Picture This
No budget for art? Katrina Blowers adds wow to empty walls
Whenever my family moved into a new house, we would decorate the walls before unpacking a single box. Here are some of the best tips I’ve picked up over the years for giving a home an arty atmosphere.
Think outside the picture frame. Art doesn’t have to come from a gallery. Hang things that define you or have special meaning. Display a handmade quilt or a woven rug, or a collection of plates or clocks. Bear in mind that odd numbers in a tight group look better than even numbers widely spaced.
If you have a striking table runner or piece of fabric, stretch it onto a canvas bought from an art supply store. Consider travel mementoes, too—I have a friend who made a dramatic floor-to-ceiling wall display of woven baskets from Africa.
Make your mark. If you want your room to convey a message, put it in writing. Paint “Relax,” “Believe” or “Dream” onto a piece of plywood to hang. Or inscribe a favourite quote directly on the wall; type the text into your computer, enlarge the font, then cut out the alphabets and use it as a stencil.
Hit the web. Get free picture downloads. The best sites I’ve found include nationalgeographic.com/print-aposter for wildlife and landscape posters, and vintageprintable.com/ wordpress where you can download hundreds of images, from Japanese brush paintings to vintage posters.
Empty the albums. Nothing says home more than pictures of the people who live there. Arrange displays gallery style or group them in quirky frames. You can enlarge favourite images on your computer, print them in black-and-white, then make a floor-to-ceiling collage. This can add wow factor to a hallway, around a door or behind a dining table.
