Testing (a really big gallery wall)

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One of the challenges when it comes to design is the inability to "see it."  Design is filled with leaps of faith: trusting that that little swatch of fabric will look good when applied to that (non-returnable) couch, that a big square of paint will translate to just the right feel you want in that room.  The list is endless!

Of course, there are ways to mock something up.  Wondering about scale?  Build a scale(ish) model out of cardboard to see how it feels in the space.  I once printed out a scale(ish) image of tile backsplash to see what it would look like with the repeat (which was larger than the sample.)

Right now I'm working on a really really big gallery wall.  Really big.  I feel like I can do these walls in my sleep (and love doing them), but when we are talking about over a hundred pieces to hang, you really want to think it through before you get out the hammer.


The wall is in a conference room that is 25 feet long, and to keep it from getting crazy we are filling a band about 4 feet wide that ends at table height.  The pictures are all old family photos, printed in black and white, a mix of candids and portraits.

Do we:

1. Use all the same size frames (anchored by a pair at each end), hung randomly?

2. Use all the same size frames, hung in loose columns

3. Mix in some double and triple mat frames, and hang them randomly

4. A mix of frames hung in loose columns.

I played around with these layouts to visualize my plan (these mockups only represent a 16'  wide wall--I ran out of space ont he page!).  To help the client "see it," I found some reference and pinned it.  Check it out here!

I have been working hard on projects, so stay tuned for some before and after, some how to, and a giveaway!

Thanks for reading,

Heather

Art to Benefit Sandy Relief

I love this movement of art for disaster relief--I feel like many artists are such humanitarians, it makes sense to me that art could contribute both directly and indirectly to the mitigation of troubled times. I always sort of wish I had one of the Milton Glaser I Heart NY More than Ever prints as a reminder/remembrance of 9/11. In this era of instant news and quick forgetting, there is something appealing to me about an artwork that reminds us of tragedy--both to keep us focused on gratefulness but also to keep us mindful or the sometimes surprising upside of difficult events: a sense of community, connectedness, or faith.

 After the Earthquake in Japan, there was this.

Already, there are two editions out with sales benefiting the relief effort.



Blue Marble, 20x200, buy here



Purchase here (NJ print also available)

Art to support the losses of the storm are especially poignant, considering this.
Somehow, I think it is the most unexpected, unpredictable losses that hit the hardest.

Aftermath

Have you been seeing photos of the aftermath of Sandy?  With many friends and family on the East coast, they are all over my Facebook feed, and many are heartbreaking.  All the photos of large, displaced items (boats, shipping containers, a shark!) get me the most: they demonstrate the power of the water, the randomness of the event.  I keep thinking of the movie Ponyo.  Isn't it funny how our brains work?

I've been thinking about disbelief.  Like when the tornado came to Minneapolis and I did not heed the sirens.  People who got stuck because they would not go.  And I have been thinking about loss, how we may be surprised by what we mourn afterwards.  Not too long ago, I stumbled upon this list from a woman who lost everything in a house fire.  What she most misses.  (Hint: it has nothing to do with money, everything to do with soul.)  When I think about what I would take, that old tale of the first things you would grab in a fire or flood, I'm sure they would not be the most meaningful.  They would just be the closest at hand.  What do I think I would want?  Is that even a useful exercise?

We forget, too, that after a natural disaster, there is work to be done.  We hear the phrase "The hard work of rebuilding," but if we are not rebuilding ourselves, personally, we forget.

Today, from the lucky comfort of my home office, planning for trick or treating, playing with fabrics for a client in New Jersey who has no power (but is otherwise okay), I will be thinking of  all the people trying to get the boats back in the water.

Sandy

andjelicaa instagram

I spent all day yesterday listening to storm coverage as if I still lived in NYC.  I couldn't help thinking that our old house in Brooklyn was in the flood plain--we were so close to the water that most insurers wouldn't take us on.  Hoping that all my former neighbors and all my friends and family who are currently in the storm's path are safe and sound.

Fuschia, grey, yellow + aqua?

Whew.

At the end of last week, I found myself picking new paint colors for a client I've been working with in bits and pieces over the past year.

I've been thinking our palette will look a bit like this:

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Source: somewheresplendid.com via Heather on Pinterest

Love the happy vintagey quality of the fuschia and mustard/ochre, tempered by the grey and white or cream. But it is a bit strong for a whole space, yes?  And they want light and bright.

A deep or bright pink always makes me want blue.  (Remember this?)  And to keep things fresh, I love the addition of aqua, with just enough green in the yellows to keep the palette from dipping into rainbow sherbert territory.

Source: bhg.com via Heather on Pinterest

Why thank you, Better Homes and Gardens, that's just what I had in mind.

We could put the yellow on the walls

Source: lonnymag.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Heather on Pinterest

Or  the aqua

Source: styledhaven.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: fourwallsandaroof.com via Heather on Pinterest

Of course, none of these have the total palette, but it can be helpful, when you're stuck, to visualize a wall color this way.

While searching for inspiration, I revisited some Domino magazines, including a piece about designer Barrie Benson's own home.  She originally painted it all white, before realizing it was too stark and cold, and she came back in with a palette of pale blues and greens.

Design is a process, sometimes easier than others.

Large Scale botanical on a budget

I popped in to Ikea yesterday to take a look at their curtain rack systems for a project, and happened to notice this large-scale botanical poster for $19.99.

Vintage versions have been making appearances (I blogged about them here), and really nice reproductions can be had from here, but if you want the look just for now, this is a great way to go.

I have to say, I kind of like that this poster LOOKS like a vintage knock-off.  Something about the way the images are styled, it almost ends up a little bit cheeky.  Know what I mean?

If you like this designer headboard, try that retail one

All of a sudden, there are a number of great headboard shapes out there that can be customized with a selection of fabrics (or, in some cases, the fabric of your choice.)  While these tend not to be cheap, they do offer you a wide range of options without hiring a designer to give you access to a tried and true workroom and trade-only fabric lines.  It offers you the option of a designer-look custom bed without much hassle.

It has been fun to try to replicate some designer looks through retail.

So, if you like this, try that:

Top row: if you like this fabulous San Francisco apartment bedroom, originally published in Domino, try that velvet upholstered headboard from Urban Outfitters. (and some knock-off Clarence House flowering quince fabric to go with it.)

Middle: if you like this fun and fabulous Annie Selke bedroom, try that fantastical bed from John Robshaw.

Bottom: If you like this updated-traditional blue fabric on a curvy shape, try this block-printed number from Serena and Lily.

Round Two!

Top tow: if you like this floral number in Lonny editor Michelle Adam's apartment, try the loose floral on a custom bed from Bassett.

Middle: if you like this vintage french look, spotted on Amber Interiors, try this inset-stripe Louis style bed from Ballard design.

Bottom: And if you like this over the top floral, spotted on Little Green Notebook, try a similar fabric on a straight-lined bed, also from Bassett.

That should get you started.  Try out the customization tools at these retailers, and let me know what you come up with!

And come on back tomorrow.  I'll try for a "best of the rest" round up of retail beds in great shapes, even if they come in a more boring array of fabrics.