We didn’t hop on the spring cleaning train until recently, but now that we’ve started, we’re finding it hard to stop. Shortly after making this handy 10 minute styling post, we moved on to our living room display cases and then on to our home office. The office is taking a lot more time because my husband and I are both trying to simultaneously work out of it, but we’ll be sure to share our transformation there soon.

We recommend pulling decor and accessories from other rooms that you want to see in a new light. This allows for a full transformation using only items you already own. Who cares if you think they’ll go together. Just make a pile so that you have multiple options. You never know what works until you try it. Most decorative items in our home were found or purchased while traveling. More often than not, they get stuck somewhere random during the unpacking process. For example, a few years ago I stumbled upon a postcard with an illustration of our home from the year it was built, 1913. I took the time to have it framed, but never put it out on display for some reason. That’s just one of the gems I found while rummaging through forgotten closets and cabinets.

First, let’s talk about what was wrong with the piano styling before. I’m a collector of globe lamps, but this one has always been a pain to turn on because the cord switch constantly fell behind the piano. The low wattage bulb didn’t put off enough light either. See ya later globe! Light is essential in this part of the living room, and with a little more digging, we found this incredible crystal lamp hidden in the basement. Why would something that pretty be in the basement you ask? One word, toddlers. Haha!

Back to the piano. The photos we had previously displayed didn’t quite work here either. They were too small, the frames were outdated, and to be honest, the images weren’t even favorites. We swapped them out for a handful of southwestern influenced trinkets. The decor and artwork throughout the rest of our home has that same style so it made sense to continue that theme. The little clay pot and incense hut came from Albuquerque ceramic artists while the buffalo print came from a Taos based artist. The ink drawing got to stay though. It was created by my husband’s aunt and we needed the height to balance out the new lamp.

Now, to make the space more dynamic, we added in books, coasters, and trays. Mixing height and odd numbers is something to keep in mind when styling. Don’t forget to edit at the end too. Walk away for a few minutes. When you come back to the area, take away anything that doesn’t compliment the final design. Voila! A pretty new nook that didn’t cost a dime.