Hung Up on Gallery Walls!!

Photograph by Anson Smart, via Desire to Inspire.

I admit - I'm obsessed with gallery walls.  I had to acknowledge this the other day while I was searching thru my archive photos and discovered an unusually large quantity (hundreds!) of photos illustrating gallery wall installations, I just can't get enough of them!  But they also happen to be one of the most common requests I receive from clients when addressing the finishing details of their homes, to create a gallery wall - actually, I've yet to work with a client who hasn't had it on their wish list!  Its easy to understand the appeal of these installations, much like how flowers and books instantly make a room feel lived in, a gallery of photos or artwork has the same effect.  A display of any collection gives the feeling that these things were collected over time and the fact that they've been put on display shows that these things provide a great sense of pleasure to their owners. Even more so, when you really get down to what is dearest and nearest to our hearts,,,,our photos, our collections of memories, and our ties with the past hold the highest material value to us as they truly express who we are as individuals, where we've come from, what we've experienced and who we treasure most in our lives.

No matter how many thousands of dollars or hundreds of thousands have been spent on renovations, for stone countertops, new floors, to-die-for soaker tubs,,,european faucets, state of the art appliances,,,and no matter how many months you searched for that perfect sofa or light fixture, or maybe even taken delivery of brand new furniture for your entire house - in my experience, nothing gets a more positive response or a bigger reaction from homeowners than when their personal photos or personal collections get hung on the wall! Its that 'transformation' moment.......when their space becomes a home.  Its no wonder in the event of an emergency like a fire or flood - these are the things that everyone will desperately try to save, forget about the $10,000 sofa. 

This week one of the things I'm working on is a small photo gallery wall for a client which will be installed on a tall staircase wall and comprised of travel photos she's had stored in boxes and on CD's for many years.  When I started planning out the image sizes and the frame finishes last week I searched through my image archives for photos of some of my favorite gallery walls to help me communicate with my client what I was envisioning.  As you'll see from the images below - there really aren't many rules with this process, whether its all photos, or a mix of various media, all black and white, all colour,,or a mix of both, each installation is always unique (which i think is another reason why they're so appealing to everyone). I do think certain interpretations may appeal more to some than others and the approach can be be either contemporary or traditional.   So if you've always loved the idea of creating a wall of your favorite photos or artwork but never dreamed you could put one together on your own, browse the images below and see how they all make it look so easy.  But be warned,,,,, you may soon become as obsessed with them as I am!

An eclectic collection of what looks like mostly old photos.  Photo source unknown.

Contemporary Grid style gallery wall.  Show home by Canadian House & Home.

All black & white photo gallery on chocolate brown wall.  Photo source unknown.

Gallery of vintage colour posters.  New York Apartment photo via Desire to Inspire blog.

A traditional grouping that integrates a mirror and wallsconces.  Despite the irregular shape, the arrangement is very symmetrical with each side almost mirroring the other.  Room design by C.W. Eisner.

A graphic grid style display of black and white photos.  Image by Photographer Morton Holton, via Desire to Inspire.

I'm CRAZY for this!!!!  Its like the armoire becomes part of the grouping of art.  Apartment of designer Thomas O'Brien, via House & Garden.

Classic and gorgeous.  Gold & Black & White.  Patric Johansson via Desire to Inspire.

Modern and dramatic black with colour.  Living Etc. July 08.  

The dark sofa helps to keep this balanced.

Modern and eclectic grouping of b&w photos mixed with some oil paintings, all cleverly arranged around wall sconces.  Room design by Katie Hume.

Black and whites surround a single coloured image.  Room design by Alexandra Rowley.

Elclectic gallery wall in the living room of Canadian House & Home editor Suzanne Dimma.

Photo source unknown.

This kitchen gallery wall just oozes LOVE & Happiness!  Photograph by Mark Lund.

Domino April 07.

Domino.

Colour images on coloured wall.  Designer Show House, room design by Carrie & Co., via Habitually Chic.

This one is probably my all time favorite!!  Its also very similar to the look we're creating for the current gallery wall I'm working on as we have white walls and a large Moooi Random light fixture exactly as shown above.  Patric Johansson Photographer, via Desire to Inspire.

Black & White on an accent colour, stunning.  Domino magazine.

Modern black, white and graphic.  Photograph by James Tse for Canadian House & Home.

TIPS FOR CREATING YOUR OWN GALLERY WALL:

1.  Rules of thumb - there really aren't any hard rules,,,,but if you've never attempted a gallery hanging before try this no fail method of combining pieces that have at least one consistent theme ie; all b&w photos, or all white mats, or all black frames or keep all your spacing equal. Obviously this rule of thumb can be broken (see images above) and yield fantastic results but often takes more confidence and a keen eye.

