I used to think finding wall art (anything that hangs on a wall) was my biggest decorating weakness.
Maybe it still is.
It’s really difficult for me to find wall art I truly love. If you came to my house and paid attention to my walls, you’d notice there isn’t much hanging on them for the size of our house.
And yet…it still feels finished. Cozy. Complete.
So when I find something I’m drawn to, I pay attention.
For months, I walked past this silver-and-black candle sconce at my local antique mall. Then one day it was marked down to $29, and I brought it home.
I loved the metalwork. The flowers and leaves remind me of my bedroom chandelier.
And bonus—it holds candles. I love wall art that can shapeshift depending on the season or the room.
I moved my huge plant off the column while the sconce auditioned
But once I got the sconce home…
I didn’t love it.
With candles.
Without candles.
It was waaaaaay too busy. Too bossy. Too loud.
But, I still loved the piece.
So instead of getting rid of it, I painted it the same color as the walls in the snug (Sherwin-Williams Pewter Green).
Immediately it felt calmer. But it still wasn’t right. I put it in the basement while I worked through the Order of Decor in some other rooms.
I tried it in the guest room. Nope. Back to the basement.
Almost a year later, I hung it in the snug.
And suddenly…
it was home.
Because the sconce was the exact same color as the walls and trim, it no longer begged for attention.
Instead, it quietly became part of the room.
One of my House Rules says:
Contrast is queen…if you want to be seen.
Most people stop after the word queen.
They assume contrast is always the answer.
But contrast has one job:
To attract your attention.
Don’t be mad at me, but not everything in a room should try to get your attention.
Some pieces are meant to anchor a room.
Some soften it.
Some simply support everything else.
This sconce didn’t become less beautiful when I painted it.
It just stopped trying to be the main character.
And I think our homes need more pieces like that.
Sometimes a room that asks less of your attention gives you so much more in return.
PS, Painting this sconce the same color as the wall is just one small example of Quiet Decorating, one of the four methods I teach in House Hushing, releasing in August. If you’d like a sneak peek, you can read the first two chapters here.