home decor - grace grits and gardening

Arranging a Photo Wall Display for Impact

October 15, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

In our Dallas house, we filled our entire stairwell space with a wall display of black and white family photos. It worked well in a space that would have otherwise been boring and blank.

Although for years we enjoyed the look, I wanted something different for our new Fayetteville home. Plus our Fayetteville stairwell is very narrow. I imagined if we hung our photos along the stairs, we would constantly brush against them resulting in forever straightening picture frames. That would make me crazy.

Instead, we chose an empty corner just outside our bedroom.

First off, this is not a post about how to measure so that you end up with flawlessly positioned frames. There are tons of pictures on Pinterest about templates and measuring if you are a stickler for perfectly aligned pictures. I’m just not that worried about it. Ask my husband…I think I make him nervous with my free-spirited hammering.

Unless we are hanging a heavy piece of artwork that involves screws and toggle bolts, I do minimal measuring and try not to sweat it. The only real “prep” I do is placing photos on the floor to roughly decide an arrangement. And the arrangement never ends up the way it starts. Even so, I do have a few tips that work for me.

1.) Pick a prominent frame/photo to serve as the focal point.

arranging a photo display - start by laying pictures on the floor

my original general design laid out on the floor

2) Locate the center of your space (sometimes I measure this). Once I hang the focal point photo, I typically abandon my first arrangement and begin holding up various photos until I find the next one that speaks to me. (You can use Command Strips if you are worried about nail holes, but I use picture hangers.)

3.) Hang photos 1-2 inches apart for a stylish, modern look that doesn’t seem contrived. I like to think of my style as Elle Decor meets Billy Reid, a bit eclectic yet not too over the top.

4.) After hanging a few of the center photos, live with the look for a few hours before adjusting or adding more. If something is off, you will notice. If you have a large collection of framed photos like I do, usually switching out the picture with a different sized frame will rebalance the look (rather than making another nail hole).

5.) Keep frames and photos in the same color family. They don’t have to be identical in shape, color, material, but they should complement each other. I used different color wood, antique frames, black and white and sepia toned photos.

6). Break the look up with something different to add interest. I hung a wooden cross and small vintage oil painting.

7.) Wrap the wall with photos to make an impact in a small space.

The plant in the corner softens the whole look plus adding something alive always makes me happy. (SaraBeth if you are reading this, your plant is doing well!)

This look may not be for everyone, but after stressing about it (and calling in my sister-in-law for her opinion), I’m enjoying the final result. Plus I love having our family members together in one place.

Now, you know those photos you’ve been meaning to hang forever? Get to it.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

“A photograph shouldn’t be just a picture, it should be a philosophy.”
― Amit Kalantri

Musical Pairing:

Paul Simon, Kodachrome

a new twist on flower frogs

August 9, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

This is a frog in a flower.

via Chamomile @ morgueFile

These are flower frogs.

Note the differences. ◕‿◕

I’ve begun collecting flower frogs. (My mother, on the other hand, collects the amphibian sort in her bathroom on the farm—a whole other story.)

Vintage flower frogs are made of metal or pottery. They were originally used for flower arranging (very Ikebana). The frog holds the stems of flowers upright. Placed inside a shallow bowl filled with water (like a frog?), the flowers stay fresh and stand at attention. I put mine in a little creamer for demo purposes. Pretty cute I think, even though the picture didn’t turn out so great.

Flower frogs have become quite collectible (pricey), so if I can find an inexpensive one, I snag it. But instead of using them for flower arranging, I prefer to use them for displaying photographs.

The last few weeks I’ve been decluttering our house, preparing to sell it, preparing to move. The last thing I should be doing is buying something else to tote to our new house. Right?

Right.

Yet I was the highest (only) Ebay bidder on two new frogs. Less than five dollars, I couldn’t resist. They needed a new home, and luckily they will be easy to pack.

using flower frogs for displaying photos

(l to r) baby John, Kelsey blowing kisses, Momma and Daddy during courting days, Daddy’s elementary pic

I love love love this simple clean look. I can easily change out the photos, and there are no frames to collect dust.

The sharp pins hold the pictures in place. I especially like antique frogs with black and white photos.

Tell me, what do you collect?

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

“The subject of the picture is always more important than the picture.”
― Diane Arbus

Simple Spring Decor

April 22, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

Raise your hand if you thought spring would never arrive! I know, me too. In Dallas I’ve learned to really appreciate spring because summer brings challenges I’d rather not think about like trying to keep plants alive in blistering days of drought. But right now I’m celebrating cool nights and perfect days, days of front porches, a good book and a glass of white wine.

Okay I’m rambling, but I do have a point, and that point is how simple spring decorating can be. With only a few dollars (or zero dollars) you can transform your home from dull and uninspired to fresh and inviting using items around your house and plants growing in your garden.

Take a look at the centerpiece (below) I arranged for my dining room table. For five dollars, I purchased a bouquet of white gerber daisies at Trader Joe’s and created this natural look using Fostoria goblets (handed down from John’s Godmother) centered inside an antique picture frame layered over a plaid runner that covers my table almost year-round.

The next arrangement is so basic I almost didn’t include it—a crystal vase filled with budding branches. Take advantage of the many trees and shrubs in full bloom now. Forsythia, Redbud, Dogwood, Spirea, Azalea… Snip a few buds or branches from your own yard, alley or roadside. Or maybe your neighbor will share? Ask first of course.

The vintage glass basket (candy dish?) which belonged to my mother-in-law makes a sweet and aromatic arrangement of herbs and flowers from the garden. Only a few snips and it is filled. Keep it nearby in the kitchen, and you won’t forget to use your herbs when cooking supper.