Black Out! Part One....

Sometimes I just have a design "itch" in a particular space that I just keep "scratching"...and my living room niches are a shining example of this syndrome....

I wonder if there is a name for it...hmmm...I will think of a good one! If I am honest with myself I would have to say I'm "scratching" in most of my rooms pretty regularly...lol!

These two niches have gone through so many design phases but nothing has ever said YES! for too long and here I go again...recently I made them into fun little bar areas as you can see here...

I loved the new purpose but not the predictability and softness of the white... I'm getting a little edgier as I age...(there is a joke in there somewhere)...and I have been playing around with black accents in small doses around the house...and toyed for a minute with the idea of painting the french doors black, etc. Then my girlfriend sent me a picture of a black shelving unit and after gathering the courage...I decided that just might be the ticket... and here they are...

BEFORE                                                                                        AFTER

The view in the evening light...

                                                                      BEFORE

   

                                                                      AFTER

I just loved the way everything in the shelves "popped" with the black background but it was quite the dramatic change...and I had to get used to it...

I began redesigning my other areas (like my coffee table) to balance the black...and even though I loved my new black niches...the room still didn't feel exactly right...I sort of opened Pandora's Box if you will...which sometimes happens in design...but always seems to get you to the right end...IN THE END...

One "bestie" and my husband suggested the black was too much...other "besties" loved it and said leave it be...but I still kept scratching...a gal's just gotta work these things out herself  I guess...which frankly is part of the fun for me... design is often like a puzzle!

As part of this tale of black and white....

I was so happy to receive my new white enamel lampshades that I designed long-distance (which is always a gamble). They took two months to make and I LOVE them.

I didn't particularly like the shades that came with the sconces that I installed on either side of the fireplace...this new shade is so fresh and crisp!

    AFTER                                                        BEFORE


I put gold in the inside ...because this gal is crazy for gold anywhere I can get it!

Here is a combo shot of my new Fall mantle and the one pair of the old sconces (as the BEFORE shot)...I found these antlers on ebay..and dried many bouquets of cockscomb this Fall to create this mound of velvety loveliness!

Here is what the new sconce shades look like now in the space! You are also getting a glimpse of Part Two of this post...coming soon to a computer near you!

Until then I will leave you with a close-up of the antithesis of black...my favorite Fall flower!

I hope you're having a great weekend and not eating too much candy! If you want to check out Part Deux click here!
                                                  XO Emily