The art of arranging your stuff: charming tableaux from the House & Garden archive to copy
Setting the scene is an effort not solely reserved for playwrights and painters. Indeed, creating the perfect tableau or arrangement of objects in your house imprints each room with its own unique, authentic aura – and allows you to convey your individual aesthetic and tastes. Do you fancy yourself a minimalist, preferring a table adorned solely with one statement branch in a vase? Or, are you a dyed-in-the-(multi-coloured)-wool maximalist, mixing and matching your trinkets and treasures in a flurry of clutter? When it comes to your house, do you find yourself designing with veritable sprezzatura, or is finding calm, quiet and symmetry within each room more important?
‘So much of making delightful scenes in one’s house is about order and practicality,’ says designer Rita Konig. ‘But more is more,’ counters decorator Gavin Houghton. Regardless of your interior design proclivities, creating the ideal tableaux throughout your house is a rewarding, rich task that, at the risk of sounding cliché, makes a house a home.
To smooth the way to set-scene heaven, we've rounded up the best tableaux ideas and inspiration from the House & Garden archive.
Tableaux are creative, beautiful ways to add depth - and function - to your house. Setting scenes on side or bedside tables, mantelpieces, hallway consoles (or even on your drinks trolley, as Susan Deliss did in this colourful flat in Edinburgh) adds particular value and meaning to a room.
When it comes to creating bedside tableaux, ‘it usually starts as a way to have something within arm’s reach, or everything in one place when you need it’, says Rita. Indeed, when you nestle into bed, it's crucial to not just flick off the light, but to also have that book you've been meaning to read at the top of the pile or have your favourite candle's scent waft your way. Consider a pretty, colourful pile of books whose titles rotate as you read them – books always add a certain academic aura, and their covers can double as a form of decoration. If you err on the more minimalist side of the tableau spectrum, a sole statement table lamp and a coaster for a water glass is all you need to set an appealing scene at your bedside.
Hallway consoles are the ideal spot for attractive arrangements and operate as blank canvases for your creative and design prowess. They also tend to be the first burst of decoration seen when one steps in the door, so it's important to pay attention to the decoration details. Do not underestimate the scene-setting power of a lovely bunch of flowers, for example, which adds a pop of colour and interesting texture to the space. On the more practical end, hallway consoles also function as receptacles for keys, coins and other odds and ends: consider decorating your console with antique dishes to catch the contents of your pockets – after all, functional beauty is the secret to creating pretty tableaux.
While fireplaces themselves serve as anchors and focal points in a room, setting a scene around the hearth adds decorative oomph to a space. Maximalists may prefer to dot their mantlepieces with colourful candles, discovered treasures and trinkets or antique sculptures, as seen in this delightful cottage on the border and Suffolk and Essex. Minimalists, on the other hand, may prefer to embellish their fireplace with a single painting hanging above. For those in-betweeners whose design preferences lean are somewhere in the middle, consider a pretty stack of colourful coffee table books to add personality without clutter, as seen in Cobbie Yates' London flat. For the necessary accoutrements to a fireplace, Rita recommends you to ‘imagine a pretty basket of kindling and firelighters by the hearth with a couple of those barbecue lighters in there, so that you are not searching about for a match when you want to light the fire. The key, generally, is to make the vessel attractive.'
Drinks trolleys are excellent stages to create beautiful scenes full of personality (and great cocktails). Storing antique linen napkins or leather coasters in the bar cart, for example, is as convenient as it is refined. Selecting the prettiest bottles of your favourite drink and fun, interesting glasses, too, prettifies your trolley and is practical. Even the tray on which your glasses and bottles rest should be considered - ‘the drinks tray is not just about serving – there are opportunities for loveliness in the tray itself, the tumblers, the ice bucket and the bottles of tonic (glass, not plastic),' says Rita.
When it comes to creating the perfect tableaux, know that it is you and your design tastes that will best guide you. Keep in mind, however, as Rita says, that 'there is always a choice to be made that will make something either ordinary or attractive. Why ever choose ordinary?’
Christopher Horwood1/22What was once a nine bedroom bedsit has been transformed by Natasha Howard, the designer behind Instagram's 'Philamena', into an elegant and inviting family home. The house's little bar, reached through a jib door in the kitchen, is a dream tableau – and easily replicated. Indeed, to mimic Natasha's fabulous bar is simple: gorgeous silver cocktail utensils and vintage crystal glassware can be found at the flea market and investing in a chic, sturdy lacquered or marble drinks tray is worthwhile. Displaying patterned paper straws as Natasha does is an inexpensive way to add colour to your bar (and is essential for your crushed-ice cocktails). Additionally, splashing out on top-shelf spirits with gorgeous packaging adds to a bar's charm – and making cocktails a cinch.
