Wednesday, October 9, 2013

"Mantel" Makeover

Trying to decorate a new home, especially with a toddler, takes an interminably long time. We have already been in our new place for about 6 months now and we are still trying to find the right pieces at the right price for the living room and our bedroom. At least the office is looking better.  It was really important for me to get into better shape especially since as a teacher I do a lot of work from home. I also work from home for my other part-time job which I  started a couple months ago.

In terms of decorating, I love how our "mantel" turned out. We actually don't have a fireplace, so "mantel" is a bit of a misnomer but we placed a floating shelf above a console table to give the feeling of a mantel.

VoilĂ  this is how it turned out:

The Tiffany candlestick holders were a wedding present as were the Japanese tea cups and tea pitcher which I am using a vase. The "window" was actually a picture frame but I took it a part into two pieces (the rectangle in the very back is the other piece) and re-used the glass elsewhere in the house. I love the whitewash of the walnut wood on the "window" and the mirror which gives a rustic feel.  I originally wanted to use the mirror in our downstairs bathroom but it wasn't big enough so now I am on the hunt for a nice and affordable mirror.

Other items we are looking for include an oval shaped coffee table made of distressed wood or a weathered looking trunk that could double as storage and a coffee table. I have been going to second-hand stores since I like the more vintage look. I found the perfect trunk that could have been rehabbed but unfortunately when I called about it later on, it was already sold. 

Once I have a chance I will try to take some pics of the office in order to show the before and after transformation.



1 comment:

Sara Louise said...

That looks great! I don't have a mantle either but I do have loads of floating shelves, I love them :)