This post could just have easily borne the title of Jackdaw days
as my attention seems to be drawn to any variety of shiny distraction these days.
Squirrels, though, with their heads down bounding from spot to spot,
digging, planning, working so hard at what may be a fruitless cause in another month or so
are an apt comparison to the prevailing mood chez moi.
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| Tuesday morning |
There is no lack of reasonable tasks available each day.
More-urgent is not always the same as most urgent.
The siren song of interesting ideas lures me
from the safe productivity of my lists.
Is it the layering of leaves outside
that prompts such a desire to replicate
the colors and clutter of fall inside our homes?
Is squirrelishness our response to the changing seasons?
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| Tuesday night |
One of my recent obsessions has been the fireplace mantle.
My pinterest page is suddenly full of mantle pictures.
Studying them has made me aware that
the mantle may be only a part of the problem.
It really is a big picture issue.
Let's start with a reminder that I love my fireplace.
Maybe not the glass doors - but the idea and use of it I love.
I've tried a variety of things over the course of the last year.
We have talked about major renovations:
a tile surround
paint
built-in bookshelves.
This week, though, the emphasis has been on
spending no money - re purpose what is already here - a challenge
I always enjoy.
 |
| Wednesday morning |
The windows come from Dad's house in Hampton.
They flanked his fireplace.
He gave them to me during the siding/windows project and I've
carted them several times across the Midwest since then.
There are sliding glass doors opposite the couch which
limit the seating options in the room.
The small cabinets on the side provide storage and balance.
Perhaps a bookshelf-type hutch on top?
The lamp relieves what had always been a dark corner.
Do I need one on the other table, too?
Well, this is today's look.
We'll see what tomorrow brings.
Another month will mean decorating for Christmas
and it will all change again.
7 comments:
Hmmmm...I noticed all the pinterest activity and wondered what would come from them. I love the Wednesday version and the fact that you found a use for the windows from Hampton. I love the mantel itself, but the walls on either side are not quite there yet IMHO. The look is too squared off. Do you have anything round? A round mirror to hang over one of the side tables/cases for now? How does your other furniture look in the living room?
What if you don't use the sliding doors during the winter so that you could place the couch facing the fireplace?
An early Christmas tree on one side? A very tall plant on one of the side tables/cases that would reach to or close to the ceiling?
Wall sconces?
Gosh, a quick Google images run was depressing. Wall to ceiling bookscases seem to be the default option, but then you need to make the bookcases look great. I pinned a couple of options to my home board, but they may not be there for long. I can understand your frustration.
These are all good ideas ~ reasonable suggestions. An answer to them could easily become a new post...
Sconces would have to be almost architecturally large maybe domed or arched - an idea I could get behind.
The christmas tree on one side would work but light is a problem for any live plants...And while I don't mind repeating an element (such as the windows on each side)it becomes a question of similarities in size and mass rather than getting into matching *sets* of anything.
I did try the sofa across the room earlier this summer. The room is 11 feet wide and the sofa is 7. Centered it doesn't allow easy passage and it just looks dumb pushed to one wall. Angled doesn't work either. I do prefer the purple sofa down here even though the white set allows more options for arrangement. The colors work together better. I'll try to take a few more pictures.
Keep the ideas coming. I'm in no hurry and will just poke away until I find the right combination.
Given the need to get some height on one side of the fireplace, I think I would invest in a good looking fake plant and a great basket to hold it. The basket would add texture and the plant the height. I also like the idea of a tall floor lamp...tall being the operative word. I also think I would live with the inconvenience of easy access to have the sofa in lenghwise across the room. Hurdles are good for the thighs!
i enjoyed this dialogue, but what I enjoyed most was the mental image of someone hurdling the couch to get to the fireplace. :)
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