Hey friends! Today’s Pinterest Challenge has me wanting to actually get outside and do some gardening. And for me that’s saying something since it’s super humid, in the 90’s and I dislike gardening because everything I touch dies. Anyway, you’ll see our inspo photo in a sec. It’s from my dear friend Michelle who has passed away. She was such a talented decorator and to remember her, I’m sharing how to style a cubby shelf for the perfect garden inspired vignette.
How to Style a Cubby Shelf for the Perfect Garden Inspired Vignette
If you’ve popped over here from Bluesky at Home, yay! I thought her entryway turned out beautifully and I’d love seeing that each time I walked in.
Here’s our inspiration photo for this Pinterest Challenge. Michelle who blogged over at The Painted Hinge was not only a dear friend, she was also the originator of the Farmhouse Friday link party. Since we just hit 300, I feel it’s a nice way to show off her gift of styling home decor.
Long before we were friends I followed her. Not only for her style but for her lifestyle. If you don’t know this already, she lived on a farm and grew almond trees! She always said harvest time was ridiculously dusty but she loved watching the guys use a machine to shake the trees so all the almonds would fall to the ground. It was something to see!
Let’s get started.
I don’t have a cubby full of drawers but that’s not going to stop me from trying my hand at this Pinterest Challenge. 😉 I plan to use a fun little cabinet (Michelle had the same one) we have sitting on a vintage hutch in the dining room.
What I’d like to incorporate are the clay pots, greenery, the basket with a pot inside and the garland with flowers. Always taking into account my own personal decorating style of course. That’s the best part of these challenges.
Vintage Jello molds for a fun dining room vignette
Step One: When trying to decorate a small shelf, I feel it’s important to remember where the shelves are located. We actually use this cabinet for storage so since this one is in the dining room I kept to dining/kitchen type accessories.
Vintage ironstone measuring cups
Step Two: Pull together what accessories are most important when being inspired by someone else’s photo. Going by Michelle’s photo, it’s the plants and clay pots. I love the set of vintage measuring pitchers.
Garden Inspired Vignette
Step Three: When placing your items, spread out the brightest color making sure it doesn’t stand out like a sore thumb. If they get clumped together that’s all you notice. In my vignette, it’s the orange clay pots. The sign at the antique store said they were from France. Maybe that’s why they were more expensive than the 49 cent ones you can find a Lowe’s? I didn’t know the difference but it sounded nice so I rummaged through and found several I liked.
Continue with the next most noticeable color. The darker greenery also gets moved around and spread out. Again, you don’t want a heavy concentration of one color in the same spot.
Step Five: When adding the lightest color accessories remember to add various height and dimension as you place things on the shelf. If everything is the same level it’s going to look boring. Try using the accessories you’ve chosen to add height. For example, I am using the cupcake stands instead of books, small boxes or wood pieces, etc.
Step Six: Don’t forget the details. In Michelle’s photo there is a twine garland with dried flowers. My little cabinet is kinda small for what she did so instead I added twine with white buttons. I started out with real flowers/weeds I picked from one of the pastures but it was too much so they got thrown in the garbage.
Twine Button Garland to clip on seed packets or flowers
As a replacement, I chose my the antique hardware store apron. It’s not at the top of the vignette like Michelle’s but it finishes out the other cabinet below and takes away from how worn it is. That thing has seen better days and really needs to have the screen changed out.
Antique hardware apron
Step Seven: That brings me to the last step in how to style a cubby shelf for the perfect garden inspired vignette. Step back and take a photo of it. You’ll be able to see what you missed, what stands out and anything you don’t like about it. It’s a process. If you get overwhelmed, take a break and come back later. If it feels cluttered or busy, you probably have to many small items, too much color or you need to vary your heights a little more and spread things out.
When I stepped back, I didn’t like the twine garland so removing it was an easy fix. You’ll have to let me know whether or not I should add the little button garland back to the cabinet.
If you actually like container gardening and vintage goodies, check out this post. It’s another Pinterest Challenge!
