Recently, I have been looking around and realizing there are areas that I ‘decorated’ when we moved in with things that I had bought on the cheap in college or were given to us and aren’t really our style. Too many areas were looking a little too ‘Kirklands’ to me. Despite the dark mocha wall colors we chose or the hand-me-down couches we sport in the living room, I don’t dig the metal/floral/glazed look. I want our house to be fresh even while using dark-stained woods and chocolate colors.
Here is what it looked like before:
I decided to pull down the shelves and art that were over the toilet and see it with fresh eyes. In an effort to make the changes without spending anything, I painted the shelves white and painted an old picture white with a stenciled Moroccan tile pattern in blue. I did the reverse white on blue stencil pattern on the small Ikea mirror. I ditched the Willow Tree figurine (a gift) and some gold capiz and glass orbs. The ‘D’ went blue as well as the picture frame. I left the little jars because I use them for hair clips, but I reserve the right to take them out as the room develops. I added a white ceramic duck that I got at a consignment shop last year. (The photo is a little off on the wall color – this is the only room in our house with no window and it is small, so the artificial light is not bright in here)
I still need to fill out the shelves, but I will be patient for the right things to come along. The last update I made was a fun new candle holder on the vanity. I found a set of three metal lanterns at Goodwill years ago. They were bright red, so I had primed them, but never figured out what to do with them. I took one and knocked out the taper holder and painted it blue. I thought the shape went nicely with the stencil shape I used for the art. Just a lucky accident that the candle label matches the blue I used in the room. I originally thought I would use a navy blue in the room, but when I was at Lowe’s this Deep Sea Diving color by Valspar just jumped out at me.
Here is the before and after:
Hope you didn’t ‘ditch’ the willow figurine to the garbage. You know your Aunt Dianne collects those, don’t you? Would make a nice late bday present or unexpected gift at Granny’s Christmas.
Gee, Leslie. I didn’t know you were living so right, with the chair exactly matching the pillow. Glad to see you putting some color in your rooms. They are looking good!