Accessories and Art-One Room Challenge Week 5

Before I get to accessories and art choices for our One Room Challenge, let’s recap the changes thus far. I adore how this guest bedroom is transforming! The wood floors look so fresh and I don’t miss the old carpet at all! The new bright and clean wallpaper (Week 2) really makes this room updated and modern while still giving it a little personality–just how I like it. We can’t forget the window treatments, and of course that gorgeous lighting fixture (Week 3)–just like swoon-worthy jewelry for the ceiling! With the exception of my one chair error, the furniture (Week 4), new and old, looks great and fits into the space well, especially the snazzy green chalk-painted dresser, which is doing a great job of adding some pizzazz to this fresh neutral room.

Now speaking of jewelry, I have some real decor gems for you today. Week 5 of the One Room Challenge is all about art and accessories, and it’s going to be nest-alicious (I just made that word up LOL). If you are new to The Brick Nests, poke around and check out our About page and Week 1 of our One Room Challenge to see how far we have come. Thanks to Linda and Calling It Home for hosting this event. We have loved every minute of this project!

In the interest of not giving away details of the finished project, if not related to art or accessories, mum’s the word today! I’ve been promising you table lamps ever since Week 3, but since I wasn’t quite sure about my original purchase, I decided to keep quiet and continue to explore other options. I loved the lamps I had originally bought for many reasons, but I wished they felt more inspired by the tree fort nest theme a little more. So when I stumbled upon these lamps at Marshalls at a great price, I had to snatch them up! I love the tree branch detail, which definitely evokes a tree fort vibe, the subtle texture and golden-silver finish suit the room beautifully.

 

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I also decided to keep the original lamps I had purchased from One Kings Lane too because:

A. I am a sucker for contrasting textures, and like how the geometric disco ball texture of these lamps adds some shiny glamour to the room and offsets the organic, natural texture of the branch lamps.

B. I think these lamps could be quite versatile and handy to have in my arsenal for when my furniture-and-accessory-rearranging obsession rears its head.

C. I’m too lazy to deal with returning large, bulky, hard-to-package items.

D. All of the above!!!

Don’t they just look great on the dark nightstand? The little silver beads bring in such a fun texture, and tie in nicely with the larger beads on the chandelier too.

I’ll show you a photo of the ceiling lighting fixture again so you can see how well the beaded texture of the lamp plays with it (and just because I just love how it photographs so well!).

Let’s move on to art now. This painting is one of my favorites by my very talented mother-in-law, Jean Jusko, and I decided to moved it up the the guest nest for several reasons. The vibrant colors work well in this neutral-toned space. It has the pink and green accent colors I’m using to accessorize this room (see my clematis plant inspiration photo below). The bold colors in the painting can stand up to the bright green dresser on which it rests–the painting takes center stage, rather than paling in comparison to the vibrant platform it calls home. Lastly, it is a painting of a tree, which is perfect for this guest bedroom nest surrounded by trees! You can read more about color pops with accessories and art in one of Lisa’s previous posts.

The other day while I was considering art options, Lisa said to me, “You should really move that nest art up to the guest bedroom.” I said, “What nest art?” To which she replied, “The one in the bathroom behind the door.” Aaah! Well, moms with young children will appreciate this–to see this particular artwork, you actually have to have the bathroom door CLOSED! I was very happy to move this lovely art (also by Jean Jusko) to a more visible location, and the tree fort guest nest couldn’t be more perfect! The frame even goes well with the wallpaper too–bonus!

Opposite the nest painting I hung a abstract piece (yet another artwork by my mother-in-law!) that adds a color punch to this room and works with the pink and green color scheme as well.

Art is one of my favorite ways to accessorize a room, and I am lucky to have a plethora of choices, thanks to having an artist as a mother-in-law! Below is just a small sample of some of her other artwork. There will be many more photographs of (and posts on) art in my home, as I have decorated most walls in my nest with this vibrant, colorful, and abstract art.

   

Don’t let the excuse of not having an artist mother-in-law get in the way of accessorizing your walls! There are some great options available on many websites (art.com, minted, and Serena and Lily) with broad price ranges. Also local art and artisan festivals and art student showcases can be a great places to nab some fantastic art too. In my opinion, a room just isn’t complete without art. Although, enough about art for now, and on to accessories!

However, if I show all the fun and fabulous accessories that have been added in the room, it will spoil the surprise of next week’s big reveal….but I will give you a teaser! How about this photo of some charming vintage suitcases and Lisa’s fun shoes, both amazing accessories!

One last pearl of wisdom from me: consider having a theme when decorating a space. This is the first time I have had a true theme when doing a room makeover, and having a tree fort nest theme definitely guided many of my decisions. Let’s face it–there are endless decorating options at our fingertips, but staying focused on my theme eased the narrowing down of all those choices. So if you’re feeling in need of a decorating compass, perhaps try a garden theme, or be inspired by a favorite destination, or even let a bold printed fabric give a room direction. Give it a go and thank me later! Have you used a theme to decorate before? If so, I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

Anyway, goodbye from Lisa birdy, fresh and cute with skinny legs!

And goodbye from me, Jillian birdy, solid and weathered from playing field hockey in the sun for too many years!

Be sure to check back next week for my favorite part–before and after photos! Oh, so close! Squeal! This room reveal is going to be fantastic!