Maple tree. Any interesting branches left?????

I love serviceberries. Such good year-round interest. Good choice.

I love that you are sticking to your goal of simplicity in the room. When you want to fill every space with things, keep looking back at your vision.

I did look long and hard at the maple tree before I let them haul it away. The branches were very straight so I didn't see any use for them. The aspens had more black/white color variation so I liked them better for the kitchen basket. No use for the living room niche due to being VERY straight! So, off it went. I love serviceberries too. Hopefully it will work out well - the spot might be a bit too wet from sprinklers from our yard and the neighbor's yard, but I'll give it my best effort! I'm a pretty good gardener, so I'm hopeful:)
Yeah CDR, after seeing grover's rendering, I'm liking just the current art and vases with nothing else. It's looking very nice and calm like that. Now, the space above the cabinets is a bit different. Because my cabinet height isn't staggered (I regret that choice), I kind of like a few things up there. It was feeling a bit sterile after I took most everything down. So, a few baskets are up there now, but it is a bit leaner than before. Good news though, between the two areas, lots of things were removed and I'm in no hurry to shop for things to add. It is looking quite nice overall! Huge improvement from where it all started!!!

I'm not sure if this is help, but I think if you are doing something to snazzy up the place, you should try a theme. From the paintings and other decor, you should try a fall theme... Or splash some color.

I figured the maple branches were too boring but worth a try.

Yes you have made a ton of progress.

My opinion is that the clock is too heavy above the cabinets. I think something like the woven bakers woywould work if you had Mir of them.

It sounds like you don't want to spend the $ now (I understand) but if and when you do.....

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See how these are hung? You would hang yours sort of the opposite....a larger presence on the right side to reflect the more vertical space.

I think something like this would look good.


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Thanks CDR! The first and third pics of the high built in cabinets and the grouped African basket pic went right into my ideabooks!! The high cabinet idea is wonderful and my set up would handle that beautifully - just like those examples. Love it! Also, love the African baskets. I have the one you've seen (which is a rather special collector one) and I have a vertical pair of two others in a bathroom (practically the same baskets as the baskets in your pic). Thus, I love simple African baskets and I think they'd look great up there. For now, we are liking the clock and aspens up there but I'll probably tire of that in time and your basket arrangement would be a perfect alternative, assuming we didn't decide to go with the cabinet construction:) Both PERFECT ideas for our taste and house!!! Since I'm kind of "pausing" right now, I woke up this morning and just wandered around looking and gosh the house is looking nice, lean and uncluttered. I'm so pleased with the changes thus far!!!! It's been a bit of a challenge for all of you to bring this grandma into the current decade, but I really think I've moved at least a few decades forward and it's wonderful!

You have too many small items, you know the saying, less is more. Also, get a cabinet under the tv, it looks like its ready to topple over and it would clean up the visual look. All you need is a few large vases in an accent color and call it done.

CDR, now that I've seen those pics of the up high angled built in cabinets, I'm no longer regretting my "construction decision" to not get staggered height cabinets. That transformation would be a piece of cake with our current straight across set up:)

I think it was more of a discussion in my previous coffee table living room discussion, but a few of you have suggested I replace the plastic pots my very large house plants/trees are in. Well, I just stopped by the local nursery/garden center and they have a pretty darn nice selection of huge ceramic pots on a half price winter sale. They were not expensive at all. So, I think I'll drag poor Hubby over there this weekend to help me buy about 3 of those. It'll take me a month or so to get around to the repotting, but it looks like that I have a solution figured out for that situation:)

You could also spray paint them with a texturized paint.

Kitchen if you do extend your cabinets to the ceiling on the angled wall, make sure you extend them on the left wall also. On left wall, there is not enough room for cabinets, so would be done with crown molding.

Niche: What do you think of buying a few more of the vases and just filling the niche with vases. I think it would give a clean look. You could even buy repeat the sizes you have.

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Out of your three ideas, I would say 2 would be my favorite. It would compete the least with the leaf picture

Good point CDR. I could get another one like the current tallest one (but the new one would be 4" taller). I could put it on the speaker for even more height and then buy one more of the very shortest to put next to it. Then, I'd have the current grouping of 3 with another grouping of 2 and the new group of two would have a nice height difference between those two.

The second group of two vases, should not have too much contrast in heights between them.

OK LB. I could get the two tallest ones with the narrow red top and they'd be 4" apart. It's my favorite of the two styles anyway. How does that sound?
Or, what about two of these (discussed before)? These two are 45 and 36" and almost identical width to the three I already have. The current shortest one up there is 39" - providing this info so you can visualize how these two would look.

Sorry those two don't enlarge, they're mango wood and the first is the tallest.

Just trying side by side pics to see if it's helpful.

Been out of the loop for a few days. The vases look nice. I am looking at the pic above. Perhaps one that is shorter to round off the 3.

The photos you posted look great!!! But with the snow, and emphasizing black & white, I would not go with Sepia. Now, if you are talking about leaves, which I think you originally were thinking of, I would go with Sepia.

I will have to edit later.

Lynnie, I've given up on the art idea. I didn't like the art "competition".
Now, we're discussing possibly adding some more like or different vases to my current group of three.
Everyone, another vase idea might be two new ones - fatter and shorter???

Ok Ann...I have some very good links for you. One the first site, I like almost every Vase they have. Great colors and shapes:

http://vases.novica.com/

http://www.zulily.com/p/pink-handle-vase-65983-6654229.html?search_pos=2&search_page=1&fromSearch=true&search_ref=image&ns=ns_807231595|1393445311506


http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/handmade-porcelain-jug
http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/recycled-fire-extinguisher-vase

I would stay in a similar palette of colors as the leaf art and the 3 vases that are already there. Another color predominating may end up being a bit more focal. The last two might be too dark.

