One Room Challenge....Week Five!!

 
    19 Bloggers...(we lost one along the way)...Six Weeks to redo a room....can we do it? If you would like to " begin at the beginning" please click here. Thanks for checking in again this week!

It's the last week before the final reveal...and things are getting down to the wire...literally...in my case...picture wire!!

This week I worked on finalizing some picture choices for the gallery area of my new and improved living room. I found several fun prints of signed Manolo Blahnik (yes the shoe designer) drawings of shoes he's sketched throughout the last few decades.

 I decided to go a little glam in the room and what better way to do that than with fabulous colorful shoes? For interest I also added in art I already had...sketches I had done myself or collected previously.

I like mixing simple black frames with ornate gold ones when it works in a space...

 I also have to decide on lighting over these pictures....

I like both of these options although I will get a smaller size for my artwork and I am leaning towards ordering the black one over the three columns of art..but I am worried it will be too much black and that the goldish-brass one will feel lighter in the space and I have a lot of gold accents throughout....thoughts everyone??.... because I need to order!

These won't be installed by next week but at least you and I know that they will be on the way as soon as I decide!

Also this week I began work on updating my fireplace.... here is the "before" shot...scrolling pretty screen...dirty hearth...logs remaining from last fire... certainly not the aesthetic for the new room.....

So, I went to the paint store and got some satin black paint... safe and durable for fireplaces that actually burn fires.....and I painted while I was alone for the day....very smelly stuff...but terrific coverage!

I have my eye on these kinds of logs for the day to day....these are glass but I have seen them in beautiful quartz too. Very pricey so I am putting them on my birthday and holiday wish list! Do you hear that Santa?

In the meantime, I decided to create a similar vibe at much less cost. Dora, my lovely housekeeper polished up the brass fireplace accessories while I took wood from the woodpile and painted it a high gloss white....

Here is how the fireplace looks now...cleaner... with a more contemporary vibe...

I love having a traditional fireplace with a pop of something unexpected in the hearth...I am still working on getting my cool  X wooden ottomans done for each side of this fireplace...please envision black lacquer ottomans with gold trim with a fuschia and white silk fabric on top (click here).... but I know that this is something that will take a bit longer than a week unless miracles happen...everyone is running behind who is assisting with this project!

.....and now for a fun little p.s. (preview shot)....after all a girl's got to play along the way...right? Remember the little marble cigarette table I found at a flea market? I added a crystal vase and a silver tray with a few other items and started playing with flower arrangements....

 I also have been "merchandising" my mantle and here is a look at one end...I turned a silver ice bucket into a vase or planter depending on the fresh flowers I find for the week...

I am looking forward to next week! Please visit me then to see the "TA-DA" moment....in the meantime my blogging buddies have been working hard and would love for you to stop by and visit their rooms....Here is Week Six..The Final Reveal for those who are visiting post "challenge".

Beth- Chinoiserie Chic

Lauren-The Cottage Mix

Sherry - Design Indulgence

Lindsay - Everything LEB

Barbara - Hodge:Podge

Kim - Kim Macumber Interiors

Lisa - Lisa Mende Design

Tiffany - Living Savvy

Jessie - Mix & Chic

Linda - My Crafty Home Life

Danylle - Nana Moon

Nicole - Nicole Scott Designs

Julia - Pawleys Island Posh

Jennifer - The Pink Pagoda

Bethany - Powell Brower Home

Lindsay - The Pursuit of Style

Lindsay - Sadie + Stella

Lisa - Trapped in North Jersey