Tips for hanging your wall art

We are so close to completely dressing your home.  Art and window treatments are the final components to include.  This week's post is all about artwork (we will address window treatments next month).

People become the most paralyzed when it comes to artwork. They've done all this work to assemble the rest of the room, and now they freeze up with fear about putting a nail in the wall. Don’t let this be you!

When it comes to artwork, select pieces that catch your eye and lead you around the room. Think about what has meaning to you, what makes you feel comfortable and what might strike up conversation with your guests. Those are the pieces you want on your walls. The thought of hanging these pieces for display should excite you. Don’t feel like you have to put the same thing up all over. Not every pair of shoes you have goes with every outfit, and your artwork won’t naturally fit in every room. Mix it up with mirrors, painting, photos and framed prints.

PDR Interiors
Room contains a blend of wall art- framed prints, wrapped canvas painting, grouping of mirrors.

Once you’ve picked out your art, you WILL have to hang it, so here’s a cheat sheet to give you confidence in your placement.

Rules of thumb for art hanging-
-Remember your art should belong to the furniture, not the ceiling. Meaning, don’t hang your art so high that it looks like its running away from the furniture below it.

-Use 60” from the ground as your starting place for the middle of the piece. If this seems too high or too low, adjust accordingly.

-Using two nails or screws, instead of one, helps keep a piece of art level when it has wire on the back.


-Gallery wall tips:
-layout your desired gallery wall on the floor first. Measure the overall height and width of the arrangement to make sure it will fit on the wall where you want to place it. If it is too large, make the necessary adjustments.

-Brown craft paper is a helpful tool when planning a gallery wall. Roll the paper out on the floor and place your items on top. Using a marker, outline the pieces on the craft paper.  Once you have the outlines drawn, remove the pieces from the paper and cutout each shape. Then tape the pieces to the wall where you plan to hang them. This will show you if you need to adjust any spacing between items OR if you need to adjust the group’s spacing on the wall.  A handy trick is to mark on the craft paper where the hanging mechanism is.  That way you know where to place the nail(s) once the paper is on the wall.

-Begin with 2” between each piece of the gallery wall. You can then eyeball the layout and determine if the size of the pieces warrants more or less space between them.

-Gallery wall groupings are a great WAY to hide unsightly features like a thermostat in the middle of the wall.

PDR Interiors (photo was taken before pictures were added to frames)

photo courtesy of Christy Hash

If you are struggling with whether or not to hang a piece on a specific wall, lean the art against that wall (even at floor level) and leave it there for a day or two. Walking by it several times will allow you to determine if the size of the art is appropriate for the size of the wall. It will also allow you to see how you feel about incorporating that piece in to the room. If you’re comfortable with it, go ahead and hang it using the rules of thumb we just covered. If not, find another location for the artwork. And, remember, it is not the end of the world to put a nail in the wall and then later decide to move it. There’s a reason spackle was invented!


Happy hanging!
-Liz

Celebrate Your Independence from Costly Decor: Great Items to Buy in July

Believe it or not July is the best time to buy home decor! One reason for this is that stores are eager to move items that are on the floor so they are having tons of sales this month to encourage people to buy! Summer is the least popular buying season so retailers have plenty of sales to combat this. Below are some great decor items to buy this month!

Window Treatments

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Window treatments can sometimes be the last thing you think of when decorating your space. You may look around and think why do I really need them? Good question! Window treatments do an amazing job of softening your whole space as well as serving a purpose of light control as well as privacy. This is why window treatments are a great item to go ahead and purchase this month when you come across one of the MANY sales!

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Area Rugs

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Area rugs are another great item to purchase this month. We suggest this because they can be a pricey investment depending on the type and size you choose. While they can be a bit costly, they can absolutely transform a space and bring it all together. This is another item that does a great job of softening your room which is always nice. 

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Art

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Purchasing art for your home is such a personal experience. We truly believe that you should fall in love with the art you buy because it is such a personal choice that is unique to you and your personality. That being said, art that you love may not always be the top on your priority list when it comes to your decor. This is another way you can take advantage of summer sales and buy that piece you've been eyeing! wayfair.com is one of our favorite places to find affordable and stylish art.

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

School’s Out! Three Ways to Set Up a Kid’s Room for Summer Fun

Create a Reading Corner / Nook

thesweatmanfamily.com

Reading is such an important activity for kids to do on a regular basis, especially through the Summer months while they are out of school. This can be difficult for some kids to get excited about if they don't have a pleasant, dedicated area in their room or in the house to read. When you create a cozy corner or nook for your child to read, it becomes a fun and comforting experience instead of feeling like a chore! These are 3 great examples of different ways to go about setting up an area like this for your child. 

babble.com

brit.co

Set Up an Art Station

minted.com

Art is another awesome activity for kids to do throughout the summer. While it can be a lot of fun, it can also create a bit of a mess and become something you don't want to deal with. Setting up a dedicated area for art and other creative projects is a fantastic way of making sure the area stays clean and organized! This helps keep any mess to one small area, as well as giving a home to the specific art tools so they don't end up scattered everywhere. You can go as elaborate or simple as you would like with this space!

daisymaebelle.com

woohome.com

Get Designated Baskets / Bins for Each Category of Toy

organizingmoms.com

One of the easiest ways to set up your child’s room for summer fun is by getting baskets or bins that are meant to store any number of different categories of toys and other items. These three examples show great ways to incorporate these baskets or bins into your child’s room. Furniture units with built in nooks for such items are a fantastic option!

instagram.com

blesserhouse.com

The Colors of Spring - How to Decorate with Green

Spring has officially sprung! With the turn of the season comes beautiful, vibrant colors. One of the first colors that comes to mind when you think Spring is green. From the fresh grass to the new baby leaves and buds, green is everywhere you look. What better way to embrace this fresh color in nature than to bring it indoors in your decor?

