January is often a time when people nest a little bit more and get things squared away around the house. It always seems to be a mix of purging and freshening up. Whether you just moved in to a home and are staring at bare walls or desperately wanting a change, filling your walls can really make a huge difference in any home. We have lived in this house for 6 months now and I am just beginning to hang things. Here are my top 5 ways to fill walls in any home.
ONE: PURCHASE & DOWNLOAD
Of course in a perfect world, I would hang gallery art everywhere. While that may be lovely, it’s not realistic for my budget and there are so many awesome options out there. Etsy is a great option if you are needing to fill your walls. I recently hung two prints on either side of these windows. I downloaded these prints from Etsy and popped them in pretty frames from Michaels. The herbs are a fun idea for any area near the kitchen and fill the wall nicely. I will snap more photos without the glare soon!
These were mentioned in my Monday Morning Wrap-Up post. I love what these added to our entryway. The prints can be downloaded from Etsy and and printed at Staples or from home. Just be sure you get out your level and measure, measure, measure to be sure your gallery wall is precise. That is the key to it looking professional and clean. I used command strips for these. At first I used picture wire, but they were hanging away from the wall too much which really bugged me. So I spent another hour taking off all of the picture wire and applying Command strips but it turned out exactly how I hoped it would. Learn from my mistakes and ditch the picture wire!
In our guest room, I reused prints I created from our last home. These were printed for free from the Internet. I used my own printer at the time and placed them in frames from Walmart. Could not have been cheaper and I get asked about these all the time. I do think botanicals work in almost any space and look so fresh.
TWO: MAKE A STATEMENT
One of my very favorite shops on Etsy is Between You and Me Signs. I actually have a new one in the house I can’t wait to show you. We had this hanging in our front room during the Christmas season and it made me so happy. The store offers bible verses, song lyrics, inspiring quotes and even family rules. All so well done.
You can also consider making your own statement signs. This was one of my very first DIY projects from our last house. I included streets that my husband and I have lived on throughout our lives. It was inexpensive and still brings us so much joy when we see it. It now hangs in our guest room which you can see more of here.
You can also see it here hanging in our former living room. Get to know the people who work at your local Staples or Office Depot. They can be so helpful in bringing your ideas to life. They have always been so awesome about helping me format items and printing them to perfection.
THREE: THINK FUNCTION
If you have blank space, consider what would help you function better. Recently we added bulletin boards for each child in a little hallway we have. This space is ideal for keeping the children more organized. Also a huge believer in using children’s artwork to decorate. It instantly brings a smile to your face and your children will beam with pride.
FOUR: MINTED FOR THE WIN
No secret I am a fan of Minted. I can’t tell you how many hours I spend scrolling through their offerings. Such great artists and there is something for everyone. Here we went bold to add a splash of color.
In the One Room Challenge for my son, I used a large print above his bed to insert a bit of red in his room. We pretty much replicated this room in this house, too. You can see more of that room here.
FIVE: INSTAGRAM ART
I recently worked with Framebridge to frame some of our Instagram photos. We capture so many moments on there and I thought it would be fun to fill our powder room with family prints. They were just delivered and I hope to get them up this week. It’s so easy. You simply access your Instagram photos from their site, choose a frame and they get sent to your doorstep.
Here is a sneak peek of what the gold bamboo frames will look like on the blue wallpaper! I can’t wait to get them up. I love the gold and blue combination.
I hope these spark some ideas of you hoping to dress your walls and switch things up in the new year. Let us know if you have another great source for filling walls!
If you missed my last “Five Ways” post you can read my tips for spending less money here.
*Affiliate links used.
Silly question, the picture with the bulletin boards, the greenery, is it faux/fresh?
Not a silly question at all! That is faux and I bought it from Magnolia Market when they had a big sale. I love having fresh flowers around here but I usually take a break this time of year and go faux with the bigger arrangements. Hope that helps!
All great ideas Courtney. I agree, inexpensive art is more practical. Especially if you like changing things up often. Love the bamboo frames.
Thanks, Lauren!! And fun to switch things up for the season, too. Been meaning to email you. I’m so excited about your going white. Then you can do all of the blue and white you’ve been loving. Hope you all are having a great week. Pouring buckets here and it’s glorious.
Courtney, long time reader, first time commenter. I just wanted to say that you have been knocking it out of the park with your content recently! Such helpful tips and tricks. The command strip tip is exactly what I needed for one of my gallery walls! Thanks 🙂
Hi Jane! First of all, thank you so much for reading and for taking the time to comment. Means so much to me. And thank you! That’s a really kind compliment and I’m so excited that the command strips are going to help. They saved us on our recent project. Especially after battling with picture wire for so long. That stuff is the worst. Have fun with your gallery wall and happy new year to you and your family. xo
Courtney!!!!!! Can we talk about your kitchen drapes? Actually, will you talk about your drapes? They are soooo gorgeous.
Thanks!
Hi Mary! Why, yes. Yes, I can! LOL. Thank you. So those were a lucky HomeGoods find. They were not long enough so I color matched the blue at JoAnn’s fabrics and add that for length.
Love all these beautiful ideas Courtney! Your home is just so warm and beautiful!
Oh thank you, sweet friend. That means so much coming from you. Slowly but surely it’s becoming our cozy haven. And LOVING all of this rain! So fun for a change.
Love this post and your blog! What frame did you choose for the large abstract in your living room? Everything you have done with your new home is just beautiful. Thank you!
Oh that it so nice of you to say, Laura. I really appreciate that. I believe I went with the champagne silver but I wish I would have gone with the matte brass for a bit of warmth above the gray sofa. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Such good ideas! Your instagram prints look great.
P.S. I love your kitchen curtains…I saw them at Homegoods and thought they were pretty but you made them even better! 🙂
Courtney,
These are some really good ideas, and I appreciate you sharing them with us.
I also wanted to share another source for pretty art … calendars!! Every year when the calendars start going on sale, I purchase a couple that feature art and that are printed on museum-quality paper. Then I simply cut out the images I want and insert them into frames from Michaels. This is an easy and inexpensive way to create a gallery wall, and it’s easy and inexpensive to change the images when you want something new. And believe me, because it’s thick, museum -quality paper the result is stunning and looks very professional.
Have you had luck with command strips on wallpaper? I have a couple of prints I’d love to hang in our guest bath but I’m afraid of damaging the statement wallpaper.
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Hi Courtney, I love your Minted piece! What size did you get? Does yours have the standard plexi or the UV upgraded plexi glass?
Such a beautiful home, Courtney! I love all of the art choices that you’ve made!
Courtney your Minted piece looks beautiful above that couch! Do you think it is a piece that could be hung horizontally, or would it look silly? I have the same tones in my room but feel my sofa needs a horizontal piece above it. Thank you Courtney!
Where did you get those gorgeous blue curtains??
Thanks for sharing your decorating ideas with us at #OvertheMoon Link Up and have a lovely day.