Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Styling a Sofa Table


...when you don't want a lot of clutter.




I had to add that last part, because that's what I'm trying to avoid. Visual clutter. I don't want to tip myself over into that place. There's a fine line between a good design, enjoying your "goodies", and ending up with a space that's overdone. I continually have to watch myself for that, because it's easy for me to end up there. 




Last week it was the little concrete pedestal in the Dining Room, 
this week it's attempting to style my frenchy sofa table...



Since moving in, I've had a few different things here, but I'd really just been waiting to find the heavy marble base to this mega candleholder. When we packed things up, the glass part was in one box and the marble base was in another. They didn't meet up again until last week. So I left it pretty bare to see what I wanted to do here. I like the minimal look here, but what I really wanted was to add some things without making a mess of it. 





If you look at magazine shots of rooms, they really don't use a lot of "things". The photographers prefer that you edit so they don't lose the feel of the space...so the room can be seen in it's sum total; not a bunch of items that distract the eye. That's why when staging a house for sale it's best to put away the majority of your decor. 




I felt like the best way to accomplish this was to keep the "things" neutral. So I hunted for decor books with neutral covers and then something to sit on top of the stack in white. I had found the Staffordshire Dog and the concrete piece in this last bunch of decor boxes, so I'm giving them a trial run.



I think this must be a reproduction,
but it's pretty old, and with no markings,
Don't know what happened to his twin,
when I found him he was on his own.







I'm not using a lot of color in this space, so maybe I can get away with adding these few things in. I think you can successfully use more objects if you keep your "color" to a minimum. Or maybe keep one or two colors with your neutrals, and have a balance. Too much and too many colors tend to make me unable to focus. That's just me, the older I get the less distractions I need...LOL.



OK, so I'll let this set awhile and see how it works. I can't use plants here other than ivy, since it will get "chewed", Can't use lamps either. Let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions.



See you Wednesday Evening at 6 PM for


I'm joining in these parties:

The Scoop at Stone Gable
Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House
Inspire Me at A Stroll Thru Life
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Share Your Cup at Mrs. Olson's

xoxo,


35 comments:

  1. Your house is gorgeous! Can you come over and re-create at my place? lol

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  2. It's very pretty, Debra! Just this morning I was editing "things." I'm just tired of dusting around them.
    Brenda

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  3. Debra...I needed this post. I am trying to edit some things as well on my tabletops. I love your hurricane and other objects on your table. I like your vignette looks perfect! Now...I need to go back to our storage unit and find more of my things...and maybe make some new looks for my tables.
    Great post!
    Sheila

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  4. Debra, Fabulous tutorial. I LOVE what you said about the fine line between a beautiful collection or vignette and one that is cluttered!!! Pinning and featuring this post on fb!!!

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  5. Debra, the table looks great and I like everything that you have in the vignette. Your home is looking beautiful.
    Have a great week.
    Mary

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  6. I think choosing the books with neutral colors was a very smart choice. The table looks great and fits well in the room. I hope you come and visit me on my blog and leave me a comment as well. You can find me at http://www.portraits-by-nc.com/blogs

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  7. Debra, love the styling, it looks wonderful! Also, love the basket of dried hydrangeas! Did you dry them yourself? I know what you mean about "living with" something for awhile, I do the same thing. Sometimes after a display "marinates", I will get inspired to do some tweaking!
    Cindy
    www.edithandevelynvintage.com

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  8. Your room looks wonderful. Love how you decorated the sofa table!

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  9. It's lovely just the way you have it! The books anchor everything.

    It amazes me how I can think a vignette looks nice until I take a picture and suddenly it's cluttered.

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  10. It's lovely just the way you have it! The books anchor everything.

    It amazes me how I can think a vignette looks nice until I take a picture and suddenly it's cluttered.

