,” are a powerful tool in home staging. They help set a vibe and sell a lifestyle. These decorative groupings of art or accessories act as a focal point or make a decorative statement. They’re especially useful in staging a home for sale because they can draw a buyer’s attention toward a positive attribute or help distract from less appealing features. Want buyers to notice the gorgeous granite countertops and chef’s island? Create a vignette! Need buyers to shift their focus from the noisy street that runs adjacent to your backyard and instead notice your spacious covered patio? Vignettes to the rescue!
Small vignettes for home staging
DIY Vignettes for Home Staging: Tips and Techniques
Good vignettes are simple, fit easily with the general décor of the home, and are not overly stylized. When creating a vignette for home staging, keep the following in mind:
- Asymmetrical arrangements typically work better than symmetrical patterns.
- Arrange items that are similar in shape or color, but vary the size. For best results with your listing photos, use accessories larger than a grapefruit to avoid a “cluttered” feel.
- Mix in organic elements, like plants, wooden objects, shells, or accessories with natural textures.
- Remove any family photos or accessories buyers can use to profile you (no references to your hobbies, interests, political, or religious preferences) – when in doubt, take it out. *Remember, this pertains to staging — if your home isn’t for sale, you can make your vignettes as personalized as you want!
Building Simple, Beautiful Vignettes & Tablescapes for Home Staging
One way to create vignettes or tablescapes is by arranging objects in a pyramid or triangular shape. Start with the largest or tallest accessory (this will be the top of the pyramid). Place it off-center at the back of your arrangement. Next, add additional accessories of different sizes to fill out the vignette, creating a triangle as you continue to build.
- A lamp or a tall vase of flowers/greenery makes a great starter piece.
- Group accessories in odd numbers — usually 3 or 5 pieces work best
- Filler accessories should be around half the size of the starter piece.
- Use hardback books to elevate shorter pieces.
- Trays are a great way to anchor your vignette and are particularly useful in an occupied staged home when decor must sometimes be moved around between buyer showings.
Related: Using Decorative Trays: Tips for Home Sellers
Check out our super quick video tutorial on creating vignettes and tablescapes for home staging:
Home Staging Accessories for Vignettes
You can grab a clickable shopping list of some of our favorite home staging accessories for home staging in our Library of Freebies. Click below to access the library and its treasure trove of home staging info.
Related: 19 Beautiful Amazon Bookshelf Accessories You Need for Home Staging
Need Help Creating Vignettes for Home Staging?
The home staging experts at Three Bears Home Staging can help you create vignettes that showcase the very best parts of your house for potential buyers. Take a look at the services we offer and book yours today to get started on the road to a faster, more profitable home sale!
Vannessa Rhoades
Vannessa Rhoades is the author of Just Right! Easy DIY Home Staging and the founder of the award-winning firm, Three Bears Home Staging®. She specializes in providing positive, empowering virtual consultations that help homeowners and real estate agents all across the country sell more quickly and for more money.
