A super charming, relaxed & artsy home by a well-travelled mom and her little one

I really like this house tour out of Covet Garden. It's a nice mix of personality and comfort.

Read and see more about the space here.

Beautiful and creative ways to display art and objects

I never feel like a room is finished until I have hung all the artwork that I have planned for the space.  I even like to hang 3D objects, like musical instruments, objects found in nature, and travel momentos.  It helps that you can find frames for almost anything these days; shadow box frames, digital frames, puzzle frames, memorabilia frames, etc.

It's not always so easy to decide how to arrange these items in their respective frames, or how to arrange the frames on the wall.  Here are some ideas for displaying and framing various art and objects.

Ledges, as seen in the two images above, are probably the least expensive and require the least commitment.  When thoughtfully arranged with your objects are art, they can be really special.

On the left hand side of this image you can see some 3-D objects nicely composed with some traditionally framed art.  If the objects were just floating in a space on their own they would not look like art, but more like an after though.

Trouser hangers are a cool way to hang items that you may want to change out frequently.  If you have a fabric fetish, you could even have your latest fabric purchases on display.

 If you have many objects that fit into one theme, like wine, coordinating display frames and shelving may be the easiest way to fit your needs.

 Bottles are a cute way to display sand, shells, or pebbles
Above via Apartment Therapy

Antique intaglios are framed and displayed above the bed here, but it's also a pretty way to display coins or sentimental but never-worn jewelry.

via Traditional Home

These memorabilia frames/boxes are just amazing. Click on each image for a larger view
 via Time Framed

The perfect spring giveaway to bring life to your walls!

I think you guys are really going to like this giveaway.  It is a $40.00 gift card for Poppy Tree Frames.

"Poppy Tree Frames sells custom, hand made picture frames. We offer 18 frame styles in 42 colors and 49 prints.

At Poppy Tree Frames, we absolutely love and take great pride in what we do. We love to design and create art that will complement our customer’s pictures and homes. Our goal is to provide such incredible products and excellent service that our customers will be excited to come back to us and share us with their friends and family. "

You can read more and see more frames at Poppy Tree Frames.
Check out how cute these frames are!

I think their designs are really unique and all of the colors and patterns they offer are great for customizing your photos to match your decor.


To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is "Like" Poppy Tree Frames on facebook, and then come back to this post and leave a comment. The contest closes at next Monday the 11th at 6 PM EST.

Good luck!

Artist spotlight: Michael Begenyi's color rich, geometric paintings

I'm really going to try and feature more artists this year. As a RISD illustration major painting and drawing are in my blood, and artwork can make a huge impact in your home! The artist I'm featuring today is Michael Begenyi, I think his work really lends itself to interiors and interior design, because of his focus on color combinations and geometry and line.

Here is his artist's statement: Michael C. Begenyi teaches middle school art in Western Pennsylvania and actively exhibits his work. His acrylic paintings reflect his interests in the geometric representation of the natural world and explorations in color theory. The relationship between math, science and art is part of what Michael has been exploring with his current work. Technical precision is important to Michael but it does not overwhelm the organic and creative inspiration for each painting. 
 

 This one (full:above), (detail:below), is my favorite.  It is titled koi pond. I think it does a fantastic job of capturing what a koi pond would look like broken down into geometric shapes.  The colors are really stunning as well.

The paintings also remind me a lot of oragami, and even have titles like "Hummingbird," "Frog," and "Crane"

 The photo above gives you a better perspective of the size of some of the paintings

To see all of Michael's works, purchase, or read more, go to his shop on Zatista.

Last chance to enter the Snap Hang giveaway!

The Snap Hang giveaway has been one of my most popular ones, and I don't want anyone to miss out on their chance of winning! Snap hang is a very beautiful and unique way to display and frequently update art. (See pick below). To enter the drawing, click here and follow the directions. I've pushed back the entry closing time to 12 AM Pacific time, Sat. Jan 14th. Winner will be announced Monday. Good luck!

In the spirit of displaying art, I've featured some great ideas below:

 Your frames needn't all match for a successful salon style wall arrangement.

 2 above via BHG

Casual and easy to update look, try running some line and attaching your latest works of art with clothes pins.
via Bolig Magasinet

Another casual look, which would look good in a home office of young person's room, is to pin art to the wall in a nice arrangement
via Domino

I think one of my favorite looks might be one large dramatic piece.
Encore Decor

 A cluster of small drawings is very cute and indie
via Covet Garden

Simply leaning frames against a wall keeps things from looking too precious.
via Sweet Paul

Happy Friday and a fabulous and unique giveaway!

 I have a super exciting giveaway for you guys today!  This awesome, unique, reclaimed way to display art, inspiration, photos, kids' drawings, notes - you name it - from Magnetic Grain.

Such a great and easy way to display artwork if you like to frequently update your walls.

The winner will receive 2 pairs of 12" Snap Hangs, and can choose from black, walnut or alder (light natural wood).

A little bit about Magnetic Grain:  "Magnetic Grain is a designer and manufacturer of inventive products for the home. We focus on all things wood - sustainable & salvaged, magnetic & modular, fun & functional. All Magnetic Grain products are designed by Trevor Elliott, the founder & creator behind Magnetic Grain and the finished pieces are truly handmade, small craft production. Our products are manufactured in our local wood shop in Ventura, Ca. and finished by a local artisan. In this way, we can ensure the quality and integrity of each piece in our product"

You can read more about Magnetic Grain and see their product range on their website.  Here are a few more of their beautiful products:

Magnetic tile art.

I really like their re|Surface table.  You can rearrange and flip around the magnetic slats.

Grow frame

Stac modular cubes.

Pretty cool, right?

To enter the giveaway for Snap Hang, you must Like Magnetic Grain on Facebook.  Click here to like them.  Then, come back to this post and leave a comment that you'd like to enter the drawing.  To comment on this post (scroll to the bottom of this post and right above "Labels" you will see a number followed by the word "comments." Click on the word "Comments." Or, you will see a link, "Post a Comment," which you click on to comment.  Or, you can email me at ashley [at] decorologyblog [dot] com confirming that you liked Magnetic Grain on Facebook, and that you'd like to be entered for the giveaway.

The contest closes next Friday, Jan. 13th at 6 PM EST.  I will announce the lucky winner, chosen by random draw, the following Monday.  Good luck and have a great weekend!

The home office/studio of one of my favorite graphic designers/bloggers

Designer Fabien Barral's blog, Graphic Exchange, is always my go-to site for design inspiration when I'm starting a new project and feel a little bit of designer's block. He has a way of finding the most stunning work being produced in the graphic design world - especially when it comes to typography. It was no surprise really that his home office, which he shares with his wife in the countryside of France, is as equally inspiring.

Separate work stations provide lots of work surfaces, and in my humble opinion, one can never have too much surface area...

The plants are a nice touch... I have three in my space

One day I'll have space to have a separate table for pencil/ink/and paint, and a separate desk for my computer...

Make organizational tools like filing/storage that are out in the open pretty, and somehow visually cohesive - love these.

Lovely office right? I know I'm a bit jealous.  You may also know Barral from Harmonie-Intérieure, a home-decor stencil company that does some really unique wall stencils.  I did a post on them years ago.

images via Graphic Exchange