Sweet Sanity Designs

It's confession time....By far the most neglected spot in this apartment has been the long hallway down to the master bedroom.  I have never known WHAT to do with it. Brace yourself for the changes over the years...

Pathetic. The best is how I went really wild in 2004 for a party and put dollhouse-sized votives down the shelves.  The truth is that every time I went to hang a frame or a series of art down the hallway it just looked weird to me from down at the other end.  I guess anything would after staring at asylum walls for so long!

One idea that had come and gone over the years was to do a big gallery of assorted frames. I would see it in a magazine and have no idea how to achieve that random look without looking cluttered. When I stumbled upon THIS POST on Young House Love I thought, it's time to give it a try!  Using all white frames appealed to me. Maybe that way it wouldn't be too distracting from the other end of the hallway.

I started a gathering mission.  I wanted an assortment of sizes and styles so I hit up Salvation Army for some $2 and $3 frames that I could spray paint white, collected some at home and bought a few with good matting from Ikea. Yes, I fully realized there was no set plan.  Luckily not so costly to begin the collection.

Next the newspaper templates.  I cut out pieces to approximate the shapes of each of my frames.  Can I just say I hate BS tasks like this?  But I also know it is the *right* thing to do and will save me from superlatives later on when there are random holes in the wall. 

I started in the center with my largest frame and built out from there.  I turned some vertically and some horizontally trying to get that random feel.

Using painters tape allowed me to get them up, and then step back and rearrange.  This happened often and over the course of a week or so.  Example: Walking down the hallway on a random Tuesday night and thinking, yuck, why is that one THERE!?  I recommend letting them marinate for a bit.

Hanging the frames...YHL's post suggested nailing right into the newspaper - great advice. I measured how far down the nail should actually go to catch the wire/hook and hang at the right height. The newspaper was also nice because I could mark it with a pen, nail right into it and then rip off when done. (Sorry for the yellow night time pics!)

The cutouts would represent a generic 5x7 or 4x6, so there were still decisions to be made about which style frame was going where.  Then the leveling...over and over.

Starting to take shape...

So here's where I have left off.  Still expanding but needing a little break. Figure after staring at a blank wall for so long I should ease myself in.  Lordy, then I will still have to FILL all of these.  It is all just scraps and ideas and this point!  And how high & wide to go???  Wish me luck...
 

Sorry for the delay but it was a lonnng weekend - every bit of it worth it though for THIS!

The white mantle is done.  Wow, such a tiny area was deceiving to paint - but I wanted to do it right (i.e. primer and two coats!) I brainstormed with blue tape and picked out the trim for the "picture frames" at Home Depot ...lots of choices but went basic.  Trim went up, then sanding, taping and priming before the two coats of semi gloss white.  All those little crevices in the wood trim and the rosettes were the most time consuming part - at least I was in the family room and had lots on the DVR!  

     
Money Saver: Wanted to use the existing oak portion instead of ripping it out and installing a piece that wrapped around. Instead installed trim around the columns to give me an artificial place to stop the white paint!
  



As I type this I am exercising RESTRAINT - I want to hold off at least a week before putting  up any objects until the tackiness of the paint is all gone. But couldn't resist testing a tiny bit with some fall accessories!  

 

YEAH! One last quick before and after!


Costs:  handyman for one hour, $20 worth of wood trim, and $50 worth of paint.  The biggest cost was as usual in my aching back but I think it makes a huge difference in the room! And strides in my mini living room re-do! Signing off to sit on the couch and stare...*happy sigh*.

Recent developments: Fabulous progress on a couch, obstacles encountered zero.

{Inspiration Couches from Jayson Home and Garden}

Am proud to say that I trusted two friends that said I should check out in Value City Furniture.  I realized quickly one would have to weave your way around some "interesting" pieces but at the same time some  of the lines were fantastic. On clearance, with a boo-boo on one side of the piping, I found this couch with great potential.  Don't be afraid to negotiate! They took another $100 off and the final tab was equivalent to getting one of the above for 80% off! She is even a bit more comfy and inviting than the inspiration pieces. After a delicate job with some pins and a staple gun she is looking perfect and sitting in the living room. 
Score:  Me +10   Design Gremlins  0

I collect votives. Yes, they're great for soft candle lighting at your parties, but even more importantly because when not entertaining they are the PERFECT PINT SIZE CONTAINER for more things then you can imagine. AND stylish. AND usually under $5.

Whenever I run across unique ones I just buy.  If you think outside the box you'll see how useful they become.  Some ideas seen here...I keep one by the spice rack holding tooth pics, one with my jewelry holding chunky rings,  one on a desk for pushpins... They can hold your sea salt in the kitchen, your stud earrings in your closet and stamps on your desk.  Better looking then a Dixie cup, no?

I am constantly outgrowing jewelry boxes, annoyed with the configurations and completely unable to put my "See It and Remember It" rule into affect with my earrings crammed into the little compartments.  A  bulletin board became the perfect solution. This one from the Container Store can be used with push-pins OR magnets which gives you tons of options.  For me, my favorite earrings get hung on a nice wooden push-pins, and favorite necklaces are draped on magnets. This allows for your chunky necklaces and stud earrings to have more room in your jewelry box. And it's great for viewing as you are getting dressed!

SS Tip: If you SEE it then you REMEMBER you have it!

You love them so much so why are they all over the floor of your closet or hidden in shoes boxes? Even if your hot pink stilettos are only worn once a year you can still enjoy them everyday!  Container Store sells the perfect clear shoe bin for $1.99. Now the photos:  Snap one shoe at a time and photograph in a well lit area. Print them out (see Technie Tip below), tape inside the front of each box, and for added happiness line the bottom with colored tissue, or the shoe bag if they came with one. This system is great when mulling over an outfit and helps you remember your choices. I guarantee gazing up at your lemon yellow peep-toes will make you smile, even if you are putting on your snow boots in February!

Techie Tip: When printing - open the folder on your computer where you can see all the thumbnails of your shoes pics.  Hold down the SHIFT key and click them one by one so you select all at the same time. Now click "Print the Selected Pictures". The photo wizard will guide you through, and when you get to Available Prints, chose "3.5in x 5in Prints" and make sure you have the "Number of times to use each picture" set to 1.