Statement Wall... In a Bathroom?

By Cate

It's just a bathroom - why bother?  Well I don't know about you, but I don't enjoy hanging out in unhappy places and the bathroom is just one of those spots you end up spending more of your day in than you'd think.  Thus after many weeks of using a sad and dreary toilet nook, I realized it needed sprucing or I'd be at risk of a permanent depression.  I didn't want to break the bank and I didn't want to hang anything irreplaceable that might succumb to steamy shower damage so naturally I started with IKEA.  

Here's my {not-so} secret formula: IKEA frames + FREE downloaded Art = affordable statement wall!

All of the prints were downloaded {FOR FREE} and printed at our local staples for about 50¢ a page.  We don't have a home printer, but let's face it: even if we did, quality of ink, the image resolution, and the color vibrancy is way better on those industrial copy machines.  If over time the art suffers from excess moisture, then I can always print more and replace!

The "Plumes" printable was one of my favorites.  You can get these prints and more from Graphics Fairy.

I liked the look of Chelsea's all-white dining room gallery wall {found here on her Gallery Wall Refresh post from last winter} so I kept my shopping monochromatic.  Some frames were rather large and unusual sizes to mat to letter-sized paper so I tore the trim off the printed pdf to get a more authentic "vintage print" look than the factory-edge paper.  I mounted it on some kraft wrapping paper I cut to fit the frame: giving my all-white frames some textural interest.

{ok, let's break it down}

RIBBA	NYTTJA	VIRSERUM	SӦNDRUM
1 11.75x15.75 {8x10 mat} - $10 2 8x10 {5x7 mat} - $5ea  2 4x6 {3x4 mat} - $2ea	2 13.5x17.25 - $4ea 4 8.7x11 {Document Frame} - $2ea 1 {pack of 2} 5x7 - $4	1 11.75x15.75 {8x10 mat} - $8 1 4x6 {3x5 mat} - $2	1 8x10 {5x7 mat} - $7 1 4x6 {3x5 mat} - $4

All for a grand total of $65!

The pair of gold 3D art are simply two thrift store frames hung around floating objects.

{The top one is actually a gold broach in the shape of a feather.}

Here's a quick look at the rest of the bathroom.  As you can see I hung two more framed prints by the sink.

My {NEW} Happy Place!

What's your happy place?

~ Cate

Gallery wall refreshed, (and a temporary peace out)

Hi friends! In my last post I talked about our upcoming dining room overhaul. We're working on getting rid of {almost} everything and starting afresh. 

While the process of selling what we have and accumulating what we'd like may take some time, the first step I've already checked off the list is giving our gallery wall a little face lift. 

I love a good gallery wall. They're intimate, personal, whimsical and a wonderful statement of one's past and their hopes and dreams. They act as a large piece of art that sparks wonderful conversation. As I spent some time image browsing various gallery walls, I started pinpointing commonalities that appealed to me:

-Scattered frames as opposed to perfect, straight rows and columns.

-Gallery walls in spaces that are not too heavily decorated

-Monochromatic frames for a clean, crisp look

Here is our gallery wall before I tweaked it

 And after a few coats of glossy white spray paint

This project was as easy as it was satisfying!

1. Take all the frames down and remove the photos/objects

2. Lay out a couple large pieces of cardboard outside and place the frames on top, face up

3. Thoroughly shake a can of high gloss white spray paint

4. Evenly spray each frame, including the insides and along the outer edges

5. Let dry

6. Replace all the photos/objects back into the frames

7. Hang and enjoy!

I know this isn't for everyone - but it's a great first step in getting our dining room headed in the right direction for us! Next up: painting under the chair rail, (after settling on a color, I'd say the hardest part is done)!

This may be my last post for a few weeks. It's time to take some time. I'll be stealing a small portion over the remainder of August to enjoy some time away with my family, and the rest to explore some new and exciting business opportunities which I look forward to sharing with you soon! And of course, I'll come back with a few fun projects that I'll finally have some time to complete!

Au revoir mon amis!

~Chelsea

Fun with frames

Happy Friday, friends! I am sure you're as grateful as I am that the weekend is nearly here! I've been talking an awful lot lately about color, (sorry!), but it really is something that's at the forefront of my mind right now. I know that I like color. I know that I like neutrals. So it's figuring out how to mix color in with my love of neutrals that is fun, exciting, and sometimes challenging.

One easy way to try on color in your home is simply by adding small, inexpensive, (colorful), accents. Home decor accents are like adding jewelry to an outfit. I like to kick it up a notch with some bling when I want to make a statement! Never underestimate the impact of a long pendant necklace, (my favorite piece of jewelry)! Those small decor accents that you might overlook could really have more impact than you think! A colorful vase, a pretty candle, even books bound in a pretty hue - these smaller objects are important for completing a room, just as jewelry completes the outfit!

This week I took my first step in joining the two colors I am favoring at the moment: coral and aqua. I bought a few frames at Goodwill last week for less than $2 each, slapped some paint on them that I already had from my stash, and they totally added a snap of color on our gallery wall! 

Here is how our gallery wall looked since last November:

And here it is all jazzed up with some color!

Now I am even more excited to bring in the rest of my coral finds from last week, (found here)! This photo of our living room and dining room space is going to change a bit over the next month or so. Hooray for Spring and some refreshing change!

And hooray for overcoming my reservations about hammering a bunch of nails into our wall ;)
Totally worth it; like getting my ears pierced. 

To maintain an element of class and elegance on this wall, I mixed in some various metallic frames and kept the rest of the frames very neutral in black or white. I know that combining coral and aqua together is towing the line of looking like a child's nursery, so it's super important to me where and how I use these colors. 

Have you thought any more about trying the Color my World challenge? Please, oh please join! All are welcome - and if you are a blogger friend then definitely let me know you're doing it and I'll link you here on Chelsea's Garage! This post has the 'info', (it's really just a casual invitation to try out a new color in your home and share photos here on the blog)!

Have a fantastic weekend!

And Happiest Birthday to my little and only brother, Caleb!!! I am pretty certain he doesn't read this...but just in case. ;) Either way, he is dear to me and I treasure birthdays.

~Chelsea