Thank you for stopping by today and I hope you found encouragement and are excited to tackle a garden inspired vignette in your own home. 🙂 Next up is my friend Cindy from DIY Beautify. I know you will enjoy seeing her coffee bar. It’s so pretty! Then make sure and check out the others below. Happy Decorating Friends!
I love everything about your cabinet, Cindy, but especially the button garland and the vintage Jello molds. Oh, and the cow creamer. And the lamb cake mold. What a great tribute to Michelle.
Thanks for hosting,
Niky
Author
LOL Niky, thank you! I greatly appreciate it. Happy Summer. 🙂
Cindy
I did not know Michelle, but I remember hearing her name. What a wonderful tribute to her and her family.
Love your vignette! laura
Author
Thank you Laura. Have a great week.
Cindy, you have decorated your sweet hutch beautifully. Your tips about placement of items are spot on. I actually loved your twine and button garland – so simple, but unique. I’m sure that Michelle would be so pleased with this Pinterest Challenge. I think I bought my little vintage pots when we were shopping together in Dallas a few years ago. Thanks for hosting and helping us challenge ourselves.
Author
We did buy our French pots together in Dallas! That was a great store. Have you been back? I wonder if it’s still there? We need to do that again. Thank you for the kind words. I greatly appreciate them.
Cindy, I love your pretty white cabinet! The chicken wire makes it perfect for hanging things off of it, like your little button garland!! I thought it was cute. 😉 Thanks again for the tutorial on looking at where to place pops of color. I need a decorating principles refresh every now and again.
Love how everything flows with the creamware! The little cow is adorable!!!
Thanks for letting me come along,
Hugs,
Barb 🙂
Author
I wish I had more creamware. Not that I need it but there are those days when you need one more thing to set the table or one more larger bowl for the salad. So I guess I’ll keep shopping. LOLOLOL. Happy decorating Barbara and thank you.
I absolutely LOVE your cabinet Cindy. The vintage measuring cups are calling my name. Thank you so much for hosting the challenge. But more importantly I love that you are honoring our friend Michelle.
Author
My pleasure Laura. I saw that cabinet on Michelle’s site years ago and she had it decorated beautifully for the fall. It’s from Decor Steals. Then one day it popped back up and I grabbed it. For a long time I didn’t know what to do with it when it was at our house in Highland Village. As soon as I took it down to Navasota it fit right in. Still haven’t decorated it as fun as Michelle but I love it. Thanks bunches.
It’s just lovely, Cindy!! What a special memory for your friend. I love the clay pots and those old jello molds are amazing!! Happy day to you!
Author
I’ve had the molds and pots for years and still haven’t done anything with them. First time I dug them out of the paper. LOL. Guess I need to use them more often. Thank you Rachel. Have a great week.
Cindy, I love this. It is so beautiful. Have a wonderful day, my friend.
Author
I appreciate that Renae, thank you, and you too!
I love Michelle’s gorgeous garden cubby display, and you’ve created your own version beautifully. Those measuring cup ironstone set is so perfect! and oh my that adorable construction apron is so fun hanging from your lower cabinet. Wonderful inspiration photo!
Author
Aww, thank you Debra. I adore those little measuring cups too but the apron is probably my favorite part of the entire cabinet. Weird how something so old and grungy can make a person smile. Hope you enjoy your summer. Stay cool!
I loved all of Michelle’s posts, she was so talented. This all came at a perfect time as I have been trying to get my screened-in porch cleaned up and ready for summer. Now I have some great ideas. I also liked the cute button garland, it all was so pretty, thanks, and have a blessed day.
Author
Yay Marlene! I need to start getting our porchette cleaned up and ready as well. Enjoy the process!
A wonderful tribute to our dear friend; she is missed. I thought the button garland was adorable, but maybe it could just lay on the top of that amazing pine cupboard? Love the vintage jello molds as the touch of silver; great idea. Love the kitchen themed style elements; great idea.
Author
That’s a great idea to just lay the button garland across the top. Thanks! And every time I get those jello molds out I think of your Christmas cookie cutter wreath for some reason. Probably for the color. Either way, you are always in my thoughts. Thanks for stopping by. Happy decorating Lora!
