A Red Room & Ordinary Stuff in unusual places

I can't believe we painted our red room antique white! I have pictures to prove it! But first, a yard sale tray I got a few months ago.

I like it layered on my Grammy's telephone table.

And now the the red room....been that way for 11 years.....we loved this office/bedroom downstairs. My hubby uses it for his office. I had the idea to paint it light and add some more masculine touches. But first, the before pics.......

We've added some recently acquired furniture pieces because there was no where else to put them. (corner cabinet on the left, small table and chair in the middle). We already had an Ethan Allen black GW makeover in the right corner.....too much unrelated stuff. Oh, and there's a twin size iron bed in there...gotta have it for extra sleeping. Time to simplify.


Have you ever had a red room? wanted a red room? painted over a red room? I hope I'm not making a mistake!

So, we (er, uh, hubby) painted the room SW Antique White, we removed the light colored area rug, and we replaced it with my MIL's red oriental rug which was hiding under the dining room table looking dark. I got hubby this French WWI or II artillery basket at a flea market. Can be used to hold plans, maps, sporting equipment.....a manly basket!

And now for the change.....have I lost my mind?

We removed the black hutch top, and swapped places with the corner cabinet. Now they don't fight each other. I'll probably leave the corner cabinet doors open. The pictures were slapped up on the wall right where they had been, but will be coming down for a new arrangement around the small table and chair. So, this is not a finished room yet. The beautiful valance with inverted pleats that I had made (sigh) has come down and I picture something simple on a black iron rod...maybe even drop cloth drapes. Now I love red...my living room used to be red (for about 15 years) and now this office/bedroom (about 11 years). But it was beginning to close in on me and feel like a cave. The room definitely looks bigger, fresher. I'm looking forward to rearranging all the pics (um, or my daughter will : ) Do you have a red room? Do you like it?

I like this on top of the corner cabinet..... a topiary from my MIL, a 100+ year old Bible that my husband found years ago, and an unusual thing....an iron bowl filled with recently acquired GW baseballs (thank you, private eye Debbie @ Confessions of a Plate Addict who found them for me!). Ordinary stuff in unusual places.

I like it when useful ordinary stuff earns a place of honor as a decor item.....my MIL's paint brushes in a silver flea market container.

Ordinary stuff in unusual places.....

French clothespins in a tin......

Desk supplies in china cups........rubber bands....

Paper clips (oops, almost out of 'em)....

Pens. If I didn't use them this way, they would be stuck on a shelf in a cabinet, hardly seen, never used....what's the point?

There, thanks for visiting my random posting this week. So what do you think of the non-red room....brilliance or a mistake? (Daughter, don't answer that! : )

I'm joining the following parties:

Susan @Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday

Rhoda @Southern Hospitality for Today's Thrifty Treasures

Marty @A Stroll Thru Life for Tablestop Tuesday

Linda @Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Have a wonderful week. Blessings to you. Linda