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Thursday, August 11, 2011

I have this space

In a fit of decorating madness a few weeks ago I made asked JR to help put up these shelves above the TV. Now I'm not sure what to do with them. 


Okay, not true. I know what I want to do with them I'm just not sure I can pull it off.
What I want to do is put up a collection of things that are coherent in theme yet are eclectic in style. 
I want lots of things yet I don't want it to look too busy.
I want things that reflect who we are with a twist of the absurd. 
I want thoughtfulness with a dash of whimsy.
I want order with a tad bit of messiness. 
I want it to look like I had these things in my hand moments before then set them here and they looked right at home. Like they were meant to be there. That they had been lost and now they are found. Nothing contrived, though it totally is.

I'm thinking something like this:


Or like this:

Definitely not like this:

Gawd! That makes me shudder. Arranging your books by color horrifies my librarian sensibilities. 


You can see I've made a start. Just not one I'm very happy with at the moment and one that has been this way since we put up the shelves. And, it's bugging me.

Maybe, it's the shelves themselves? It's a quandary. 

As an added bonus I've decided that I don't want to spend any money on this project. I want to use things that I have already around the house. And to make things even more difficult I want it to have some good feng shui elements. So the red books have to stay. They help with all the black elements in a space that shouldn't have much black in there.  So too, does the purple candy dish. (Yeah, I am so one of those crazy people!)

So, here's what I have so far. I'm liking it better but I'm just not loving it.
What are your feelings on a silk orchid in the top left corner? I'm not one to put out fake plants but I don't want to have to keep replacing plants when I can't get up there to water it.
Too busy? Not busy enough?
What do you all think?


Love,
M


PS: excuse the bad photography. I was just too lazy to haul out the camera.
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17 comments:

  1. Sprite's KeeperAugust 11, 2011 at 8:29 AM

    I like the first design inspiration photo with the wall boxes since it adds functionality as well as art.
    As for your sheles. I think the brackets should probably blend more into the wall to give the shelves a more clean look, do you have paint for them or a similar color? I do like the ferris wheel but it looks a little lost on the lower shelf. Maybe on the top shelf to draw the eyes? And the candlesticks should go. I've never liked fire elements on a shelf. And that's all I can think of. (Please pay no attention to the fact that my own wall above my tv is bare. Or do since it further disqualifies my advice.)

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  2. AnonymousAugust 11, 2011 at 8:41 AM

    I agree with Sprite's Keeper - lose the candles. Move Ferris Wheel to top. Stagger paintings/artwork so they're not on top of each other. Lose the purse. Add several more things that YOU like....then take one away and voila you're done! You don't give yourself enough credit. :)

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  3. VinceAugust 11, 2011 at 8:46 AM

    You need the shelves wider. Think the TV as a fireplace and the shelve as a mantle. That'll make life far easier for you.

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  4. VinceAugust 11, 2011 at 8:47 AM

    Shelf, even.

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  5. MicheleAugust 11, 2011 at 8:49 AM

    Okay, lose the candlesticks and purse. I was hoping not to buy anything but Vince you may be right. What do you all think about one really chunky shelf?

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  6. VinceAugust 11, 2011 at 9:22 AM

    In the style of a homestead ?. It would depend on how rustic you've gone with the rest of the place. Hard to get it correct in a new build. How about a Hopi textile. Their colours have the strength to take the light you've got. And it would sorta fit.
    You haven't a Georgia O'Keeffe sitting about, one of them would do nicely ta ever so.

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  7. VandyJAugust 11, 2011 at 9:59 AM

    I think that everyone has said good stuff. I think the uniformity of the shelves is working against you. They blend with the TV and it all looks a bit to much like a single unit. Stagger the shelves or get a longer one to break things up. That will help with the eye pleasing aspect that it is lacking right now.
    And follow the suggestions already put forth.

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  8. Mama BadgerAugust 11, 2011 at 10:26 AM

    Candle sticks and purse need to go. Switch the location of the sailboat and Ferris wheel.

    I suck at decor, though.

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  9. PseudoAugust 11, 2011 at 10:50 AM

    I agree with moving the Ferris wheel to top left and staggering the photos. If you want a candle, put it in a hurricane lantern. I got a really cool mosaic one at Ross for like $3. And if you can, I also agree with shelves (or shelf) that is wider than the TV.

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  10. Captain DumbassAugust 11, 2011 at 11:43 AM

    Um, ya. What they said.

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  11. sherendipityAugust 11, 2011 at 7:14 PM

    I have one corner in my living room that I have decorated. That's it. The rest of the is blissfully bare aside from a gigantic clock on one wall, gigantic tv on one wall, and gigantic tv on one wall and a gigantic mirror on the other. With all this gigantisism you would think it would look cluttered, but it's wonderfully simple.
    Keeping the living room sparse allows me to have one room in the house that doesn't stress me out.

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  12. sherendipityAugust 11, 2011 at 7:16 PM

    Good luck trying to decipher what the hell I wrote in that comment. My keyboard battery is apparently going and making me look like I've gone retarded.

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  13. Mum-meAugust 11, 2011 at 7:36 PM

    I like the candlesticks, but you need one more, maybe a smaller one - things like that have to be grouped in threes! I'd put the picture on the top shelf on the other side so it's not right above the painting below and put the wooden box near the candlesticks. The purse looks a little out of place. I like the sailing boat painting and how the colours of the books reflect it. I think it looks quite nice - all it needs is a little figurine or something .... an animal or bird maybe?

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  14. BeAugust 11, 2011 at 9:16 PM

    Organizing books by COLOR? AYFKM? (Did I just invent a new acronym?)

    Dear gawd! I thought Jan was gonna kill me when I organized our books based on the Dewey decimal system!

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  15. MicheleAugust 12, 2011 at 5:35 AM

    Be: I'm with Jan. The Dewey system is out; library of Congress system is where it's at.

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  16. julieAugust 12, 2011 at 10:26 AM

    Hey, those books are arranged in the correct chakra color order! The energy vibrations in that part of the house must be simply awesome.

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  17. honkeieAugust 12, 2011 at 7:39 PM

    I have a horrible sense of order, my life reflects how I decorate.....absolute chaos. I have gotten rid of much of my clutter, it now looks empty but atleast its clean now lol

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