Monday, September 24, 2012

All About the Details: Walls

I'm not big on nicknacks. Aside from my pottery collection, I don't really like to have lots of objects strewn everywhere. But then, I'm also not great with the Spartan look: it can work and be lovely and simple and functional...but I just can't make myself do it. It'd be like Willy Nelson doing a song with Chris Brown: it just doesn't happen, it's not my jam. So instead, I frame things and hang them on the walls.

Everything I've put up on the walls lately isn't actually wall art. St. Michael slaying a dragon up there on the left is a greeting card from St. Michael's Abbey here in town. The centre picture is a postcard we were given by my mother-in-law. I'm not sure which art gallery it hails from, but I have a suspicion it's the Tate Modern. That third lovely card on the right with the hedgehogs dancing under a toadstool came from Paperchase. When Victoria and I went to Guildford, we saw that for 60p and we each snagged one. My copy was purchased for E and is now hanging as part of the gallery wall in his room.


This little beauty is the locally-made card I got from the Farnham Pottery on another day out with Victoria. The artist who designed the linocut used on the card is a lady called Shirley Ann Stephens. I'd go check out her website if I were you. There's loads of other examples of her work and it's all brilliant stuff. Especially if, like me, you have a thing for monochrome prints and medieval-style illustration.

But back to the walls! As you've seen, you can stick whatever you want in a frame or on a canvas and display it on your walls. Of all the pictures I have up, only two are photographs specifically meant for framing. A bunch are prints from places like The Drifting Bear, Sugarfresh, or The Word Shop. There are three art reproductions from my semester in Washington D.C. when I practically lived in the National Gallery of Art on my days off. And some are just postcards and greeting cards that we've either bought or been given. There's even some nicely designed wrapping paper in Ethan's room! Really, I'm all about framing gorgeous wrapping paper. My sister-in-law Rachel over at make a long story short is the one to see about that.

awesome map-inspired wrapping paper, via make a long story short
Arranging pictures and other odds and ends on the wall can happen however you like. Some people go for a shallow shelf to set bits and bobs and picture frames, others like the gallery wall approach that's become super trendy lately. I really go for whatever takes my fancy and works with what I want to display. We have three gallery walls in our house, and everything else is stuck wherever it works best. Here are a few photos of mine, and some from around Teh Interwebz for inspiration. Happy decorating!
between bedroom doors, the Husband's print over the computer desk,
E's gallery wall, and a lone print over the couch
via, Design Mom
via, Design*Sponge
via, You Are My Fave
via, You Are My Fave

1 comment:

  1. Wow! This is awesome post. It's sharing a good concept to decorate out home walls. Beautiful wallpaper are really helpful to give a great looks of our bedroom wall.

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