Decorating Secrets: Guest Post

I'm sharing some of the best kept decorating secrets over at HowDoesShe today!

Click HERE to check them out!

Living Room Quick Sketch

Lori has the neatest collection of art from past family members and wanted to display in a gallery setting kind of way. We decided that clustering them all together in a collage over her stairway would allow them to be the main focal point from the front door as well as allow people to get close up as they go down the stairs. I encouraged her to hang them only a few inches apart and line up the edges of the frames to create a sense of balance and order in the collage. Capping off the ledge with a shelf above will keep the eye traveling up making the room feel even bigger. Stay tuned for an "after" photo!

Family Wall Collage

A few weeks ago I put together a "family wall" for my in-laws as a surprise. {Okay, they gave me permission ahead of time, but I did it while everyone was at work/school so it was a surprise for the when they got home that day!}

Here's how I got started:

I knew I had about 6 feet of wall space to cover so I gathered together the pieces I knew I wanted to incorporate. Most of those included the clock, the horizontal photo below it, and the 8x10 family photos. Because there are a lot of different elements that were being added, I knew that I needed to repeat them to make the entire collage feel cohesive. 

You'll notice that there are a couple black frames with white matting, a couple white frames, a few brown/black frames, some wood and silver pieces. 

Not only was repeating the colors and elements important, the repetition of shape was also needed to make the clock feel included. Hence, the reason for adding the "Love One Another" piece. That repeated the curved lines again.

I put it together on the floor first to get the spacing correct. I found the midpoint of the wall and of the collage, then started hanging...very carefully.

One trick for wall collages: keep the spacing between the frames minimal. I like to go between 2-4".

It was a fun, afternoon project, a good workout, and a great surprise for the family!

See a few more of my wall collages HERE!