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  11. Lovely Debra, I think everyone has a clutter demon, you manage yours beautifully :)
    Jenna

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  12. Morning Debra,
    Your sofa table vignette looks great. and yes, think we all have to battle that cluttered look, especially after years of having
    special things that were given to you or that you really love and want to use in your home. My goal lately is to try and get
    rid of things that I use but am not really in love with............time to declutter............as it really is so much more restful.
    Also love that you have that beautiful basket of hydrangeas under your sofa table, perfecto.................

    Blessings, Nellie

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  13. I agree with you completely about the use of accessories in a room. There's a fine line between just enough and too much. I think you did a great job. I like the symmetry of the books on each side of the candle holder. I like the scale of the items too. I'm like you and have to live with my changes for a while before making up my mind.

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  14. I think your table looks fine...I, too, really have to watch my STUFF...I'm sure like my things and I just have to walk thru ever so often and remove one or two things. :)

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  15. Beautiful Debra....always looking for great inspiration for a sofa table!....You styled it perfectly....I was fortunate in that when we built our home I was able to direct the builder in placing an outlet on the floor for the lamps knowing that the furniture arrangement in the room would be "floating"

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  16. I think your table looks fantastic just the way you have it. Your whole home is lovely. Regards from Betty in Ontario, Canada.

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  17. Whatever you do is always tasteful and lovely...classy :)

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  18. I think it looks beautiful, Debra. It is balanced and not cluttered at all. I have to edit myself too, I tend to like too many things around:) It is hard sometimes, I know. Have a great week!

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  19. Very pretty and classic looking, Debra! I love the basket of hydrangeas underneath, too!

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  20. Your absolutely sooo right about keeping clutter at bay, by using neutrals. Another thing that seems to balance it for me is to use uniformity, as in a focal point and two of the same things on each side, i.e. books and topiary on each side, or lamps of the same kind, one on each side, etc. Brings continuity, thus bring minimalist look. Thanks for this post, I needed this.

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  21. Debra,
    Your styling of the table is gorgeous. Love the soft hues and pieces you picked. Clean and fresh look. Love it.
    Kris

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  22. This is a great post. It is so true. Less is more. I have the same struggle. Blogging helped me learn to weed things out. I had one of those concrete things. I wonder what I've done with it.

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  23. The symmetry, balances the styling. Looks great and not cluttered at all.

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  24. Great job Debra...I love the way you styled your sofa table...love the basket of hydrangeas under it too!

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  25. Wow! Every picture belongs in a home decor book! I absolutely adore that mega candle holder with the marble base...makes a gorgeous focal point! Beautiful styling of your Frenchy table with stacked books on either side...love it! Hugs, Poppy

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  26. Debra, Your living room is beautiful and everything is styled perfectly!
    Hugs,
    Sherry

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  27. Okay, I am the culprit of layering and layering. I do restrict it to the den where I sit most so I can gaze at my favorite things. Love the serene simplicity of your vignette. I would add something narrow but long like a branch.

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  28. Very pretty. I think it's perfect just as it is.
    Stopping by SYC.

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  29. Love this! I was just styling my sofa table the other day and could have used this! Now going to amend what I did after your inspiration! Enjoy your weekend!

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  30. Debra, I think it looks lovely! I have to watch myself that I don't go over the top as well. Very easy for me to do. I love so many things and it's hard to be minimal. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  31. This is just beautiful Debra! Love the table and the things you chose to put on it! Thanks for joining Home Sweet Home!

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  32. I'm the person who probably doesn't layer enough. Friends have told me that they think my style is minimalist and it's really not. Clutter makes me feel anxious. Seeing just a few pretties together feels perfect. You Debra, have skills! You are so good at putting together lots of things and I love to look.

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  33. I always enjoy your styling Debra and your advice is spot on for achieving that uncluttered look. Love what you've done with this room!
    I'm thrilled to be featuring this at Shabbilicious Friday this week.
    Hugs ~ Kerryanne

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  34. I really enjoy your sessions on staging and decluttering like this one. Along with seeing your pretty things, I'm learning to reduce the pretties.

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  35. I love the clean look of the sofa table and your home! Just gorgeous!

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