A Custom Touch

When we moved in we had the builders add bookshelves flanking our fireplace. Well... they were definitely builder basic. I thought they could use a little something something. And after we added beadboard to our kitchen wall. I decided our bookshelves would look nice with beadbaord to tie the rooms together nicely, plus I has extra beadboard. Saa-weet.

Before- builder's basic:

After:
A little something goes a long way. It ties my kitchen into our family room perfectly. With an open floor plan this was key.

Now for decorating these bookshelves. Oh how I struggled with this. I think I have changed them around every week for the past year we have lived here. :) We are always in this room and I "study" it far too much!

Anyways I remembered a "Design Article of Faith" that I learned in college and it applied here.
It is called repetition with variation.

• It is when you use something and repeat it though out the design while varying it slightly.
  
• It creates interest and unifies the design.
  
• For instance I used black frames in different shapes and formats and repeated them throughout.

(Sorry the TVs on. I didn't have it in me to turn off the home movies my girls were watching

• 
• I also repeated yet varied books, ceramics and antiques using black white red yellow and blue.

I am much more pleased with how it looks with using this design principle or "Design article of Faith" as my professor called it. The past year I had cute stuff in it but it didn't feel unified at all. Now I can have a peace of mind when I look at it. :)
And of course this was all done on the cheap!! This is Savvy Chic Home you know.

• The frames were $3 at Wal-mart.
• Antiques were mostly presents or Goodwill.
• The books I already had.
• And if you are a regular reader you know that I got the mirror on CL for $10.

Everything on these bookshelves I got for about $60 or already had. Even better, beat that Pottery Barn.
The official first day of fall is Wed Sept 22nd (it started on the 11th here ;). So the next post is all about fall decor and how to make these fabulous pumpkins, cause you know fall just can't wait.

P.S. Don't you love my little brownie box camera ?