BEFORE WE MOVED IN

Today marks a year that we've been in our new house. We really love it. We did lots of projects when we moved in and then life got hectic and we didn't do much more inside. Now that it's summer again, I'm feeling the itch for projects so here's my latest.

Mantels are always such fun to redo! Here is one that I enhanced. I added corbels to the bottom of the mantel and then stained the mantel all the same color. Adding a mirror above it makes the room feel bigger. I had the fireplace surround painted black too and that really updated it. Leaning an original oil painting on top of the mirror adds some color and texture to the mix.

I've always wanted to have lamps on a mantel and think that this really added a nice feel to the room. The room needed light so this was a functional solution too. I wanted a little bit of a "garden feel" so I added this candelabra and instead of putting candles on it, I used stone decorative balls in different sizes.

I found this carving in my "thrifty finds" and decided to place it under the mantel itself. The carving was made in Guatemala and I lived there when I was a child. Love to add a lot of different styles giving an eclectic feel. Not everyone would want this mix but for me it's perfect because it tells a story of who I am and what I love.
Like the difference? I do!