Heather Strommen, owner of the historic Excelsior home Mona Bina, which means home for all—and author of its eponymous blog, Sweet Shady Lane—is offering a fresh take on home design: On her website, visitors can purchase a curated vignette box filled with home accent pieces hand-picked by Strommen.
Read more: The History of 980 Shady Lane
She started the blog as a way for people to follow her creative process during the restoration of the house. Its popularity grew fast, and she shifted its focus to style and design. While Strommen was trying to find a vignette to photograph and post, she had the idea for the boxes—a way to help people set up chic little spaces in their own homes.
The original vignette box includes a coffee table book, an antique brass figurine and a landscape canvas created by a local artist, among other items. “I love this box,” says Strommen. “It has texture and layers, and it [can] be used on a mantle, shelf or side table. The perfect vignette.”
Along with the original box, there are Christmas and summer boxes available, both of which include a piece of artwork, an antique, a coffee table book and more. The boxes themselves are designed by local Abbey Holden Studio.
“Each item is chosen because I would buy it myself, and the idea is that you will collect the vignettes and use them together,” Strommen says.
She recommends rearranging the vignette items from time to time. The art piece comes with an easel for easy display on a side table—but you could also frame the piece to hang on a wall. And don’t be afraid to get creative—for example, Strommen loves using a wicker candleholder as a plant container.
