Brighten and lighten (family room!)

Helloooo there! I am so excited to show you some changes I made to the family room over the weekend. It was a great weekend – we were home almost the whole time and I had a bunch of time to just piddle around with projects. It was bliss!! I got SO MUCH done -- what a great feeling.

Anyway, I tackled a project in the family room that eventually turned into an additional three, four…five?? projects. The first couple I’ll share today. ;)

I shared how years ago I had finally given in and put a mirror over our mantel. I had kind of fought that for years (a decorating friend warned me against it) and I really did love having the reflection up there…for the most part.

It was nice and big and took up a lot of visual space, for cheap (I made the mirror). It was oh so easy to decorate…just stick a wreath on it and you’re good:

But for a while it had been bugging me – the black frame was so dark. I could have just painted it, but the big mirror was also a problem. It almost made the mantel look cluttered because it was always reflecting so much STUFF. The ceiling fan, the ceiling, the doors, stuff in the kitchen.

So months ago I picked up a mirror at HomeGoods that I loved – I bought it specifically for this spot, but it sat. And sat. Sat in the mud room, all lonely like. I don’t know why, I guess the thought of hanging a mirror overwhelms me?

Well, this weekend I got over it and kind of rigged it up there to see how it looked. I was IN LOVE people!! I don’t change things out often up there because of the wood planked wall I installed – I had to put new holes through the wood and putty up the old ones. But it was worth it:

You can still see the holes from the big mirror (they were in studs cause that thing is a beast), but only if you look reeeeeal hard. I’m not going to stress about it.

I shopped the house to accessorize the mantel – I don’t switch the decor often, usually just for the holidays. When I find something I like, it stays for eons. And this I like:

The orchid is real, and that’s for another post. I’m trying desperately to keep it alive! The candlesticks I’ve had forever – they originated on the Christmas centerpiece years ago. I’m in love with the copper and metallic colors I spray painted them.

I LOVE luff lurve this small change over the fireplace. It is SO much brighter and welcoming. UGH. Love:

The mirror has a gold finish on it with some speckles of black. My plan at first was to paint it – I wasn’t sure to what, but when I got it up there I knew I wasn’t touching it.

I don’t have to spray paint EVERYTHING:

The thing was, you know how one change turns into 35 others? Well around here it does. When we had the former corner fireplace built out, it left an odd wall to the left that has been a pain in my patoot to decorate.

I’ve had three different ideas up there, and the last was my DIY Pottery Barn art:

But when I put the new mirror up it just felt so heavy and dark and too much. I was like, seriously??? I am so dang tired of messing with that wall. But I found a solution. I took my (free!) framed prints from another small wall in the family room and tried moving them over. At first I thought they’d be too small, but they looked just lovely!

I considered spray painting their black frames gold to carry it over, but I thought that would be too goldy. Then I remembered Courtney’s brill idea and got to work:

I grabbed my Frogtape (I used the delicate yellow kind, just because it’s what I had closest) and totally just eyeballed the corners. I taped them off and then schmeared on my gold Rub n Buff. No measurements, no time at all – I was done with both frames in about five minutes:

Absolutely LOVE them!

The “campaign” look bring in a touch of the gold from the mirror over the mantel, and I think I’ve finally found a winner for this spot:

Simple and pretty. And…done. Pinch me if I change that wall again, OK? (By the way, the PB wood art moved to the wall these came from. Just a switcheroo.)

That chair is so high it looks like the frames should move up a little, but then the top one would be over the door frame next to it and that looked weird. This feels cozy to me:

All weekend long, when I walked in this room, I smiled because it is so much brighter and the pretty mantel is finally looking how I envisioned it from the start.

I sit on the sofa and stare:

OK, I don’t really yes I do.

I changed up the accessories in my DIY tray a little too – my little terrarium with the moss is actually the glass from an 80’s light:

Some of you suggested adding a little finial to the top and I loved that idea! I love giving older pieces a new life!!

There’s a couple other big changes that happened/are happening in there too – you long time readers may be able to find them:

Any ideas?? One is done, one is taking forever to finish. And the walls are going to be painted soon…when I can get amped up to do it. The molding will change a little too so I’m putting that project off.

Let’s take a look at how this spot has changed over time, shall we? First, with our annoying corner fireplace that I picked out on purpose years ago:

Then we had the wall built out, a new surround done and I tiled around the fireplace:

I added the planked wall and it helped to lighten things up even more:

But it was hidden behind that mirror!!

Now it finally shines!:

Total cost was $50 for the mirror at HomeGoods, but I bought it three months ago. So I’m not sure if that counts now. ;) Otherwise I used what I had.

I’ll share the other projects soon! For now, I’m putting a hot pad on my neck and resting for a bit. (HINT HINT.)

Anyone else good at doing one little project that turns into 50??