H
OW A MAN DECORATES, OR, IF YOU PREFER, “CURATES” HIS LIVING SPACE IS A TESTAMENT TO HIS TASTE. A WELL-CURATED AND THOUGHTFUL ROOM IS RELAXING, ENGAGING, PERSONABLE, AND, QUITE FRANKLY, IT MAKES OTHER PEOPLE ENVIOUS (AN ADMITTEDLY AWESOME ADDED BONUS). BEYOND ALL OF THAT, A SPACE THAT YOU’VE TAKEN THE TIME TO PUT TOGETHER YOURSELF IS A TROPHY IN ITS OWN RIGHT. IT’S SOMETHING YOU CAN SHOW OFF, ENJOY AND STAND BACK AND BE DAMN WELL PROUD OF. ADDING FURNITURE IS ONE THING BUT WHAT ABOUT HOW YOU LAY OUT YOUR VERTICAL SPACE?
DECORATING THE WALLS IN YOUR SPACE BRINGS WITH IT A HOST OF CHALLENGES. FIRST, OF COURSE, THE WHOLE GRAVITY THING. THINGS HAVE TO BE HANGABLE, AND EASILY SO. BUT YOU CAN’T JUST PIN ANYTHING UP ON YOUR WALLS AND EXPECT IT TO LOOK GOOD, UNLESS YOU’RE GOING FOR THAT WHOLE NEWSPAPER CUTOUTS AND BAND POSTERS WITH DUCT TAPE LOOK YOU WERE ROCKING IN HIGH SCHOOL. A TASTEFULLY CURATED WALL TAKES TIME, BUT THE PAYOFFS ARE WELL WORTH IT. THINK YOU’RE UP FOR THE CHALLENGE? HERE ARE SOME TIPS ON HOW TO CREATE WALLS IN YOUR HOME THAT YOU WANT TO SHOW OFF.
SELECT PIECES WITH A STORY TO TELL
The things that you put on your walls should tell a story. They should be tokens that symbolize your interests, your passions, and your taste. Don’t go out and buy every car-related poster you see on Amazon right off the bat, though. You want each piece that ends up on your wall to have a story attached to it. Maybe you found one poster at a garage sale in Memphis, picked up a piece of artwork on your last vacation, or uncovered a guitar signed by your favorite singer on eBay. Avoid going to Walmart and hauling home everything that looks relatively interesting. Odds are, the things you buy in haste are going to be the first things you’ll want to get rid of later on down the line. Wait until you come across things that really catch your eye–these are the things that are bound to stay relevant for longer.
KNOW THAT CURATING YOUR WALLS IS A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT
That being said, when you move, or when you start to take on designing a new space, it can be tempting to want to get all of the things you need right away. Try to quell this urge. While it may feel good to buy 10 shelves and 15 picture frames and start putting them up immediately, you might realize later on down the line that your space actually needs entirely different things to make it feel complete, or that you actually don’t even have enough stuff to fill 10 shelves and 15 frames. Add elements to your walls piece by piece, frame by frame. You’ll get a better feel for what you need and what you’re better off without, and you’ll run less of a risk of overcrowding and cluttering your walls.
FRAME IT WELL
It’s one thing to track down the posters or prints that you want to display. You’ll also need to figure out what you’re going to display them in. The trick to mastering an artfully framed wall is to either use frames that are very similar in style, or to opt for frames that are noticeably different. Don’t buy a bunch of cheap shadow box frames that all vary in size, color, and depth, because no matter how cool your artwork may be, a bad display will ruin them. It’s like putting performance tires on a Toyota Prius. Check out our friends over at Framebridge for the perfect frame.
SPEAK TO YOUR INTERESTS
If you’re stumped as to what to even put on your walls to begin with, one of the best places to start is with your hobbies and interests. What makes you tick? Maybe it’s motorcycles or old Hollywood movies, or perhaps you’re more of a cigars and whiskey type of guy. Select one or two of these interests and build a theme around it. Let’s take whiskey and cigars for example. A wall filled with vintage cigar box art, framed old fashioned cocktail recipes, and perhaps some of your best rocks glasses that you reserve for special occasions on display doesn’t sound too shabby, does it?
GET PERSONAL
Another source of inspiration, of course, is the things that make up your personal life. Maybe family is a huge part of what makes you you. Consider blowing up black and white images of your wife, your kids, or your dog and creating a framed photo wall. By curating snapshots and applying a unifying filter to them (i.e., black and white) and/or framing them all in a similar fashion, you can achieve a sentimental yet sleek showcase of all of the people and moments that you care about.
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX (FRAME)
Beyond picture frames, play with the third dimension or with unexpected shapes to really make your wall a fixture in your space. Things like shelves, faux (or real) taxidermy heads, 3D art pieces, eye-catching clocks, or wall-mounted wine/beer racks can all work to bring a more dynamic feel to your room and break up the expected symmetry of picture frames.
Your walls are a crucial element of your space, and they are certainly not to be overlooked. Take your time developing a concept and curating the things that will bring out the best use of your vertical space. In the same way that you would cultivate your personal style, the walls in your space are a reflection of you. Don’t be afraid to make a statement.
