What About the Walls?

Try not to fill wall space with cheap (albeit not necessarily inexpensive) paintings. Walls are often the last piece of the house to get our attention, and go neglected for years. Let go of traditional ideas like hanging a mirror over the mantle or rectangular print over the couch. Try making your walls as fascinating as you are. Here are some ideas..

This is a hand painted silver on canvas piece at Pier 1 for $350.
Great for a contemporary home.

This handcrafted copper mirror is really a fabulous price at $70.
Available at www.goodhandarts.com


Ten Thousand Villages is a fair trade market that seeks to sell wares from small villages globally.
This Coiled Bamboo Wall Hanging was made by Vietnamese street children
and is only $28 nearly all of which goes back to the artists.

I’m not a fan of candles as home decoration, but this sconce is interesting.
It’s an antique roof tile formed over the artisans thigh. Available for $30 from Wisteria.

These shift key prints from Graninroad aren’t cheap, but they create an interesting focal point. They're between $120 and $160 each.

There are some inexpensive things you can do on your walls. Unfortunately, I don’t have great pictures, but try some of these things:

1. Pick a few leaves from a green plant- or one that’s changing colors- and spray it with a plant preserver that can be found in any craft store and frame it.
2. Pick up some antique tin ceiling squares. Using chair rail molding, create a square on the wall, paint it inside and hang the tiles.
3. Frame and hang your children’s paintings.
4. Purchase a piece of vintage fabric or a remnant from a good upholstery store and frame it.