Give me some color!

We have a lot of brown in our house. Brown couch, brown coffee table, wood floors, brown kitchen cabinets....

I finally decided to add some color to our house. I think pops of color can boost your mood and even make a space appear more welcoming. I get intimidated by matching colors and patterns. I don't think I have a good eye for it. But I dove in!

First I made my own pillow case covers. They are removable, so I can change them up when I get bored. I had a few pillows at home, and I bought 2 pillow inserts at Joann's Fabric. They are so easy to make! This video explains it pretty well.

We don't have any lamps in our house, so I thought what a great way to add color. I bought this lamp and the shade (not pictured) for $8 at a thrift store.  

I had trouble deciding what color looked best. I panted the lamp yellow first and left the shade white. It was just too much. Then I painted it gray leaving a few yellow strips. Didn't like that either. This is what is looks like now. I still might add fabric to the shade instead of the yellow.

At the thrift store I also found this wood basket for $2 and this frame for $3. The color on the frame wasn't too pretty, but I knew when I spray painted it, the design on the frame would really stand out. 

The basket has been transformed into a red toy box for the dogs.  

I bought the frame specifically for a vintage hat advertisement that I bought a few months ago. It fit perfectly and is now hanging in the bathroom. I love it! 

I also found this candle holder at a thrift store. It was an ugly brass/rusty color. When I first bought it I painted it white, but now it is a beautiful red!

My other recent thrift store finds include this rusty/antique looking lantern ($3) and 3 chinese bowls. I grabbed the bowls as soon as the staff put them on the shelf right next to me. I think I paid $7 for all three. They are beautiful and have chinese markings on the bottom.