There is something to be said about a collection of art. It tells a story, makes you think and gives a sense of nostalgia, that comfortable lived in feeling.
In my opinion Lauren Liess is the queen of curating perfect gallery walls. She seems to effortlessly mix together all the right pieces - whether it be a large scale or a group of just four. It draws you in and allows you to think about each images history and gives you the freedom to create a story.
Acquiring real art takes time and money! There is something to be said about collecting art that truly speaks to you or has some sort of meaning to it, but I have a few secrets to help give you that same look for a little less.
All images above are from Lauren Liess
Prints have become the easy and affordable part, the frames are what hike the price up and make all the difference.
So as far as prints go..
Here are some of my favorite places to shop.
I always try to look for similar colors and styles when I plan a gallery - that helps create cohesion and true intention. I will take a screenshot of the image and put it into Canva to see how they all play together. This helps me create the style and the story I want to tell. You can also screenshot on your phone and add to an album to see if all your prints marry well.
For this specific space I wanted neutrals with a mix of moody and mysterious.
Once I gather the art I know I want I need to first make sure I have frames for them! For this project I knew I needed to find more frames with a little more character than the average ikea or hobby lobby frame. Now there is nothing wrong with purchasing your frames from ikea, target or hobby lobby - its an easy place and relatively affordable but I was on the hunt for about 15 new frames and that would add up quickly and become an expensive project. So off to the antique mall!
I found all of my frames for $5 or less / frame at the antique mall. They are all mostly wooden and 5x7 or 8x10 in size.
After I purchased my frames I was able to decide on the exact prints I wanted and purchase the Digital Download. I then uploaded those to Walgreens Photo (you can use other printing places like Costco - Walgreens happens to be the closest and quickest for me!) I then chose the size to order according to the frames I had!
After my prints were ready I laid them out with their frame to see which frames I wanted to keep wooden, paint or rub'n buff gold! I knew I wanted a mix of frames to give it a very organically collected feeling. You can keep all your frames the same color and style for more of a modern look - but dont be afraid to mix it up!
I painted a few frames the same white color as our walls, I left a few wooden and cleaned them up and I even painted a few green! For the rest I decided to turn gold and I do this by first spray painting them black and following up with rub'n buff!
The rub'n buff I like to use is in the finish gold leaf. This really gives it a nice antique finish and elevates the frame making it seem more expensive than the $5 bucks I paid for it!
Here is one of my new corner crushes
You can see the mix of frames and art all still meshing together well. I even added a small mirror I had to give some light and reflection!
And the little gallery shelf in our kitchen.
This is such a great and inexpensive way to add character to your house. Artwork is always subjective and the easiest way to really make your house feel like home. Add in a few other pieces like a mirror or a 3D object to break it up. Also, check in with these sites frequently because they update their art and often with the seasons. This allows for me to switch out the art periodically and create a special space!
Hope this gets your creative wheels turning and remember you dont have to spend a fortune on creating little moments in your home! Stop at the thrift store, antique mall or garage sales and reimagine some of those dusty tired pieces!
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