Friday Faves...Simple Living Room Changes

I'm not the kind of person that has a continual remodel or redecorating project going. I like living in peace too much! (Which is one of the reasons I've been procrastinating tackling our last home renovation project since moving into this house-the bathrooms. I want them to be done, but I dread both the mess and the expense!) But, neither am I be the kind of person who never makes changes, who decides one thing is their style and leaves it like that for decades. 

When we moved into our new to us house three years ago, I realized that there was a definite change in the personality of this home versus our former home. This house had a more formal, traditional feel. So, we embraced that difference and chose a more formal, traditional wood flooring rather than choosing the rustic, pine floors we had in our previous home. I also let go of many of the decorating items and furniture items that no longer fit into the style of our current home.

I have been on a three year journey to simplify as well. I've probably given away or donated a small U-haul truck full of household items since our move and almost every week I get rid of something else that I no longer love or find useful.

I've been contemplating if I'm ready to get rid of the gallery wall in my living room, if I'm ready to find an oversized painting or something more simple to hang there. Since I don't feel quite ready to make the plunge,  I decided to make a simple change that I'm loving.

Here's the before...

And here's the after...

I removed the mirror and the H O M E letters, which I had to fight to keep hanging straight, and replaced it with this inexpensive reproduction tobacco basket from Hobby Lobby. I also spray painted the large S with the same color spray paint I used on the word hello. I replaced the glittery feathers inside the frame with a neutral colored starfish. It's not a huge change but it made things feel more clean and simple to me.

Even though the basket measured the same as as the mirror,  I still had to tweak other things on the wall a bit higher, or lower, or spaced a bit differently until it looked just right. Even now, in this photo  I've noticed that the large letter S is hanging a bit too straight and looks better at a very slight angle as in the before photo. So, as soon as I'm done with this post I'll move it a wee bit. I always keep a small container of wall spackle and wall paint in the cupboard in my laundry room to repair nail holes immediately when I move things on my walls. It's so much easier to take care of the nail holes right way rather than to have dozens of them to fix later on.

This wooden dough bowl was also an inexpensive  Hobby Lobby find. Hobby Lobby has great sales!

 Lastly, I'm loving my new blown glass glassybaby votive holder, which I got for my birthday. So simple but beautiful! I am sensitive to the smell of many scented candles, so now I burn unscented tea lights in my glassybaby instead of burning scented jar candles.

I'm still not a minimalist by any means, but I am on a pursuit to simplify.  I want my decor to be visually peaceful, not over stimulating. I suppose it's a continual process, like most things in life!

It's almost FRIDAY, friends!

Have a HAPPY, HAPPY Friday

and

a BLESSED weekend!