Tweaks in the dining room

Good morning!  How is 2014 treating you?  

I fall into the same pattern at the beginning of each new year: I get the overwhelming urge to organize and declutter and clean up my living spaces.  I kind of do this the entire year through, but it's particularly strong in January.  That is one of the main reasons I make my annual "home resolutions" post: it keeps me on task and also gives me the satisfaction of crossing things off.  Is there anything better than taking a big pen and crossing off a completed item on a to-do list? Oh, I think not.

A few weeks ago, I shared my 2014 home resolutions with you.  So far, I have tackled the first one and replaced the broken shower doors with a pretty shower curtain.  I can't officially cross that off my to-do list yet (there are rules, you know) because I have a few other things left to do.  That's happening soon!  But also on the list was to make some small changes in my dining room, including paint the table and add sconces that I bought last year (err ... 2012) next to my oversized prints.  I've started on this one! This space - right here:

First up: sconces.  I bought these Ness sconces at Crate & Barrel at a 2012 Black Friday event.  I think they were 20% off and had free shipping.  They were on backorder so they arrived right after Christmas (again in 2012) and they have sat in their box for over a year.  Bad!  Shameful!  Hanging them was a snap, it just took a little work to make sure they were even and level.  I don't have a chandelier in my dining room, so it will be nice to have a little candlelight behind those sconces if I have people over for dinner. 

Next, I took a good look at the prints in my frames and realized I am not crazy about them anymore. There's nothing wrong with them, but they don't really work in the space and they're not totally my style.  So out they went.  I found an artist on Etsy, Siiso, whose prints are just gorgeous.  I worked with her to create two prints for those frames and I absolutely love them.  The colors work with all the white and pops of blue, coral, pink and yellow in that really large living space.  

I went to Target (ha ha ha - captain obvious) to pick up some candles and saw they had those LED flameless candles.  They are made from actual wax and smell like candles, only they take two AA batteries and don't have real flames.  I snatched them up.  Having a fake flame on the wall seems a lot safer for all involved.  Here is everything all together.

OOh and here are the candles "lit"-  you can't see in the picture, but they actually flicker.  You'll have to take my word for it that they smell and look like real candles.  Tricksters!

I am trying to decide whether this long wall needs more hung up on it - I keep going back and forth.  So I'll live with it and see where I end up.  The big change will happen when I paint the table.  I am still (and will continue to) mulling over what color to paint it.  And I'm pretty sure I am going to try a chalk paint finish on it.  Home Depot has its own brand of chalk paint and I've read a bunch of really good reviews - the best part, aside from the cool colors and finish: no primer so no horrible odor!  

In the meantime, I'm happy with the little changes I've made in this space! 

See you swoon,