I wonder if any of you suffer from the same problem I do? I rarely find a picture or a piece of art I like, but when I do- the price tag… let's just say I would need to win the lottery first! So what should I do? Do I hang pictures I don't like? NOOO!
I once heard from a wise guy, that there are so many things in our life that we have no control over, that when it comes to those places where we have a choice, it is outright foolish to hang on to things that don't make us happy.
Easier said than done, but once you start, you'll be amazed at how relieving it is.
Back to our issue here: How do we fill that void? What do we do with bare walls (without winning the lottery first)?
Here are some ideas to try out. You'll be surprised to discover that the effect could 'WOW out' even a pricey gallery piece. Roll down to the bottom of the post for useful links.
- Choose a poem or a saying that inspires you, makes you laugh or any other affect you would like to achieve. Put it up on the wall. Here are some methods I've used:
Wall stickers (decals)- You could buy these ready-made, if you find the saying you like, or you could have them ordered with any wording, color and size of your choice.
Ceramic Art- I had this piece made for me by a ceramic artist. She made the ceramic and did the writing and decorating.
I could have printed the poem or any picture on store- bought tiles. Like we've done here with the comics:
Graphics– ask a graphic artist to design your poem as a picture and have it printed on canvas. - Wall stickers (decals). There is an endless selection of designs and pictures. Choose one that goes with the atmosphere of the room. For example, this one is perfect for a laundry room or walk-in closet:
- Wallpaper. The trend these days is to "wrap" up one wall or a small area rather than whole rooms. The range of textures and design is unbelievable. Cover up one dominant wall and you've made the room.
What do you think of this one for an office?
- Picture collage. Browse through your family album (folders on your computer definitely qualify as an album). Choose the ones that bring back good memories and frame them. Now you could do this in an orderly manner:
Or go for the eclectic look:
Frame them all the same or choose different frames. You could also add interest by printing some of the pictures on canvas. - Children's art. This idea is suitable for informal areas such as a long hallway, kitchen or bedroom walls, or a den. Buy a pile of canvases that are stretched on a wooden frame, and let each of your children make their own piece of art (you'll need to buy acrylic paints for this). Hang their art on the wall. They will be proud you found their pictures good enough to go up there, and your guests will usually react with a big smile to your revolutionary art.
While we are into presenting children's art here are some cute ideas I collected from around the net:
Now we've reached the inevitable excuses:
'This is not for me', 'I am not handy', 'I don't do art', 'I don't even know what acrylic paints are!', 'Where would I buy this?', 'There are no stores nearby and I don't go into Tel Aviv'.
Gotcha– I've prepared all the answers in advance:
Wallpaper– Here's a store that has a great selection. You could even order online (although it is really advisable to go see it yourself). If this store is too far, there are stores in almost every town that sell wallpaper, it doesn't have to be a specialized store. Check out places such as Home Center, carpet stores, fabric and curtain stores, Hardware stores or look up טפטים in your local phone book.
Wall stickers (decals)– Here, here and here.
Printing on tiles could be done reasonably here and here.
Ceramic artist– this is the wonderful woman who made the piece in the picture (she also makes great pottery, trays and sinks)
Canvas prints- I had good experience with this supplier. You could also try your local photo shop, they may have a similar service.
Children's art- The canvases and paint can be bought in any arts and crafts supplies store or online. This is what it looks like.
You can do it!
Derorit
Creating spaces people want to live in!
