How to Dress Up Your Walls - Part I

One of the first things I notice in homes when working on an interior design job is the artwork or lack of artwork on the walls. Usually there’s very little on the walls – just a lonely print or photograph and that’s it. I don’t know if it’s a tight budget, fear of making a mistake or just sheer laziness, but dressing up your wall can really be the easiest and most enjoyable way to establish a style in your home.  It could even be the least expensive way to liven up your interiors.

(photographs, courtesy of Sonic Editions & from left to right: Michael Ochs Archives, Peter Ruck, Michael Ochs Archives-next two, and McKeown) The first question I get usually asked is where does one start? That’s easy - usually I begin with what the client has.  This can also be the cheapest method.  I ask what kind of collections, hobbies, artwork, and photographs do they already have. Then I start nosing around in their photo albums, their closets, and their attics (with their permission, of course!)  to see what I can work with.  Sometimes a client can overlook what’s right under their nose. 

After I’ve evaluated the available art work and accessories, then I turn to creating possible themes.  Sometimes, by just looking at what the client has, I can figure out their interests.  It could be travel, which can be narrowed down to specific countries of the world; it could be animals, nature, sports, and so forth.  The third step is determining the mood they prefer – do they want formal, casual, rustic or sophisticated? After those three steps, then I really get down to work and plan out the walls. 

If a client has portrait photographs of friends and family, I start with those and create a story around them.  Above is a version of a photo wall in a formal and elegant mood.  To invoke an elegant style, I kept the photographs to black and white mode with simple frames and interspersed it with the sparkle of distressed mirrors to add dimensionality (Dubois mirrors from Crate and Barrel). The strong photos (limiting it to close-up portraits) and the beautiful mirrors create a strong statement to any room.

A more casual and relaxed approach is to create an asymmetrical wall with different shapes and sizes that are hung in a non-linear way. This technique is great for those odd shaped art work or accessories. Since many people usually have souvenirs lying around their homes from their vacations, travel can be a starting point for dressing up a wall. Above is an example of a travel theme – that of Spain. I started with a travel poster of Madrid and expanded from there. Spain is known for their beautiful tiles, a result of their Moorish history, and these tiles have such intricate designs that they can be hung like artwork instead of just using them for flooring. The final touch is the Marietta mirrors from Joss & Main with a shape reminiscent of Moorish tile work. The muted earth tone colors ties all the art and accessories together.

Stay tuned next time for further examples on how to dress up your walls!

Interested in learning more about accessorizing? Take a look at Sheffield School's Complete Course in Interior Design. At Sheffield, you'll learn how to transform a space, create color schemes, and select furniture, lighting, and accessories.

Columbus Day Video: Destination Wedding in Italy

Columbus Day in the United States has morphed into a celebration of Italian American heritage, and in that spirit, we thought it would be a fun idea to feature one of the many wedding videos shot of a couple tying the knot in Italy. Our Sheffield Course on Wedding and Event Planning covers destination weddings, and you can click here to find out more information about Getting Married in Italy (all the details you need, from legalities to waiting periods to ceremonies). 

If you're interested in learning more about wedding planning, we encourage you to explore the Sheffield School, New York, NY. Sheffield began as an Interior Design school in 1985, and then expanded our course offerings to train people in other design-related fields, including Feng Shui, Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design. With thousands of active students and more than 50,000 graduates, Sheffield has trained more design professionals than any school in the world.

Request a free Sheffield School catalog describing our distance education courses.

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Feng Shui Homework: Enhance "Travel Energy" in Your Home

Franca Giuliani - In my path I have met only a few people who hate traveling. In general I find that most people like it. Personally, I think traveling is a very important factor of life. It gives us a chance to learn new things, meet new people, and think of great ideas - all which can enrich our lives very much.
 

 In feng shui, the bagua sector that represents this energy is found at the front right corner of your space: Helpful People and Travel (in the bagua above, it's listed as "Mentors and Networking"). It refers to the Heaven trigram and Father energy of a family. This is a very powerful sector that emulates authority, control, and soaring possibilities. Having the element of metal, items with round shapes, and grays and whites in this area of your home - even in the front corner of a room - can be very beneficial for enhancing its forces.

Since it also represents travel and mentor support, it's important to have in this space symbolism of travel and symbolism of people or guides that inspire you.

And, yes here's another opportunity to be creative when you're decorating with feng shui in mind. For instance,

• If a bathroom falls in this area, consider using a world map motif as a shower curtain. Start collecting hotel soaps from your journeys and use them as decor pieces.

• If a kitchen falls in this space, you may want to enhance it with cook books for different countries and ethnic foods.

• If here is where your living room is, there's so much you can do! Add an ottoman made of Moroccan fabric, or an item found in a Tuscan country house. Just make sure you pick things from places that you love.

• No matter what room it is, adding something that represents your guides or people you admire is wonderful. Perhaps, frame one of their quotes.

Now, if your space is missing this part of the bagua, don't fret! Adjustments can be made. If you can work from the outside, add a lawn ornament such as a statue of an angel or spiritual guide at the corner point where your space gets squared off. From the inside, add mirrors on the surrounding walls to symbolically push back the space. And, where possible use the element metal, greys and whites, and any item that represents travel.

Your Feng Shui Homework

The month of October is a very powerful time to address the Northwest portion of your space.

Your homework for this month: start to emphasize the traveling energy and travel design motifs within your space, as described above. 

Until next month,

Be well, 

Franca

Franca is one of the Feng Shui instructors at Sheffield School; visit her website for more information. If you're interested in learning more about feng shui and interior design, then we encourage you to explore the Sheffield School, New York, NY. Sheffield began as an Interior Design school in 1985, and then expanded our course offerings to train people in other design-related fields, including Feng Shui, Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design. With thousands of active students and more than 50,000 graduates, Sheffield has trained more design professionals than any school in the world.

• Request a free Sheffield School catalog describing our distance education courses.
• Subscribe to the Sheffield Designer newsletter.