Gallery and art walls

I have had picture and gallery walls on my mind a lot lately. As we all know, this is not a new design phenomenon and has been labeled quite trendy as of late .  While an art wall is an art wall, there are so many different ways to display your favorite things so, in my opinion, they all end up looking quite different. We, after all, covet different types of art and treasures and obviously have different photographs. This is the beauty in it.   In any business, especially with creative types, people are always trying to come up with something new and reinvent the wheel. Well, in my opinion "if it ain't broke, then don't fix it".

And gallery walls have been a thing for many years.  It was not some savvy designer 5 years ago that had this bright idea.   As also in fashion, history usually repeats itself. Oh hello leggings and high waisted jeans.  And, how many girls these days look like they would fit right in at Woodstock? I remember walking into my Grandmother's urban apartment 30 years ago and she had beautiful oval black and white photographs grouped together on a wall..hmm I would certainly call that a gallery wall.

At this point, I have not collected enough of "like kind" art to make a killer art wall but it is definitely on my to do list.  I do, however, have plenty of family photographs that I have transformed into a picture gallery wall in our office.

In my opinion, when you have enough of one thing it makes a pretty bold statement.  The common theme in our office is that they are all family photos and all of the frames are black. Picture and art walls equal happiness.  It is about bringing some of your favorite things together to make a statement.  When I am sitting at my desk and I look up at our gallery wall..it definitely puts a smile on my face.  And I love it when our guests check it out too..it usually puts a smile on their face, as well:)

Below is a roundup of some of my favorite gallery and art walls around the internet and in magazines.

I love this family photo wall, I believe by Jennifer Delonge from Domino way back when. 

This is another beautifully executed wall with classic look of black and whites with a mixture of family photos and art. From Pinterest.

Oh, how I heart the picture ledge.  Not only do they look incredible but it would be so fun to switch them out and around as you please.  Elle Décor.

 

From Pinterest

 

From Pinterest

 

This combo below is pretty spectacular...does it get any better than a photo ledge and bookshelves...I don't think so!! 

 

The two rooms below would be pretty awesome to walk into..so much to look at and check out on the walls. And it does not hurt that both rooms have great architectural detail. They both do a beautiful job of combining lots of good stuff with apparently no theme and making it look really good!! Both images were found on Apartment Therapy.

 

I am pretty obsessed with the feel of the below three rooms...like hyperventilating obsessed!  All three are from Pinterest.

 

 

Image below via Pottery Barn...love the different photos but in matching frames against the barn wood. Great juxtaposition of different styles.

 

The one below is a pretty perfect vignette ...vintage portraits, antlers, creams, browns, wood, and a horse pillow:) From Pinterest.

 

 

While the art below is not on a wall, one cannot deny the beauty of its display. Elle Décor.

 

 

 

Hope you enjoyed these great walls and rooms!!

 

xo, Paige

Professional photos...part 2

So, here is the second round of photos... some before(s), of course, and Meredith Park's pretty after photos.

 

 As I have mentioned before, the guest room is my favorite room in the house.  The high beamed ceilings, the white walls and the hardwood floors make it pretty lovely to photograph. 

 

The guest room...we painted creamy white by Sherwin Williams, added hardwood floors, changed out the lighting and used primarily leftover furniture. And here is the room now...

 

And this is what the guest room looked like before we got our hands on it....

And the guest bath now...we added slate tile, a wood base console with a concrete countertop.  My brother in law made the base and our painter gave the wood an antique look. The driftwood mirror really completes this space as this room feels like it could be indoors or outdoors.

 

And a before...

 

 

And below is my son's room...we used wool carpet in here for the softness and layered it with a cowhide rug. The bunk bed is from Restoration Hardware, the drawers are from Anthropologie, the chest is antique, the fabric for the window shades is from Ballard Designs and I had them custom made locally. And, as you will see the animals love this room.  Especially, our cat, Leo, who can escape from our pup to the top bunk:)

 

 

 And this is what my son's room looked like before...

 

And, my son's bath room is probably one of the biggest transformations in the house.  Let's just say it is not pink anymore and there is no longer dirty carpet...yuck!!

 

 

 

And, a before...

 

It's funny how when we were knee deep in the remodel...it did not seem like we were doing that much.  It was just so fun making the home look better and reach its potential. When I look back at the before pictures it reminds how far we have come.

I remember seeing the look on my parents face when we brought them by mid-remodel.  They tried to hide their shock:)  I believe their thoughts were not necessarily that this is the most horrible home (well maybe they thought that) but how are they going to transform this into a comfortable and warm home for their grandchildren.  Well, I thing we have succeeded at that and in their defense, things have to look worse before they look better!  Here is a photo mid-construction...not super welcoming!

Hope you enjoyed this second round.  I will be back soon for more.

xo,
Paige