2. Starting point - start with your largest or your strongest piece first then work out, up and down from there.

3. Lay it out - if starting with 3 or more pieces,,lay them out on the floor first until your happy with the configuration, then note the dimensions of each piece in relation to the other so you can recreate that placement on the wall.  While its still laid out on the floor, it also helps to measure the overall width, and the overall height of the grouping which will give you a centre point to use for reference.

4.  As Seen on TV - this Hang & Level gizmo is a fantastic tool for hanging artwork and makes quick work of hanging multiple pieces.

5.  One is enough - pick one location for a gallery wall in your home, unless your home is incredibly expansive, more than one will look too busy.

6.  Renting - if you're weary about putting dozens of holes in your landlord's walls, you can create a gallery effect by layering and leaning multiple pieces of art along a shelf, a bench, a mantle or a credenza.

7.  Instant & Inexpensive - if you've got a lot of blank walls but not a lot of collections or cash......go for high impact with a grid style installation by purchasing 9 or 12 inexpensive ready made frames with mats and insert a series of prints or photocopies or book pages.  These can always be replaced in future with more significant images but in the meantime, you'll have an instant and dramatic gallery wall.

8.  Grid vs. Random - A random grouping can look extremely interesting and eclectic and is in my opion more casual looking than a grid layout, but some may find the concept intimidating to lay out and or install, although as you can see from the photos above its hard to go wrong.  The benefit of this method is you can start with only a few pieces and continue to grow and grow as long as you still have wall space.  A symmetrical grid installation is classic and can be a bit more formal looking.  The multiple use, repitition, of the same frame creates a dramatic graphic effect which in itself has a lot of impact.  This method is ideal if you have a collection of similar items or series of items, or as noted in no.7 above, if you need an instant completed installation using a set of frames rather than accumulating a collection of different frames and pieces over time. 

Rosedale Reno - Dining Room Sneak Peek

Dining Room by Carol Reed Interior Design

I had the opportunity to work on a full scale gut and reno of a Rosedale home for a young family back in 2007/08.  When I became involved in the project the century old house had already been stripped back to the brick and when you stood in the living room on the ground floor you could look up through three stories and see the sky above.   My scope of work involved planning all the interior detailing (mouldings, staircases, doorways etc.), lighting layout, designing the fireplaces and builtins, selecting all the interior finishes, specifying all the lighting, hardware, window coverings, and finally, sourcing a few key furniture pieces.   

Although its been more than a year and half since they've moved in and the interior construction was completed, there's still a lot of finishing touches to be added but these things will evolve over time as the family grows.  Frankly, after the lengthy and all consuming process of planning, building, and moving into the house, my clients have  simply been enjoying living in it and focusing on their busy day to day lives raising their two young daughters.  Slowly the rooms are coming to completion with the addition of artwork and accessories that the homeowners have been accumulating since they moved in but with so many rooms, it continues to be a work in progress.

I'll post more detail about this renovation project along with more after photos in the near future.  I visited their home this week and had the opportunity to take some up-dated photos, the small glimpse of the dining room above is one of my favorites.   This room will be getting a lot of use in the upcoming months and in just a couple of weeks I know it will be decked out for the holidays in silver, blue and green........but in the meantime,,,

Happy Thanksgiving!

Photo:   Carol Reed

House Tour - Oakville Showhome

Beautiful 12 x 24 honed limestone floor tiles laid in a herringbone pattern.

This past week a girlfirend and I took some time to visit the Princess Margaret Showhome in Oakville, decorated and furnished by Linda Reeves and the design editors from Canadian House & Home.   We planned our visit for early afternoon and it proved to be good timing as we were able to enjoy viewing all the rooms in the house at a leisurely pace and without a crowd of people following us from room to room, from what i’ve heard the house is drawing lots of attention and streams of visitors from all over.

As someone who loves neutral spaces (for my personal home) the palette of this house was right up my alley.  Natural woods and white walls mixed with lots of linen and greys.  I’ve always lived in all white homes, with the exception of one or two rooms that I love to have done in a dark grey, so I was drawn to the brightness and simplicity of the white throughout the first and second floors of the house.  To me its the perfect timeless backdrop and I find that nothing sets off wood tones and artwork like white, and dark grey.  Although in this house, there wasn’t much artwork present, but you could easily envision how artwork could transform some of the many blank walls.....