Artwork

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Green is a great color to incorporate in your decor through artwork. Art is such a personal choice that we recommend waiting until you fall in love with a piece before just buying on a whim. The great thing about green is it pairs well with so many other colors like blues, or as the pop of color against neutrals.  

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors 

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors 

Fabrics

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Another place where green can be worked into your space is in fabrics like window treatments and throw pillows. These photos show three great examples of green in fabrics throughout the spaces. Something about adding green to your decor adds a burst of freshness as well as calm which is a winning combination!

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Creating a Cozy Bedroom for Cold Winter Days

Upholstered Headboards

clairebrodydesigns.com

One great way to add warmth to your bedroom and create a super cozy feel is to go with an upholstered headboard. It will add a great deal of softness to the space both visually and physically. The great thing about most upholstered headboards is you can attach them directly onto any bed frame with no problem so it can be an inexpensive alternative to buying a full head board and foot board set. 

bassettfurniture.com

Area Rugs

domino.com

Area rugs can add warmth and softness to any room in your home. Your bedroom should be your oasis and the most comfortable place in your home where you go to relax. This makes it the perfect place to add an area rug. Depending on your budget, you can make almost any size rug work. Ideally, you would want the area rug to start right before your night stands and extend out past the end of the bed. In most cases this would be an 8'x10' or 9'x12' rug for queen or king sized beds. If that size rug is just not in your budget, you can opt for a slightly smaller option and simply put the bottom portion of your bed on the rug. 

mydomaine.com

Art & Accessories that Make you Happy

classyclutter.com

Sometimes creating a warm and cozy feel in a space isn't always about actual soft and warm items. You can add to this feeling by simply filling your room with things that make you happy and are specific to your likes. This can be anything from photos in frames of the people you love, to trinkets that have sentimental value, or even something as simple as a piece of art that you just had to have!

lowstoluxe.com

End of Summer DIY Projects

As Summer is sadly coming to an end, you may be looking to get in one last fun DIY project. Below we have found some fun, easy DIY decor projects for you to tackle! 

Lost Sock Board

100things2do.com

This is a fun DIY project that not only looks cute, but serves an awesome purpose! Lost socks seem to be a problem no matter how organized your household is. This is a fun way to have you and your family work together to help all of those socks find their missing mates! The step by step on how to create this is here:

http://100things2do.ca/lost-socks/

Hanging Shelves

whydontyoumakeme.com

Less is more when it comes to interiors a lot of the time. Right now, especially clean lines and simple accessories are very on trend. If you are looking for a trendy addition to your home and don't want to break the bank on something that may not be as popular in a few years, this is the project for you! Check out the tutorial here:

http://whydontyoumakeme.com/diy-hanging-shelves/#_a5y_p=5236620 

Abstract Art

lollyjane.com

Art plays such a crucial part in making your house feel like a home. Unfortuatley, beautiful art is not always the most inexpensive thing to go out and purchase on a whim. If you are wanting a fun piece to add to your space, look no further than this easy and inexpensive DIY! The great thing about this one is you can choose colors that work best for your space. 

Head to this link for the instructions:

http://lollyjane.com/diy-abstract-art-golden-touch/

Father’s Day: How to Create a Masculine Space that is Functional

Continuing with our Father’s Day theme, we would like to talk about how to create a masculine space that is still attractive and functional. In terms of home decor, it seems as though feminine touches tend to win out over their masculine counterpart. We are here to say that masculine decor does not have to be limited to a bachelor pad or a man cave. Masculine touches can be a welcome contrast throughout your home. 

awelldressedhome.com

This photo is a fantastic example of how to incorporate masculine items like animal skulls, distressed wood, and a deep navy wall together to create a beautiful, cohesive look. As time goes on, these “masculine” items are becoming more and more mainstream and used throughout home decor. 

greylikesnesting.com

Leather is a great way to mix in more masculine touches into your home decor. This tufted leather sofa paired with an antique trunk and mixed wood and metal end table create the perfect masculine inspired space. If this look is a little too far into the masculine look than you are going for in your home, try taking just some of these elements and combining them with more feminine pieces including soft textures and soothing colors.

kirklands.com

Finally, bold artwork is another masculine touch that can be incorporated into any space to give it an extra edge. This abstract, black and white piece from Kirklands.com is a perfect example of a great piece to incorporate into your space. This thick, brush stroke look with stark contrast between the colors is a very popular look right now. 

HomeMint

It’s no secret, I am a boy band connoisseur.  It started in my teenage years and has stuck with me ever since.  While I prefer the musical stylings of Nick Lachey and 98 degrees over those of Backstreet Boys or NSYNC, I am a JT fan (Justin Timberlake, that is).  I was excited to read yesterday about Mr. Timberlake’s newest business venture- HomeMint.

HomeMint is a home decorating website offering various furniture, accessory and art lines including some designs created by Justin and his former NSYNC stylist. The whole concept seems pretty neat- shoppers can determine their personal style through a series of visual questions and then shop for items that suit said style.   It does require a log-in to go further than the questionnaire, so that is where I stopped.  I try to avoid signing up for more emails, but if curiosity gets the better of me, I might try it out.  If you look into it, let me know your thoughts.  If it’s like everything else the former NSYNC crooner does, I’m sure it will be a raving success.