A few winter tweaks …

I don’t know about you, but after so many hours indoors at home, I really get the itch to change things up a bit around my house. Some changes are small … some a little more involved (ask my husband and father-in-law). But I thought I’d share a few here …

#1 Simplifying the top of our entertainment center

Before I had a few more things up top … but I decided to go for just 3 bigger objects this time. These were all things I already had in my house but now they kind of have a new life in this very focal point of our family room.

I always think it’s a great idea to shop your own house and move your accessories around. Store some things away for awhile and then bring them back out when the mood hits.

#2 I painted my rooster!

I’ve always liked my quirky rooster but he used to be red. He kind of blended into the cabinets … so I took out some of my leftover Annie Sloan Chalk paint (I wrote about here) and gave him a makeover. I’m always looking for ways to brighten up my dark cabinets, so this gives a nice pop of creamy white up above the cook top.

#3 New Chandelier for my dining room (!!!!)

This is what my dear husband and father-in-law spent a couple of hours hanging for me on a recent Sunday afternoon. It makes me very happy!

You might remember the old when that came with the house …

It just felt heavy … our dining room is not all that large … so I knew we needed something a little more delicate, light … and sparkly …

#4 More sparkle … to the fireplace.

Decorating a mantel can be tricky … because I have bookshelves in this room that already hold a lot of different decorative objects, I wanted to keep this mantel a little more uniform. A collection of mercury glass votive holders in various sizes, shapes and textures did the trick. Plus, I like the juxtaposition of the more rustic fireplace with the glamour of mercury glass.

#5 A few purchases from One Kings Lane

In wintertime, when I can’t physically get out to wander around outdoor antiques markets, I have to get my fix browsing the Tastemaker Tag Sales and Vintage shops of One Kings Lane.

So many one-of-kind treasures … it’s a great way to score some unique pieces for your home. My recent purchases …