displaying collections & the art wall

Love your neighborhood?  Love maps?  Love old things?

Yes.  Yup.  Definitely.

A couple of weeks ago our house's previous owner left a folder of finds at our door; landscape plans, surveys and the home's deeds, going back to when the United States owned our property in 1864.  The later is totally amazing for a history junkie like myself and you can count on a near future post displaying how cool the documents are, with real script dating to 1910 and details regarding the partitioning of our Harriet-Clarke neighborhood.

Dated 1931, a map of our neighborhood was included in the deeds.  Isn't it kind of great?  I mean, in a very nerdy, I-must-really-be-a-dork sort of way?  Well, I must say to bolster my position that old maps are very "in."  They look perfect framed, blown-up as wall decal, or underneath glass on a coffee table.  Do they make you appear smart?  Well traveled?  Well read?  I hope so!  Even if it's a front. 

I talk all.the.time about my yet-to-be-seen art wall.  I can't settle on the frames just yet but I know for sure that the map will be incorporated, as well as a design article about our wedding and sheet music for "Til There was You," a song played at the ceremony.

Peek at this slideshow of art wall ideas.  I'm really getting into collections of like things on the wall; by organizing them in a smart, edited way, quirky collections appear grown-up and thought out.

As I've posted, Sarah Richardson made an arrangement of hats.

Hanging plates of similar pattern or color with English plate hangers allows you to see your special china  floating in a sophisticated array.

Very lady-like, isn't it?

A bookcase creates a visual wall of like things within a room.  Baskets, color-coded fabrics, jars, dishes, towels, and books can make great visual impact, while be functional and temporal.

 Small displays of flower clippings beneath glass can create objects of scientific wonder out of things you find in your yard... if you have a really pretty yard that is!  Flower pressings framed are also beautiful.

 Like picture frames organized in a grid may serve as art as well as furniture; a very economical way to create a headboard worthy of adoration.

{If you know the source for these images, please let me know.  I've misplaced it.}

What do you collect?  How do you display and arrange your finds?

I keep thinking of my grandma's best friend who has shelves on all four walls of her kitchen lined with SPAM cans.  Judge, I kind of do, but they look surprisingly.... interesting!  And I believe they all still have SPAM in them.  She's 94 years old.  Interesting?

sarah's cottage

I adore Sarah Richardson.  She’s Canadian (huge plus) and is just so perky and opinionated.  If we had cable, Sarah would likely move into our house through TV osmosis.  I’ve loved catching up with her projects, they range from mid-century to contemporary to… wait for it… nautical cottage!

Take a tour with me of Sarah’s Cottage, a.k.a. exactly what I would love our house to look like:

An idyllic off-the-grid getaway is renovated inside and out, drawing inspiration from the natural surroundings and blending vintage treasures with cheerful summer hues. 

Don’t you love the soft blue painted chairs and the range of woods?

The bench is so clever and practical.  Plus, it fits more guests than chairs.  And it could likely be a piece you find at a garage sale or antique shop that, if given a bit of TLC and distressed paint treatment, could look like new Pottery Barn.  If this were my dining room, it would always be set... just... like.. this.

I die for stripes, specifically mattress ticking…. The cheapest and prettiest fabric in the store.

When you limit color and celebrate pattern and texture, you get this lovely room.

I love the neutral wall colors and the mixing of patterns, playful and cheery flower prints next to structured and consistent stripes.  It’s elegant to stay within a color family like in this living room, but playful and lighthearted to explore contrasts in this bedroom.

Heritage quilts.  Love.  Of course the bed frame is perfect too.

See the painted stripes on the floor?  Very nice look and all it took was paint.  The cottage's walls are muted to showcase nautical touches, playful fabrics (ahem headboard!), and color accents.

This timeless room is so because of its natural materials and unfussiness; the few decorative pieces are temporal but easily “create” the space.

My obsession with baskets is condoned by Sarah.  Look how lovely they look in the bathroom, adding warmth and texture to a cool and polished space.  I also love the infill of white-painted wood boards on the vanity wall and ceiling, adding depth and texture without color. 

 

I can’t get over how much I love painted furniture.  Suddenly an old piece feels new, usable and not so stuffy, but still very precious.  Nice touch Sarah with the antique (painted!) table fan.

And oh my word, I love wall displays of like objects.  Let's get past (for a second) how lovely the seating arrangement is in this picture and look to the far corner.  No, the dresser isn't painted, but the collection of hats surrounding the framed mirror have such character and whimsy.  Plus, when you're going down to the dock to go for a sail (because naturally if you lived in this house, you would have water access... and a boat with a person's name like "Lydia") you can just grab a hat and go.

Reclaimed wood, beautiful.  White trim, classy.  Glass tile back splash, sea inspired. 

(And who says lanterns are best hung on a home's exterior?)

 Lastly, of course any worthy cottage has a widow's walk to look to sea and await the captain's return.  This one just happens to be a bit larger with a put-together, yet casual, outdoor gathering space.  Seating is not an issue in Sarah's Cottage!  Come on over, everyone! 

Celebrating natural light with throw pillows, benches and gathered furniture arrangements.

Sarah (we’re on a first name basis) lists her “source sheet” for each and every room of every project.  I love this because you can not only find the lamp or fabric or knick knack or whole room yourself, you can see where she splurged and where she didn’t.  Looking at her work it may feel as though it’s all expensive, but you’d be surprised how much Ikea you’ll find in her rooms, as well as garage and estate sale finds.  Sure she has a bigger budget and more time than the rest of us to make such wonderful spaces, but her smarts and her savvy can save us time.  Check out her website and be prepared to adore her.