Sometimes you just need a little rearranging

In my effort to get rid of non-essential "stuff", I did a little rearranging in my foyer yesterday.  

Here's what it looked like BEFORE...

I look at this now and think "dustbunnies".  There's a LOT going on with this arrangement and it hurts. my. eyes...

Here is the simple, elegant AFTER...

This chest used to be in my dining room but it was hidden by the massive dining table.  Now it's the first thing you see when you walk in the door.  All items in the tablescape were things I already had, so this was a FREE makeover!

I need your opinion.  I had to put the turquoise garden stool in front of the left side of the chest. Why?  There is a crack in the glass and I have no idea how to fix it since the mirror is made of antiqued glass instead of regular.  

So, do you like the lantern on top of the stool?

Or the big ball?

This mirror was on the wall the chest is on now.  I like it here in the nook under the stairs.  I took all the driftwood off the tops of my kitchen cabinets.  This is just part of my driftwood collection in a tall basket.  I like the "sculptural" effect.  See that air vent peaking out from behind the arrangement?  Why oh why would a builder put a return air vent in a spot where EVERYONE can see it?!  This arrangement covers it pretty nicely.

I used another piece of driftwood on top of the dining room table...

So that's my little makeover.  It took me about an hour using items I already had, which makes me a happy girl and my husband pleased as punch that I didn't spend any money!

I'm linking up to:

The Penny Pinching Party at Thrifty Home!
Spotlight Yourself at Its So Very Cheri!
Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps On The Porch!
Show Off Your Stuff at Fireflies & Jellybeans!

Tablescapes 101

(all photos courtesy of BHG. Excerpt on Tablescapes taken from www.decoratingfordummies.com)

Tablescapes are arrangements of items gathered in a grouping on top of a table. They're sometimes called tabletop arrangements.
A tablescape can include a centerpiece, or it can simply contain an arrangement of your favorite items. Tablescapes refer to the way things are laid out, like in a landscape painting. And they're not just for dinner anymore. They're wonderful to arrange on coffee tables, end tables, mantels or shelves.
If you want to make your own tablescape, here's a quick formula: Simply gather and arrange the following items, or a combination of them, on no more than 1/3 of your table surface space to make an instant tablescape:

• Light source (lamp or candles — sometimes both).

• Hard line accent (photo frame, book, a collectible item).

• Botanical element (flower, bowl of fruit, plant or other item).

• Fabric item (a table topper, runner, ribbon, a tapestry remnant, a napkin.)

Making your own tablescapes is easy if you keep these few pointers in mind:

• Gather interesting items of different textures together. Good items to have are books, decorative plates displayed on stands, bowls filled with fruit or other decorative items, vases, flowers, candles, decorative orbs, and other home décor accessories.

• Arrange items in staggering heights. Stack a few books and use them underneath items to raise them if needed. If you have a lamp on a table, use that as your tallest height, and work with other smaller items to fill in your tablescape.

• Take up no more than 1/3 of your table with a tablescape unless you don't intend to use the table for anything else but display. You want your tablescape to stay intact, so leave room for people to set down drinks or the TV remote without bumping into your lovely arrangement.

• Use your surfaces wisely. If you set up a gorgeous tablescape on your coffee table but no one has a place to put their dishes, cups, or other items for which that coffee table was intended, you've defeated the purpose of decorating. Decorating is meant to enhance — not to hassle.

If you want to place a tablescape on a surface you may need to use unexpectedly, such as an ottoman, try arranging it on a decorative tray so that you can move or shift the display without having to take it down or rearrange it.