Because of all the white, the rustic exposed beams, bleached wood,  and use of linen, I felt the house had a sense of Belgian style to it.   I did manage to get some great photos throughout the tour but for now, I’ll just post these pics of my favorite room in the house which was the master ensuite.   To see more of the house I highly recommend the drive to Oakville to see it all for yourself in person - its for a great cause so while you’re there be sure to buy a ticket and a chance to win this lovely home - it takes just one ticket to win.  Good luck!

The large spacious double walk-in shower is to the left of the chair, complete with dormer ceiling and window.  The entire shower, walls and ceiling were tiled in a 1x2 mosiac grid of the same honed limestone that was used on the floor.

I believe the vanity was white oak, unfinished or waxed perhaps.  The wall is clad in the same mosaic 1 x 2 limestone that continues into the walk-in shower.  The oil rubbed bronze knobs relate well to the light fixtures and emphsizes that understated casual elegance.

As stated on the CH&H website, "The Princess Margaret Oakville Showhome is the grand prize in The Welcome Home Sweepstakes for Cancer Research, built from the ground up by Lynda Reeves and her H&H team, with architectural designer Ray Murakami and custom home builder PCM Inc."   For more info and showhome hours visit here.

Fireplace Facelift - Thin Stone Veneer

Fireplace Facelift Sketch by Carol Reed Interior Design for thedesignshop.ca

As soon as I can feel the slightest chill in the air, I can't help but want to cuddle up in front of my fireplace with a blanket and a good book (or shelter mag!).   Enjoying the warmth and ambience of a fireplace is one of the reasons I look forward to the winter months ahead.  Living in Canada, I've always felt that a house just isn't a home without a fireplace, aside from the fact its an obvious focal point in any room, I love the character, warmth and mood a fireplace brings to space.  But this character.....has to jive with the rest of the house.   So its no wonder that fireplace facelifts are one of the most common design challenges I work on.

One of my favorite products for recladding an old outdated fireplace is a thin stone veneer panel product distributed by Erthcoverings in Canada.  I prefer the 3D slate or ledgestone series and have specified them for a variety of different installations over the past several years.  These are natural stone panels made up of multiple thin linear pieces of stone ranging from 3/4”th to 1-1/2”th which are adhered together to form 6” x 24” panels.   These panels of stone (made up of slate, quartzite, limestone, basalt) are made from 100% recycled post industrial waste and are thinner and lighter than using solid stone and much more eco friendly and natural looking than man made synthetic faux stone.  

The panels can be installed over any substrate and are installed fairly simply in the same manner as stone tiles, they even offer pre-made 90 degree corner pieces to wrap around corners seamlessly.   Its a versatile product that can be used inside or out and is suitable for cladding the exterior of buildings or interior installations especially great in spaces where you want to bring the outdoors in.  It retails typically for $12s.f. and up so a 6‘wide by 8’ high fireplace would cost you less than $1,000 in material.

The sketch above, and concept board below is a sample of an e-design fireplace facelift I designed for a client back in July where i recommended using these thin stone panels. The homeowners painted their existing 80’s brick fireplace out when they moved into the house earlier this year and wanted me to help them with some ideas on how they can update it.  This fireplace and its seating area are off to the side of the main living spaces in between the living room and dining room.  Utilizing a pair of existing leather chairs, I suggested adding a hide carpet, an ottoman some small tree stump tables and funky metal reading lights to compliment the updated fireplace.

Digital Concept board by Carol Reed Interior Design Inc. for thedesignshop.ca

Below are before and after photos of a fireplace facelift I designed about 3 years ago.   The existing fireplace and adjacent wall (which continues beyond what's visible in the photo) and colum were faced in brick, but we chose to add thin stone veneer only to the face of the fireplace and then paint-out the rest of the brick, including the hearth which was done in a tone that blended in with the new stone panels. 

Brick Fireplace Before

Brick Fireplace After - clad in thin stone veneer

The results you can see, were quite dramatic and the fact that we painted out some of the brick didn't detract from the impact of the stone cladding.   The small recessed nook to the right of the fireplace was customized with floating shelves and the brick wall of behind it was paintd out in a dark eggplant colour.

Below are photo examples of various types of installations using this product.  All of these images are from the Erthcoverings website.

The stone wall in this dining room continues thru to the exterior.

Again, in this family room the stone continues thru to the exterior.

Exterior cladding on a contemporary home.

Close-up detail of the stone's texture.

I'm drawn to this product because i think its an effective way to bring an organic and natural element into your space,,, in a modern way.  Because of its linear composition, to me the stone has a very west coast feel that evokes a bit of a retro style in its similarity to the angel stone of the 60’s 70’s.  

