It is quite some pressure to figure out what to hang over the fireplace.  I keep seeing things that are cute or cool, but think “this is the main focal point of the room, it needs to be something that defines us in some way.” 

So needless to say I am a bit paralyzed by the decision.  Here is where we were and where we stand now.

Here is how our living room wall has looked for quite some time.  Pretty Ansel Adams Prints in a very symetrical collage.  This picture was taken this year at Halloween. 

I grew tired of our black and white landscapes and ditched them.  We used the frames for our family wall in the hallway here.  For Christmas I just used this awesome vintage frame that I stumbled upon last spring and filled with the Christmas Cheer.

Here is where we stand tonight after all of the Christmas decor has been taken down.  I stole this wrought iron candle holder from our dining area wall.  I just could not find a piece of art that I thought would be acceptable here.

 

What do you think?  After I get the mantle dressed I think it may just work. 

Of course I have already come up with a plan for the wall in the dining area that is now bare.  Check it out!

This print is of a painting by Rodney White and I found it at enjoyart.com .  I am pretty in love with it but it seemed more like a kitchen/dining area piece than a living room piece.  Agree?  I really  love what it says.  “We tend to seek happiness, when happiness is actually a choice.”  How true, how true!

And speaking of the living room, we also made this small change tonight.   We followed the advice of John and Sherry from Young House Love (one of my all time fave blogs) and rehung our curtains high and wide to make the window seem larger. 

Here they are hung just above the window… I think they do kind of suffocate the window now that I look at it.

Here they are high and wide.  I will have to take some better pics in the daytime when the light isn’t such an issue, but I think it helped!  We followed thier directions to a T.  12 inches above the window and 12 inches on each side.  I am contemplating getting a wooden shade to hang just under the curtain rod, but the jury is still out there.