FOCAL POINT STYLING: coffee table styling

Even though the temps here in AZ are in the 100's (115 the other day!) I still enjoy changing the look and mood of our home for Fall. I love the light and airy coastal looks for Summer, but I also very much enjoy the depth and richness of black and brown for Fall. To transition our home from Summer to Fall I've made a few simple changes, done over the past weekend while doing Fall cleaning and organizing. Some of the things I've done are: shift most all shell displays to the guest den & loft upstairs, replaced a basket of white flowers for an antler + croc tray on the coffee table, and replaced the blue & white textiles from the living room with brown, black and leopard (plaid to come later). A dramatic difference came when I switched my white lamp shades for black shades I picked up at HomeGoods earlier this year. I relocated the palm tree to the guest den & other indoor plants are now back outside -- faux fronds have been put away until next year. I love mixing metals so switching some cool silver accents for warmer brass pieces works great!

Fall Style Tip:

Skip the flowers for Fall and opt for the warm glow of candles in a tortoise glass vase. I got this one at HomeGoods back in 2005, and it still works with my style and mix today.

Fall is the time I also love to bring out some brown glass containers & a tortoise glass vase -- they cast a warm glow for the cooler months ahead. Although I didn't switch the rug this year (as I've done in the past) I did rotate it while cleaning so it won't get to warn on one side. Removing white jackets from books or rearranging room stacks back to black bound books helps to create the darkness in the space for Fall. I've kept the gold mirror gallery focal point behind the sofa (I made last Fall and it works - still luvin' it!) but I did switch the framed fabric and seascapes to wilderness landscapes. I did bring in two branches I picked up on the side of the road here in AZ (back in January) and I'll be adding some Fall leaves to them. Glass containers inside are washed and (sparkle!) now filled with corks I've been collecting (for seven years). I'll layer in two acorn filled containers and a gold pumpkin filled basket to the coffee table later...

Relocated palm in basket to the guest den...

Mixing Old & New for a ReStyle

Brass lamps: Goodwilll 2013 - Books: church thrift 2013 - Shades ('09) and spy-glass: HomeGoods 2012 - Wood statue: Target garden center '06 - Two stud black glass cylinders: Pier One '06 - Buffet: $30 thrift find Miami '06

I cleaned up our front stoop too - brushing off the dust storms dirt, polished the wood door, trimmed back hedges, hosed down windows and purged dried up potted plants (heat here is just unbearable!) We still have some more time before our dust storm season ends, so I need to wait until October to do any major Fall decor on the front stoop -- but at least it's cleaned up (for now). I'll probably set it similar to how it was last year: bark chip mulch, lanterns, leaves, branches, pumpkins and potted mums.

Sifting basket from Goodwill - just $3 - relocated from downstairs. Switched out the graphic B&W bed side table lamp shades for solid black I picked up earlier this year on clearance at World Market...

LOVE the metallic pillow I picked up at HomeGoods!

Paisley panels - just 108" rectangular tablecloths from HomeGoods, I used in our dining room in Florida...

Thrift in the Mix
Great addition for Fall Picked up this brass lamp GoodwillAZ earlier this year. I tested the lamp with a bulb in the store, but it didn't work - thought it may have been the bulb - Thankfully it was. Score at 50% off of 7.99 (had shade from other thrift lamp) Branch: found on side of road here in AZ - just need to add some Fall leaves

In the bedroom, I replaced white bedding for B&W stripes sheets, with pillows in red and tribal pattern plus a touch of gold. The only new additions I've added to my restyle are a pair of black shades in the bedroom (I got on clearance at World Market for only $9) and an awesome gold painted linen pillow I picked up at HomeGoods. Simple seasonal decor change can be created with everyday decor items collected over time & thrift. Just using a darker color palette can easily transform your home too, to be ready for Fall...

The last area to transform - paint white vases black & gold, and refinish mirror antique gold + add candle sconces...

With the Fall cleaning and organizing now mostly complete, I just have some painting projects to do next weekend (hopefully without a dust-storm) and plan a garage sale for October (after I come back from my trip back home, to the east coast - can't wait!). Have you started to prep your home for fall decor? What are some ways you transform your home for Fall?

Thanks for stopping by,

When I packed us to move, I wasn't suppose to pack up any liquids - including paint. Although I left behind most of my paints, I did manage to pack up nine quarts - Sorry, but I just bought that gold quart in August and that puppy was comin' with me!! And I'm glad I did - Monday afternoon, while putting up more picture & mirrors around here, I was able to grab the can from the garage to freshen up a few frames - plus try something: a gold painted finish on an old nickel bowl...

Love using cheap chip brushes...

And just pulled from the recycling bin: a granola box & newspaper

to paint the bowl in place on the coffee table. I almost did the bowl with stripes, and that could have looked cool, but I went solid...

LOVE the finish and it dried quick too!

I only painted the top - the sides and bottom are still silver, which

works well with my metal mix!

The paint was from Rust-oleum - I had used it back in August when I painted some mirror frames gold to refresh my (then) existing gallery wall...

I use to have three pieces of coral in the bowl, which I'd like to still add, but I just wanted to be sure the gold dried well. I'll probably dig out some shells & coral today from the garage - not all of them, just a few mementos to have around as reminders & stories of where we've been...

Also on the coffee table are these two crosses I picked up here thrifting here in Arizona - one nickel and one brass only $1 each. The patterned plate I picked up last year on clearance for $4 at West Elm Downtown Miami. The feather we found while walking on Hallendale Beach last Spring...

Last year my coffee table was gold. Now the few touches of gold on our old coffee table relate to the new gallery I made behind the sofa... I'll post & share but - here's a sneak peek until then :)

Thanks for stopping by!