For the last decade, my husband and I have longed for a family room. A comfortable, ground-level, cozy piece of the world defined by, and intended for, our family. Dark colours, wool blankets, vintage furniture and new, contemporary pieces, distressed leather with feather fill…all the stuff that makes you comfortable as soon as you sit down. In our old home, our family room was in the basement. And we hated it. It was cold. There were windows, but no view or flowers or sunlight really to see. And it was squishy, as it also served as a den, a playroom, and a laundry room!
One of the great things about this house when we first saw it was the size of the family room…a long rectangle. Approximately 30X15…long and narrow, and could easily be separated into two distinct spaces since right down the middle is a large fireplace. One side is devoted to a sectional and our tv. The other side is currently bare, awaiting some chairs and a table to make a little lounging spot. A place to build puzzles. To read. To chill. And for me, it’s a neat little section of the house, and had to look interesting and reflect a more organic, arty vibe than the rest of the home.
So, I decided to make a gallery wall. Yes, I’ve shown you some before. But I’ve never done one that has been organic and free-flowing like this. Termed a FRACTAL gallery wall, this method of hanging takes planning…
Most of the frames are from HOMESENSE. Others are from POTTERY BARN.
The only measuring I really did was to determine how high off the ground the frames would stop at. Since there is an outlet I needed to clear, I kept it at about 1.5 feet or so. I measured this height in a few places along the wall, and then used a level to connect the points. Then I used painters tape to give me a good visual. Outside of that, I just placed the frames where I thought they worked (the above cluster gives you a good idea). I then started hanging! No right or wrong. Entirely freeing! I bought a few art books, and am using them to fill up all of these wonderful frames. We’ve decided on a Pop Art, deconstructed colour thing…a little edgy, a little colourful, and you have to get up close to some of the pictures to understand what they are. You need to pay attention…
I’ll post pics with furniture once its all done…I can’t wait to work on a puzzle with the kids back here…it’s been an unused space for over a year now…and I’m so excited to have a different point of view!
Make it Your Own, and You Make it Your Home.
Categories: Decorating, DIY, How To...
Stylish Life & Home 