Owen Gale2/22The designers Benedict Foley and Daniel Slowik have taken a delightful cottage on the border and Suffolk and Essex and created a charming interior based around their shared taste in collecting, their cheerful acceptance of the house’s imperfections, and an irrepressible sense of humour. The cottage's living room is a maximalist heaven, with the tableaux surrounding the fireplace stealing the show. Dahlias from their neighbour Veere Grenney’s garden brighten up the mantelpiece. The Spelter ‘Marley’ horses were a present from a friend. “Normally they’re very distinguished, quite serious bronzes,” explains Benedict, “but we particularly loved these because they were the worst copies we’d ever seen, and we found that very amusing.”
Elsa Young3/22The textile designer and dealer Susan Deliss is known for her skilled use of colour and pattern. Now she is applying her talents to interior design projects, including this colourful flat in Edinburgh. Posters, paintings and prints from the owner’s art collection hang on the wall above a small wooden drinks trolley, setting a gloriously personal – and gorgeous – scene.
Mark Fox4/22For illustrator and homeware designer Alfred Bramsen, home is much more than a place to relax and the decoration of his Hackney flat is an expression of his creative pursuits. At the dining room table, Alfred has set a gorgeous scene that is imbued with charm and personal style. The beautiful candelabras act as blue-and-white foils to the spritzes of colour from the wildflower bouquet, which sits in a Hay vase. The tableware is a mix of Helle Mahrdal and Ohayo.
5/22Vivid blues run throughout Audrey Carden's London house, including in the dining room. The room is a perfect example of an ideal tableau for those ‘inbetweeners’ caught in the middle mini- and maximalism: the shock of blue on the wall adds personality to the whole room without clutter, the mantlepiece features just three small sculptural pieces, and the photograph above the chimneypiece, Anelle’s Cornbread by Danielle Nelson Mourning, adds a personal and artistic element. The pink hydrangeas on the table bring life to the whole scene without being overbearing.
Paul Massey6/22Claire Lloyd's house on the Greek island of Lesvos is chaste and so plain that anything decorative, whether a tin mug brimming with flowers or a mottled feather, acquires the status of a work of art. In keeping with the rest of the interiors, the dining room is predominantly white, adorned simply with a small painting and pretty flowers, which sets a simple, calming scene.
Owen Gale7/22The sitting room in Alice Palmer’s north-west London house is full of character. The mantlepiece is covered in various knick-knacks, adding to the fireplace's zany, candycane-striped charm. The potted plant below adds needed vibrancy to the otherwise black hearth. The bookshelves, too, are full of charm: the books themselves – with spines of various colour and size – are not pin-straight, which adds a lived-in feel to the tableau.
Paul Massey8/22In this London house designed by Sophie Ashby, paint is only taken up the walls to the ledge, making this grand and tall space feel a little bit more intimate – and quite like a stage set! The Tiffany-blue, modular lamps perfectly accent the space and add modern charm to a traditional space. The painting creates a mantlepiece effect and its colours add a more serious aura, further adding to the room's tableau.
Mark Fox9/22The walls and ceiling throughout Cobbie Yates' flat are limewashed. In the living room, a stack of art books add a colourful, unique decor and serve as a foil to the shock of green from the potted taro (elephant ear plant). The pillow resting on Ceraudo’s ‘Elio’ armchair adds imagery to the scene. The log burner, which is from Arada Stoves, is the perfect example of what constitutes a great tableau: a carefully-selected piece that is not just beautiful, but also practical.
Paul Massey10/22In the sitting room of an author's eclectic Primrose Hill house, a vintage Venetian mirror from Tarquin Bilgen is flanked by paintings by Anne Rothenstein and a pink lamp by Cressida Bell, against walls in Edward Bulmer's ‘Invisible Green’. A flamingo from Graham & Green is beside an armchair in an Ian Mankin blue stripe, next to which is a statue of a boy from Bora Bora. The tableau created with the room's decor is curated, yet lived-in.
Simon Brown11/22By cleverly reconfiguring the space and adding in a harmonious blend of new and vintage furniture, Beata Heuman and her team offer a masterclass in enlivening a blank canvas in this London flat. As the clients only needed two bedrooms, Beata and her team were able to carve out other uses for the rooms. In one, a library is clad in French polished wood, with custom joinery and a Beata Heuman Cub chair for curling up in with a book. The centre table is simply adorned with a leafy, green plant potted in a simple white ceramic vase and coffee table books – both excellent choices for those seeking to mix-up their scenery.