Makes sense LB. Those last two are quite neutral and, to me, they have a similar earthy "feel" to the other stuff up there, but they are dark. Just had another thought. This pic isn't a very good example at all, but I could mount two staggered nice looking shelves (each about 18-24" long) and place one nice neutral art object on each.
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Unfortunately, the area I want to see is mostly cut off in this pic, but this is what I mean in my comment above.
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Obviously, you get my idea by now, but here's another photo. But, I'm thinking only two shelves staggered (not very wide but maybe sort of chunky and deep) and only one fairly good sized art object on each. So, imagine the top left shelf in this photo with one object on it.
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Someone previously mentioned shelves altho the wall color used was too strong and shelves extended the entire widtth of the niche. They are back in the thread. Might be ok with shelves.

Yes, I remember that LB, but that was way too wild for me. I'm thinking very simple shelves and two kind of special art objects.

Yes, simple.

Something like these from Etsy, LB. They do custom sizes and I'm thinking about 2 feet wide and about 10" deep. Natural walnut to match my wood floors. I'd have to make sure we have studs in good spots.

Yes those are a nice color. Not any darker. I think I would probalbly go a deeper measurement. I forgot the depth of the ledge. You wouldn't want them to be too skimpy and should be in scale to the depth of the ledge. Maybe about 1/2 the depth of the ledge. What would that depth be?

I'm also wondering if hubby can construct something. Save some money. The reason being that maybe they should be the same as the wall color to avoid too many planes of color including all the items together. Keeps it more simple and less confusing to the eye. You will be putting something on them.

These are nice floating shelves, the rustic ones have matching shallower ledges :)

You don't necessarilly need to find the studs. There are molly bolts, butterfly screws, anchor screws that are well sufficient for situations for mounting.

Depth of the inside part of the niche that extends out to the wall where the leaf art is is 16", so 10 would probably be a good depth. I had looked at those PB shelves - I think the sizes were just a bit off.

Okay Ann. 10" is good.

Still feeling they should be the wall color to not confuse the eye with all the breaks of shapes and items there.

I really like those shelves from Etsy. I prefer this new plan to the vases (or are the vases part of this ensemble?).

Hi indomom. The three vases I already bought would stay over on the right as they are. The "2 shelf idea" would be for the empty space between the leaf canvas and three vases.

I can see using the wall color LB. Not sure if that would make more sense or getting plain, but very pretty, floating walnut shelves. As far as art for them, I'm thinking metal sculpture??

Saw this metal seed pod on etsy. Too expensive and doesn't say the size, but maybe something like this could work on a shelf.

Kind of liked these from Crate and Barrel too.

Ann- I would try the extra vases without the shelves. Maybe CDR can clarify if that was what she was suggesting. I cannot envision the shelves plus vases . Guess you could call in Grover to help with visualization.

Thanks Angela. Just not sure what idea is best. About all I've decided for sure is I won't add more "pictures" to the wall because of how they compete with the leaf canvas. I think it could be kind of nice and rather calm looking to add these two staggered shelves with simple metal (non-colored) objects on them. I would love to see a rendering but I'll bet grover is already annoyed with me for my requests, so I should probably quit doing that. I do think adding 2 more of the same vases would work - I can envision that. I'm not sure about adding two of the different mango wood vases or this shelf idea so I'm just pondering and seeing what the comments are. The one thing I do like about the "two shelf" idea is the very slight horizontal element it adds to the space.

I see a few "likes" here and there on this recent part of the discussion. If any of you would care to share your thoughts, I'd love to hear them:) All the various opinions are so helpful. I've managed to calm the niche down so much and I love that simplification. I also calmed the area above the kitchen cabinets down a bit, by taking most everything down and then putting some back up after a very helpful comment from Margaret. All the comments are really useful and even the "it looks terrible" comments help when the person explains what it is they dislike so much. Those comments used to hurt my feelings a bit, but not anymore:) Please keep talking to me if you have any thoughts:) I'm grateful!

Good morning Ann. I really don't have an opinion on what you should do to finish out the niche. I was thinking though, if you can purchase more of the vases you already have, why not do so, if they can be returned. Then at least you'll know if you like CDR's idea, or you want to try the shelves. I wouldn't go with the mango wood because it might be too much hassle to return them.

FWIW, here is where I stand--If you go with vases and shelves, I prefer the mango vases and the walnut shelves. I think the mango vases are more elegant and clean lined; they add the organic while the right metal sculptures would add organic and rustic. I've just never been a big fan of large vases, so if YOU love them, that's all that matters. I am, however, a huge fan of metal sculpture as I've done a little of that in the past. But that's all about me, not you, Ann :-)

Thanks Depo and indomom. Depo, it would take about 15 minutes to purchase more of the same vases and get them home and I have 30 days to return them - so super easy except very heavy:)
Indomom - Do you mean return the current three vases, buy 3 of the mango vases instead, and also use two staggered walnut shelves with metal art placed on top?

Started yet another discussion to refocus and because I'm just too darned embarrassed of the original pic in this post:) I'd like this discussion to fade away so the sled and whiskey barrels will too:)
https://www.houzz.com/discussions/still-working-on-this-art-niche-lol-dsvw-vd~871147

Well, that says you've really come so far from your sled and barrels. I just placed the whiskey barrel on the sled and sent it sliding down a hill. Bye-bye.