Michelle’s vignette is amaZing and you’ve honored it perfectly with your cabinet display. I love the jello molds, measuring cups and vintage apron but all the details are wonderful really. Have a fabulous Memorial Day weekend. XO- MaryJo
Author
Aww, thank you MaryJo. I appreciate that. They are some of my favorite pieces. Hope you enjoy your weekend as well.
I love how you styled these vintage pieces Cindy, and your tips are so helpful! The jello molds, ironstone and greenery look perfect together!
Author
I’ve never liked how the little cabinet was decorated until now. Woo hoo! Thank you
Your vignette is lovely. I think greenery is always a good touch. Give a challenge to 100 women and expect not only something different, but real creativity. I didn’t know your friend passed away.
Author
Michelle struggled with depression for years and when she got Covid and the side effects never went away and caused so many other health issues, she just couldn’t get passed it. She took her own life. So so sad. Thank you for the sweet comment Myrna. I love the challenges. Especially when the outcome is something I really like. 🙂
Cindy, your cabinet is just gorgeous! I love the jello molds and how you put your own slant on Michelle’s cabinet. I did not know Michelle, but I can tell by her style that I would of loved her. Thank you for hosting this fun event, I look forward to it every month.
( for some reason, my links are not showing up on my blog :((((, I do not know why and will reach out to my friend to help me tomorrow. The code is in there and I could see it earlier, but not now! It’s always something…..
Author
It IS ALWAYS something with computers. That has happened to me before. I removed the code and inserted it again. That fixed it. Hope that helps and thanks so much for the sweet comment. Yes, you would have loved Michelle and I’m so glad you look forward to the Pinterest Challenges. They are so fun!
Michelle would be so proud right now, Cindy! What a beautiful way to capture her friendship and celebrate her decorating style. She was such a talented lady! Love the way you’ve taken inspiration from her style and made it your own. This cabinet and all the pieces you’ve added are amazing. I’m in love! Sending you tons of hugs and thankful our paths crossed with hers, CoCo
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Aww, thank you CoCo. You made my day. I am so glad our paths crossed as well. Cheers to all the summer decorating fun!
What a beautiful cabinet, Cindy! Love how you styled it.
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Thanks so much Tammy! I really enjoyed this months challenge. Happy Memorial Day!
Cindy, I’ve got to say this is one of my favorite Pinterest challenges on so many different levels. I love every detail of your little cabinet and how you thoughtfully decorated it. So charming with your creamware, tin molds and French pots. You even have a small wire basket holding a plant! You rocked this one! Big hugs to you sweet friend!
Author
You made my day Michelle, thank you! It’s weird but there are only a few of the Pinterest Challenges that are my faves and this is definitely one of them. I think it’s because Michelle was a great inspo and I’ve never liked the little cabinet until now. When I saw hers it was decked out for fall. When it came up on Decor Steals I snatched it up and immediately decorated it for fall. Bleh. A total flop. Put it away for a year then took it down to the farmhouse and have enjoyed it there. It’s surprising how just the location can change my attitude. 😉
Oy my word, I love, love, love your cabinet and your pretty vignette. Gorgeous. Such a great way to add the feel of Michelle’s vignette and still make it totally your own. Love it all.
Author
Your comment put a big-O-smile on my face! Thank you so much Ms. Marty. I think of you often enjoying that pool. We need one something terrible! Have fun this summer.
Cindy – I am so sorry to hear about Michelle! I have ALWAYS loved her site (my Pinterest boards are full of pins from her), and I posted frequently in the Farmhouse Friday link party. I always loved her stories about her farm, the almond harvesting, her cats, and what other delightful story she told. And then I started reading more and more about her health issues. I thought that she had simply stepped back from blogging to focus on her health. I had no idea she had passed, and truly mourn her loss. Even more sad is a comment on her last post from Paula at Sweet Pea who we also lost. My heart goes out to you in losing a friend, and I love this salute to her and your friendship.
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Aww, thank you so much Kristine. We also miss Paula. She was a trooper with such a great attitude all the way to the end and seriously amazed me. I still enjoy going back and reading some of Michelle’s posts. So talented. Hope you have a wonderful week.