some decorating advice, please

As you guys might have read, Jeff and I are moving next week and our new apartment has a gas fireplace in the living room. A fireplace requires some nice art to go over it and we currently only large black and white photographs that I got plotted at a local print shop that would suit that space, but we are thinking we'd like something a bit more colourful. So, if the above images were framed in a 20.5" x 20.5" frame, which one would you prefer as the focal point of your living room? Most of our furniture is neutral or dark wood. I was thinking the frame would be black, but perhaps white would be worth a try, too? All of these photos I took with either my Diana or my Holga. They were taken in Merritt, B.C., Vancouver, Millersylvania, WA, and Portland, OR, respectively. Thanks for the help, friends!

white room

source 

I wish that I could tell you that this was my living room and that all I own is pictured here: plants, a nice light, a small table, an awesome tea set. But no, life is much more complicated and not as naturally lit as this lovely scene. With wedding-related hazards and stuff all over the apartment still, things are feeling cluttered and messy and my brain is suffering as a result. My indoor life right now is quite the opposite of our relaxing camping trip this past weekend. I plan to tackle this problem one small space at a time. I wish there was a vaccine for clutter. Or a magic raygun I could use on my apartment to expand it by five times or so. For now this image is my inspiration. Does anyone know the original source? What are you interior inspiration images like?

five friday favourites: interiors

the simplest bedroom ever

gypsy caravan (loved by me and my sister kate)

simple (and affordable looking) living room

bookshelf photograph by lavender.

sunny corner at my house

I realize that I've never posted about the kind of home interiors that I dream about. Every home that I envy has a lot of sunlight, first and foremost. And white walls. That's it, that's what I wish I had these days. The thing is, I totally switch back and forth between wanting to live in a gypsy caravan, or a crazy home like Pamela Love (still white walls, still lots of sunlight!) and wishing that my entire house was like the bedroom at the top of this post: empty except for essentials. The thing is, I guess, I just have too much going on for my home to be that empty. Fabric, jewelry supplies, many books, an old school tv that I refuse to replace until tvs are just stickers on the wall (which is going to happen), cameras, dog stuff, bike stuff, so much stuff! We've definitely been getting rid of things, but I think Jeff and I both still want to purge more. Living in such a small space has been pushing us in the direction of downsizing and we're both ready to live with a lot less around us. The thing is, where do you put a giant record collection in a minimalist home?

What kind of spaces do you dream of? Simple and serene; eclectic and colourful? Both, like me? I think the answer for me is to move to a bigger space and get nothing new. It's hard to jam a life into less than 800 square feet. But you do what you've gotta do in Vancouver. Finally, do you have any favourite interior images or blogs to share? Have a great weekend, everyone!