Grouping Elements For Balance

I have been very fortunate of late to be invited to play with the pretty things at 

Adrian & Serena's Gifts and Interiors.

I have known the extended family for many years now have a deep and abiding love and respect for them all and relish the times when I can create vignettes and displays for their shop.

(Hence the paucity of posts because who wouldn't get lost in the glitter!)

I thought this vignette was a good example for explaining balance of the elements.

I've spoken about feng shui in previous posts and the way subtle energies flow and harmonise.

(here and here)

Key to harmony are the five elements

Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water.

Bear also in mind the "magic of three" and power of triangles found in a previous post, "Accenting On a Budget" and you will see how easily you can change vignettes in your home to compliment seasonal change or just change for change sake to reinvigorate the chi (energy) in your home.

To start, our vignette takes place upon a magnificent inlaid antique wooden sideboard (sigh! divine!) one of our more obvious wood elements. Wood is also found in the frames.

The scarf of gossamer like material provides an anchor point but also represents air with it's floaty breezy nature. It's flow also creating a nuance of water.

The air element is also apparent in the "wind" blowing the horse's mane.

The French crystal paperweight also represents water with it's rippling clarity.

Just as an aside note; faceted crystal or glass whether simple or multi is a tremendously valuable decorator item for instant lift in the room, especially if it is placed in such a way that light from the window is caught and refracted throwing beautiful effects. Do you remember Pollyanna discovering the prisms and rainbows? 

Again water is found in crystals and also represented by scroll work.

The gold coloured glass also contains an element of metal which is more obviously found in the metal horse door stop, the jewellery and the other little vases.

Earth is represented by the large ceramic piece in the centre and indicated by the yellow hues from the golden objects. It is also represented in the square and rectangular shapes.

Fire is represented by the animals in our vignette; the horse and the butterfly depicted in the frame.

It is also represented by the tall glass candle holder and is seen in triangles, cones and pyramids, the very foundations within the vignette. Pyramids within pyramids.

You can easily apply these basics to anything within your own home and to any room.

For more reference try here for basic elemental help.

To find more pretty inspiration from Adrian & Serena's Gifts and Interiors

go here 

or even better, "like" their facebook page.