Line T. Klein12/22When Karl Erik Halldén and his young family moved to Sweden’s Öland, they inherited a wooden 1920s gem of a house, full of decorative potential. Here, the white bookcase is given colour and personality with Karl's book collection; the wallpaper gives a whimsical, lightness to the room, without sacrificing personality. Beyond this, the decor is pared back and uncluttered: the small bowl, wooden statue and box take up little space while still adding a personal touch to the tableau.
Magnus Mårding13/22For interior designer and furniture dealer Marie-Louise Sjögren, this glorious apartment in the Swedish capital is both a showcase of her beloved early 20th-century Scandinavian design and a comfortable family home. Here, the entrance hall is an excellent example of a great, more-minimalist-than-not tableau. The centrepiece of the space is a vintage Murano chandelier over a French 18th-century table; below is a Swedish vintage rug. The daybed is by Josef Frank, upholstered ‘Shanghai’ fabric by Pierre Frey. The sculpture by Runa Bülow-Hübe.
Simon Brown14/22Needing a weekend escape from their busy lives and stressful careers in London, designer Caroline Holdaway and her photographer partner, Fatimah Namdar, relish the peace and quiet of their eighteenth-century cottage in the Cotswolds. In the dining room, a massive bowl of fruit adds light and dark colour combinations, as does the large, black vase adorned with a verdant bouquet. The scale of the rest of the room, however, is rather small, which amplifies the importance of these two centre decorative pieces.
Kate Martin15/22The first-floor landing of this west-London town house designed by Peter Mikic features a compact, mirrored bar – a discreet and minimalist tableau (and the perfect solution for a tricky alcove).
Paul Massey16/22Californian tech entrepreneur Rose Hulse has brought a fresh perspective to the renovation of a Georgian house in the West Country, combining sensitivity to its origins with her desire to create a colourful and comfortable home for her family. The sitting room's scene is rather regal, with a well-adorned mantlepiece, beautiful fireplace accessories and full bookshelves. The two opposing sofas, however, are different patterns, which adds a unique intrigue to the scene.
Simon Upton17/22Architect Craig Hamilton's Welsh farmhouse is a fine example of his trademark modern classic style, combining buildings of various periods with a new, but appropriate, extension, and espousing his belief in the Arts and Crafts philosophy of integration between architecture and art. Here the console is adorned with beautiful clay pots, giving the room a rustic and artistic charm.
James McDonald18/22Gallerist Tobias Vernon’s cottage in Somerset is a study in juxtaposition, with white walls throughout providing a background for his creative arrangements of art and eclectic pieces. In this corner of the living room, Tobias has set a beautiful scene full of his different and unique design proclivities. A Fifties oak and rope armchair attributed to Paolo Buffa and Vitra’s remake of Isamu Noguchi’s 1951 ‘Akari 10A’ floor lamp stand below a black and white oil painting by Swedish artist Bo Beskow. Moroccan and vintage Swedish wool rugs add colour and texture. The Calder-esque sculpture is the perfect, prettifying final touch on the tableau.
Paul Massey19/22When former Vogue editor Fiona Golfar was told by her husband that he had bought a house in Cornwall, she fell over in shock. But as she explains, it did not take her long to realise that she had fallen on her feet. In the guest bedroom, Fiona has set a calming, beautiful scene: pretty florals, including a headboard in a vintage Colefax and Fowler fabric, an Indian quilt and botanical prints from Robert’s aunts bring nostalgic charm. The use of a chair rather than bedside table, too, further add to the tableau's charm.
Paul Massey20/22Set on the banks of the Thames, this 18th-century house has always been blessed with a glorious outlook. But, after an artful redesign by Nicola Harding, its interior now has a sense of flow and an easy elegance perfectly suited to a weekend family home. The tableau created in the hall makes for an inviting spot to linger: a Regency sofa from Howe London adds elegant, lived-in comfort and the minimally-adorned mid-century drinks cabinet from Lorfords is a design heavy-hitter, but still friendly.
Simon Brown21/22With a large family and frequent guests, the owner of this house in Hampshire tasked Henriette von Stockhausen with creating elegant and versatile interiors that help to tie together the original Georgian rooms and a recent extension. The bedside table is a simple, great tableau, fitted with a few books and a classic porcelain lamp.
Jonathan Bond22/22For an American couple's townhouse in Notting Hill, design studio Barlow & Barlow has created a comfortable, playful interior. In the living room, Barlow & Barlow set a calm and engaging scene. The marble fireplace (designed by Lucy Barlow's husband Joshua Sear) is an excellent centrepiece, accented by the black-framed, vintage mirror. The flanking cabinets by Alfred Newall add to the room's ambiance and are tableaux unto themselves. The righthand cabinet has been smartly converted to a bar, kitted out with high-quality cocktail paraphernalia, glassware and liquor.
