Dressin Up the Walls!

Now that I have designed an inspiration board (see inspiration board: Old World Spain) for my kitchen and dining room, I wanted to start putting the room together. But where to start? Since I do not have much money, I decided to start by adding some wall sconces to my dining area. If you caught one of my early posts, I hung pictures of our honeymoon on the walls around the dining room table. But to start adding the Old World feel to the room, I decided to hang very masculine candle sconces to the walls, between the pictures.







To finish this project, I needed:


1. Nails


2. Hammer


3. Candle Sconces


4. Candles

I got my candle sconces from Walmart (only $8 at that!), but Target and Overstock.com also have some beautiful sconces as well.

Hanging the sconces was much easier than hanging the pictures. I found the middle point of the wall and made a pencil mark. Then, I had mark where to hang the sconces based on the heights of the pictures. I simply hammered in a nail at the center mark, and then slipped the candle sconce onto the nail.


Finally, I picked up some small pillar candles from Family Dollar. I love it! This project only took a few minutes but I love the end result.

Spirit Lights

Designing a wine-inspired kitchen or dining room? Then take a look at this unique decor idea from The Country Porch! These wine bottle candelabras not only hold votive candles, but also function as a vase.
Simply insert the bottle stopper into a special or decorative wine bottle. Happy decorating!

The Many Faces of Paper Lanterns

One of the newest craze in the wedding and decorating world is paper lanterns. Besides being affordable, paper lanterns are very versatile, coming in just about any size, color, shape, and texture you need. What's more, they can be used in a variety of ways: as overhead lights, table centerpieces, or as cute hanging mobiles in the nursery.

One of the things I love the most about paper lanterns is that they can be used to set a variety of different moods in your home and garden. Check it out:

Cute and Sweet

Porch Lanterns found at The Urban Hippie

Nursery found at The Decorpad

Cute Outdoor Dining from Outdoor Decor (Summer 2007)

Colorful Office, found at Flickr.

Modern and Sexy

Table Centerpieces from Real Simple

Modern Dining by Rebecca Thuss

Sophisticated and Chic

Elegant Dining Room at Apartment Therapy

Sophisticated Bedroom at Casa Sugar

Outdoor Dining at Martha Stewart

Living Room at Mochi Home

Luxurious and Elegant

White Lily Lanterns at Good Things Wedding Favors

Lanterns over the Pool at Hostess with the Mostess

Great Places to Buy Paper Lanterns:
Lunabazaar
The Paper Lantern Store
Party Lights

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Have you decorated with paper lanterns? If so, I would love to post
your pictures, comments, and stories! Contact me.