Creature comforts ...

This is currently one of my favorite “scenes’’ in my home ...

For the longest time, I didn’t have anything special on this small bureau in our master bedroom. Usually clothes would end up on top ... waiting to be put away or hung in the closet. For Christmas, my mom gave me this sweet, ceramic bunny (she collects deers, I collect rabbits) and finding it a home was what prompted me to pull all of these pieces together.

What makes it special to me ...

The vintage bureau was a gift from my parents ... they bought it for $50 at a yard sale and later my mom stripped it of it’s ghastly yellow paint and used a simple treatment of Minwax to highlight it’s re-discovered good looks. I have had it since my first apartment at 21.




John and my wedding photo (complete with family and friends literally standing behind us) sets a romantic stage for the objects below ...

• a simple pink rose as candle holder (an interesting find from HomeGoods)

• tall antique compote a remembrance from my Nana, and the smaller version picked up during a seaside vacation ... both perfect for displaying strands of sparkly costume jewelry


• glass hurricane (from Southern Living at Home, no longer available in this size, but larger ones are currently in catalog) with a biscotti scented candle from Pier 1 -- it smells even better than vanilla

• cream scarf as runner (purchased this winter at Marshalls, worn once, but loved even more draped over the bureau top ... in the summer I will switch it out for a more seasonal fabric, but I am loving the warm look it gives the room)


What made it even better ...

The bunnies paw was hovering and I happened to have this tiny book of quotes (who doesn’t love a good quote??) that fit just underneath. On top of the book I usually keep a couple of pairs of earrings (they look like tiny wedding bands in this picture).

Here is a quote that is a personal favorite of mine (and reminiscent of this scene), taken from page 111 of 100 Small Comforts: Wise and Witty Words to Lift the Spirit by Lawrence Teacher Books ...

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.’’ - Marcel Proust

Creating a design vignette is all about establishing visual connections. How do the objects relate to one another? How are they similar? How are they unique? The grouped “treasures’’ don’t have to be expensive, but they should speak to you in some way. Find some items that have special meaning for you and tell your own story.