From the Floors Up

Hanging Art on the Walls

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16545017_SThere are a few things in decorating that can intimidate most of us homeowners. Major investments like flooring and appliances can give us pause on making the right decision for the money and our lifestyle.  Another one of the biggest decisions is choosing what to hang on the walls.

Why is art so intimidating? Is it the expense? The worry that we like the “wrong” kind of art? Not knowing what to buy or where to buy it?  Art for the walls of our homes doesn’t have to be expensive art bought from galleries and auctions. While it is wonderful to collect art, decorating our walls doesn’t need to be a huge investment in the art market.  The best rule for buying art is to buy what you love.

If you buy art that you love, it will make you smile whenever you walk into the room.  Art can also be much more personal. Framed family photos and heirlooms are lovely hung in large groups or enlarged. You can have them printed in all black and white for a cohesive look.  There are even companies that will print your photos on canvas to make your photos really feel like works of art.

Creating gallery walls is a wonderful way to display art.  As opposed to one large piece over the sofa as was tradition, creating a space to display a number of works is visually more interesting. Mix in fine art with family photos and children’s masterpieces for a personal wall of art.

Transform Your Space With Paint

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Paint is one of the most versatile design elements in decorating. It can transform walls, furniture, floors and fabric. Simply painting a wall, one of the easiest DIY projects, can immediately change the feel and look of a room.  But paint can do a lot more than just change the color of a wall, floor or piece of furniture.

 

This room might seem an extreme example of what you can do with paint. The graphic pattern on the wall is very lively yet the look is achieved with just two colors of paint. Creating patterns with paint can make a simple project have a complicated result.  Using stencils and tape can yield a myriad of patterns. Vertical and horizontal stripes can be done with painters’ tape and a level. Stencils can be as simple as a circle or as complex as a lattice print or classic onion pattern.

 

The techniques that are most typically used on a wall can also be used on furniture. Wood furniture should be properly prepped before being painted. Prep work may include puttying, sanding, priming and more sanding before you begin to paint.  Stripes are easy to achieve vertically or horizontally on the wall.  Painters’ tape should still be used to mark off the stripes to prevent the color bleeding through. Stenciled walls can imitate traditional inlay or patterned tiles.  For a large expanse of wall, bigger patterns will feel less busy.

Perfect for the Kitchen: Food Themed Art

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At first glance this photograph might appear to be of an exotic type of marble or granite. Or perhaps a marbleized paper or faux painting technique. It is none of those things. It is a cross section of a cabbage shot in close-up. Yes, cabbage.

 

Food based art and photographs can be beautiful and food themed art is also the perfect wall accessory for the kitchen and dining room.

 

Kitchen walls are typically filled with cabinetry and appliances, but rarely is ever wall surface filled. Most kitchens are left with some blank wall space and some more than others depending on the size and style of the kitchen layout. What to put on these blank kitchen walls can be challenging.

 

It is not wise to put original oil or acrylic paintings near a cooking area. Grease in the air can cling to the surface of the artwork. Dining rooms are a better choice for paintings like these that are not framed behind glass. Watercolors, drawings, collages and photographs can all be hung in the kitchen since the majority of time they are framed with glass to protect their surfaces.

 

Choosing what food themed art to hang can be based on several factors, including the style of your kitchen, your favorite food and other colors in the flooring and cabinetry of the kitchen. Traditional kitchens would do best with traditional still life style art, while contemporary and modern kitchens could have food art that was more abstract. Be inspired by food photography to take your own shots and frame them.

Putting Pattern on Your Walls

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Everywhere you look today there are patterned walls.  Blogs, shelter magazines, and design shows are all featuring pattern on the wall. These patterned walls can be done with paint, stencils, fabric and wallpaper.  Which material you choose is a matter of personal choice and how much time and effort you want to put into this trend.  If you’ve ever removed wallpaper from the wall, you know it can be more work removing it than installing it.

 

Wallpaper is the classic choice for adding pattern to walls. Wallpapering a room can be done by a DIYer but it isn’t a simple task.  Do your research before running out and buying the paper and paste.  There are many tutorials online about installing your own wallpaper. If you do it yourself, start with a single wall or a small space.

 

Paint can be used to make patterns on the wall that range from simple stripes down with painter’s tape to elaborate stencil patterns that resemble hand-painted wallpaper.  Painting a pattern on the wall can take longer than hanging wallpaper but is easier to cover up and less expensive for materials.

 

Fabric can also be applied to the walls for instant pattern.  Simple starch and water will hold the fabric on the wall. This is a great option for renters who can’t wallpaper or paint.

 

Complement your patterned walls with a patterned area rug for layers of pattern in the room. Or keep it simple with solid colored carpet or area rugs on wood floors.

Decorating with Vaulted Ceilings

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Do you need to address a room with vaulted ceilings? Some people just ignore the upper area and design only the bottom eight feet or so. You can connect that high ceiling with the rest of the room with a few careful design decisions.

This room uses color as a strong unifying element. The warm creams and gold of the flooring connects with the light walls, while the darker small diagonal squares are echoed in the dark taupe wall and the richer tones evident in the two stairways.

The large art piece has a more minor presence because of the soft tones and limited contrast with the wall. However, its height and placement allows it to play a key role in connecting the various levels of the space. Its size and shape as well as a design that uses three verticals connected by one image support the long lean windows on either side.

It’s interesting to see crown molding used in a room where the ceiling boundary is so high. The designer chose an unusually large molding but the height reduces the impact. Once again, this additional decision brings the eye all the way to the top of the room and provides something to help integrate the space.

You can capture the best of vaulted ceiling decorating by remembering to focus on bringing the upper area into harmony with the rest of the space and then supporting your ceiling with every other design decision in the room.

From the Floors Up

From the Floors Up blog was created with the goal of providing a destination for consumers, designers and those interested in the flooring, design, and kitchen and bath industries. Here you’ll find, current, accurate and informative information that is always just a click away!

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