New, Improved Condo Christmas

My decorating philosophy is that there are no rules in decorating.  By no means am I a home decorating expert.  I hardly decorate, but I like to think I have some sort of style knowledge.  For me, it's pretty simple.  If it looks good, it looks good.  I don't think I have a particular style.  I'm not "modern," or "global," or "shabby chic."  Most of the time, things will just catch my eye and it's a must-have (and I'll wait for it to go on sale), so I'll find a place for it at home and put it together in some kind of aesthetic way.  The aesthetic part is something I'm continuously learning more about as I add more to my home.  Sometimes less is more.  Other times more is more.  It's all about making the most of your home and creating a space that you can look forward to come home to. 


After living in this flat for a little over 3 years, I have learned that decorating a home happens little by little.  You gotta live in it a little bit to figure out what works for you.  It's actually been quite some time since I've tackled any home decor around here.  After a while I don't even notice what things look like anymore.  I have just realized that it's usually around the holidays that I like to re-evaluate my living space, and this year I gave the living area focal wall a bit of a make-over.  All it took was 3 new pieces that I bought, bringing out a few old pieces I forgot I had, a little bit of re-arranging, and voila!

Before.  Christmas 2010

After.  Christmas 2011

Notice how last year all the books were standing, just like they are at a library.  A couple of weeks ago they were still standing like that.  I pulled out a book I wanted to look through, and all the other books went sliding off the sides of the ledge, including the heaving books on the left, which knocked over the vase, which then went falling like Humpty Dumpty down to the cement floors and shattered in a million pieces. (I know.  I know.  I should have known better than to leave books free standing like that.  It was bound to happen.)  One vase down and a solution to the books really kick-started this little project (or maybe it was just my excuse to update things around here).  Who says books have to stand up?