A splash of gold....

Last week I posted my living room reveal. I stated that I had been working on it for the last year, and thanks to two blogs (THAT I LOVE) I was inspired and knew the direction I wanted to take the room. I was never the type of girl to mix finishes; gold with silver, silver with bronze, bronze with gold, etc. I followed this "so called rule" in fashion and decorating.

Over the last year while reading blogs, decor mags, and surfing Pinterest, I learned this "so called rule" no longer exists. You can totally mix finishes. It adds layer and depth to a room and everything doesn't look so matchy/matchy. Matchy/matchy is so boring.

I had quite a bit of silver accessories in my room to start with and after picking through "Young House Love" by the Petersiks, I came to the conclusion that adding a few gold accessories would add the "flair" that the room needed.

I love a monogram letter. It can be placed anywhere (towel, coaster, gallery wall) in the home, and with it comes great meaning. I think there is something so special about that one letter unifying a family.

I purchased a large paper mache letter from JoAnns and simply spray painted it gold. No priming necessary. My only dilemma was spray painting in the cold air. My solution was to lay the letter inside an open cardboard box, paint in the garage (with door cracked) and bring the entire box inside to the laundry room while the letter dried between coats. I put two coats on all sides of the letter. I waited for a full 24 hours after painting before I set it on the mantel.

 

These are the gold book ends I added. I found this project featured in "Young House Love". I already had the two jars lying around and used the same gold spray paint left over from the paper mache letter. I followed the same painting process too.

 

gold book ends



And lastly is the sunburst mirror. Its a Martha Stewart mirror, picked up at Home Dept. I love the way it fits in the space. Everytime I look in that direction I get giddy.

 

Don't be afraid to take a leap, decorating is meant to be fun. Sure it may seem hard at first, heck it was for me. If you're unsure of yourself, do some research. Find inspiration from blogs, mags, Pinterest or even the library. It also helps to ask the opinion of another. I would recommend asking someone besides your husband, the answer you're likely to get is "It's fine, I like what you like."