I thought I’d give you a little sneak peak of the new dining room paint colour with a post about my mantle.  We inherited the mantle from the previous owners.  It’s not what I would have chosen personally but we are on a tight budget and making do with what we have.  So the mantle, for the time being, anyway, is staying.

Shame it’s JUST a mantle stuck against the wall with no fireplace.  Ho hum.  Something else for the ‘in-the-future’ list.

Before the painting commenced…

Notice also the random assortment of stuff that found it’s way to the top of the mantle in the picture above.  Yes, I know the glass vase is completely empty.  What you can’t see is one of the little vases next to it is broken.  Also, you will note that we have serious symmetry issues here with vase(s) on each end, the candle holders and an elephant in the middle.

I decided to try and force myself away from the symmetry as I talked about in this post.  So I have started with the mantle (granted the sconces flanking the mirror are symmetrical but I’m easing myself into this!).

When we were in the midst of our dining room door painting fiasco, I also painted the mantle white.  Once I painted the walls in dark grey, the mantle came to life.  I love the pop of white against the dark hue.

Also?  Notice the distinct LACK of symmetry.  Go Me!

The two items on the far left and middle are little replicas of walls in South America that W brought home in his travels – they are like puzzle pieces that fit together.  They are VERY delicate however in that one knock and they can come tumbling down (and we’ll probably have no clue how to put the pile of stones back together) so I am VERY VERY careful when I dust.  Or ya know, I just don’t bother dusting.

I also added a couple of little crystal vases W’s mum bought for me, some books, a little ‘treasure chest’ I’ve had for years and years and an etched wood vase I received as a gift long ago.

Cost of this makeover?  Well, considering the rest of the room was already being painted, it obviously didn’t cost us any extra.  The only items that were purchased were these cute little wood block letters I got for under £2 a piece during a sale at Graham & Green.

I don’t go by Redlilocks at home by the way…

Isn’t it amazing what a lick of paint can do?