It's All in the Details

Now that construction and other contractor work is complete, I'm starting to feel settled enough to get back into a normal life routine. This means regular stuff like doing laundry, remembering to put the trash and recycle out on their pick up days, mowing the yard, and watering the plants. It also means now I can take my time to furnish and decorate!

I scored this sweet globe for $5 at the ReStore.

Friends who know me well know that I absolutely love being surrounded by pretty things. I love having art on the walls, and displaying things that are interesting to me. In fact, the walls of my first apartment (which was a 400 sq. ft. studio) were so covered that I ran out of room to hang things. Now that I have a house with 3 levels, there's that much more space to fill with eye candy. I source my art from anyplace that inspires me, whether it's a street fair, a thrift store, or the local TJ Maxx. It doesn't even have to be "fine art." My rule is if I like it, I will figure out a way to get it on my wall.

I loved these two ink drawings I found at Goodwill. They are of a neighborhood in Quebec.

My favorite thing to do is put art in surprising places so that everywhere you look, whether it's in the bathroom, or in the kitchen, there's something interesting you'll find. Of course I like to change my mind a lot so when putting holes in the walls, I have to think about it carefully. Or just use Command Strips when I can!

I like the B&W fashion prints in the bathroom, but I don't like the visual placement. Fortunately I used command strips so I can just pull these down and start over.

One of the most important things to remember is to KNOW YOUR WALL TYPE! I have encountered many difficulties by simply banging a nail in a wall without thinking about it first. There are so many different types of screws, anchors and nails used for picture hanging.

This tool is a life saver for people like me who just "eyeball it" when hanging stuff. It marks exactly where the nail will go and you can make sure it's level too.

Those two dots at the top are pieces of wall that came off when I tried to be lazy and stick this hanging to the wall. I learned my lesson.

My biggest challenge so far is trying to figure out what to do on the brick partition walls separating my house from my neighbors' on both sides. The only thing getting through those walls is a hammer drill so I need to be 100% certain about the placement of anything there.

One of my favorites! It's a detail print of "The Unicorn is Found" from The Unicorn Tapestries which is on display at the Met in NYC. Another fantastic Goodwill find!

Love this Goodwill find too. Except when I got it home, I dropped it and now the glass is cracked :( I'll have to get it reframed.

An example of my "art everywhere" mentality

A gift from my mom that looks fantastic against pink.

Yes, Old Bay seasoning is also art.

This one is going in my dressing room. Double meanings FTW!

Another thing I hadn't though of was scale. Coming from small apartment living, I was used to buying average size pieces that could be perceived as "big." Now that I have tall ceilings and wide rooms, some of my big pieces now seem a little underwhelming. That just gives me more canvas to play with. I'm looking forward to finding more cool stuff to display.

I actually did get this from the Met a couple of years ago but had nowhere to hang it.

I know it'll all come together soon. Until then, I have dozens of pieces hanging out on the floor until I can make a decision.

Thanks for reading!