Make a statement with affordable art
Nothing takes a room to the next level quicker than some well-chosen artwork. If you’ve shied away from investing in art because you’re afraid it will be too costly, don’t. There are lots of ways to appoint your walls with art that’s as inexpensive as it is imaginative.
Display Keepsakes
One of my favorite ways to decorate my walls is with pieces that are near and dear to my heart, like family keepsakes and personal mementos. In my kitchen, I’ve hung an old calendar from the mercantile store that my husband’s great-grandfather used to own.
And I’ve got a framed map of my hometown, Atchison, from the late-1800s that was given to me by a friend. (I never let Dan see me with a hammer in my hand. It terrifies him that I’m going to turn the pristine plaster into Swiss cheese.)
Root through the boxes in your attic to see what interesting family pieces you have that would look sensational on your walls. Photos of ancestors? A handmade sampler? Grandma’s transfer ware dishes?
Another great source of artwork is memorabilia from special moments in your life. Why not display something you picked up on a vacation, like pottery from a specific region or a painting by a local artist?
Or frame something you’ve kept from a special event. A friend of mine, whose husband is in public service and is often invited to formal dinner parties at foreign consulates, adores the elegant menu cards guests are given at these swank events. So she has framed a few of her favorites in affordable matching frames and put them on display.
Frame Flea-Market Finds
Antique stores are a treasure trove of inexpensive artwork. Dig through old books that might contain artwork suitable for framing. If you like old botanical drawings, historic maps or portraits, you’ll likely strike gold.
A friend unearthed a dusty old set of engraved portraits of French nobility at an antique store and had them exquisitely yet inexpensively framed at a hobby store. Then she created a sophisticated grid of artwork that I lust after.
Another friend took pages from old storybooks and reading primers and had them framed to hang in her young daughters’ bedrooms. They look absolutely adorable and unlike any of the mass-produced pieces she’d find in a store.
Or hunt for unique treasures, like historic wallpaper or fabric, old postcards or historic photos of interesting buildings or gardens. Surround them with a generous cream-colored mat, and put them in a thin black frame for a tasteful, archival look. Hang them in a grid, and you have a powerful look that costs a pittance to pull together.
Make Your Own Masterpieces
My favorite piece of art in a dear friend’s home is a painting by her then-6-year-old daughter of a goldfish in a bowl. Chances are, you have stacks of masterpieces by the young artists in your life. Pick a few favorites and frame them for a colorful, playful wall of memories.
If you have artistic leanings, create your own artwork. Find some beautiful fabric and stretch it over a canvas, then staple it into place. Or, since silhouettes are all the rage today, why not make some of your loved ones? Use a bright lamp to cast each model’s profile on the wall, then trace the image and cut it out of black paper. Mount it, frame it and you’ve got a conversation piece you’ll treasure forever.