My tips for a ledgestone fireplace facelift:

1. Go all the way - on fireplaces this product looks best from floor to ceiling to really maximize the effect of the horizontal lines of the stone and emphasize that west coast mid-century modern look.
2. Return it - wrap the stone into the fireplace opening.  if its a gas fireplace unit, recess the fireplace box back from the face of the fireplace.
3. Keep it clean - Use with clean face style gas fireplace units for a true masonry look or use with modern linear multiple flame burners for an super contemporary chic west coast style.
4. Its not for every house - this stone looks best in rustic modern, modern eco-zen like spaces, modern country, contemporary spaces, and mid-century era style houses.  If your house is laden with lots of traditional mouldings, cornices, chair rails, panel moulding and formal antiques....this look is not for you.
5. Light it up - highlight the texture and colours of the stone with lighting.
6. Tone it down - avoid using lots of bold patterned fabrics in the same space, the texture and multi-toned colour of the stone is very dominant on its own.
7. Don't clash  - avoid mixing this stone with other heavily veined or patterned flooring.
8. Opposites Attract  - contrast the heavy textured rough stone with some shiny nickel and clear lucite or glass accent pieces to keep things from looking too rustic.
9. Enhance it - you can apply (by brush, or sponge) a matte finish stone enhancer on to deepen the colours of the stone
10. Take it outside....if there’s an opportunity to incorporate some of the stone on the exterior of the house it will reinforce the idea that the stone is part of the structure of the home and integrated into the architecture. If you can actually continue the stone from the fp right thru to the exterior it will really blur the line between inside and out.

For custom tailored design ideas on updating your fireplace for the coming winter season, check out the fireplace facelift e-design service at the design shop.

Disclaimer:  I have no affiliation or partnership with any mfg or product that I endorse on this blog nor do I ever receive any compensation for promoting any product or service on this blog, other than my own design services.  Anything that I write about here or specify for client projects are products I recommend based solely on my preference for their performance, quality, value, or style as well as my personal experience with them.

Photos:   1 thru 4 Carol Reed, 6 thru 8 Erthcoverings

Victorian House Tour - Powell & Bonnell

I had the pleasure of being invited to tour an open house this week of a beautiful victorian semi-detached house in Toronto.  I'm fortunate enough to work with one of the best real estate agent's in the city, Kara Reed, who also just happens to be.......my sister-in-law of the past 20 years.  (You may recognize her from HGTV's Sarah's House I, and Sarah's House II).  Kara had the pleasure of listing this 1890's victorian house on mls this week and is preparing for a public open house this weekend, more info here.  Knowing that I'm in house hunting mode myself and knowing my love and appreciation for great interiors of all styles, she insisted this was a must see for me -and I'm glad she did.

The house was designed by the award winning Toronto interior design firm, Powell & Bonnell during an extensive renovation of the house back in early 2000's.  What's  unique about this house is its one of the few (if not only) traditional, victorian style home this team have designed.  If you're familiar with Powell & Bonnell's work, you likely conjur up images of clean, dynamic contemporary spaces when you think of their projects, however, a quick browse thru their portfolio reveals a diverse range of projects from clean and contemporary to modern rustic.  I've always believed that the best designers have diverse portfolios and can apply their design philosophy to a range of styles and I can definitely see this diversity throughout their past projects.  You can check out their on-line portfolio here. 

Before the renovations began in early 2000's the house had been open plan and void of any original architectural detail and character.    All of the walls that had previously been taken down and all of the mouldings and details that had been stripped away were painstakingly re-created from top to bottom.  Today the house is a beautiful example of a traditional victorian home who's original character and architectural detailing has been well considered and thoughtfully brought back to life.

One of my favorite things about the house was the collection of artwork throughout and the manner in which it was displayed - it's masterfully done.  You'll see in the photos to follow that every room and hallway has beautifully arranged groupings of artwork and objects in all shapes and sizes.

Living Room Vignette

Living Room

Dining Room

The dining room measures only about  12'w x 9' deep but its grand and impressive.  The combination of the dark wall colour and the large mirror add depth and create a dramatic, inviting space.  It was simply stunning.

This is Kara in the hallway outside the dining room as she was pointing out the dining room's velvet parlour draperies that would have been an original detail in a house of this era. 

The master bedroom was striking and handsome with its dark walls, antique furniture and sisal carpet.  The variety of light sources and use of mirror again make this room both sparkle and glow, creating an ambience that's so inviting and intimate.

The tone on tone stripe effect on the bedroom walls was actually so subtle that I didn't even notice it until looking at the photos afterwards.

The main bath had some clever built-in storage around the radiator.  There's nothing over the top in this room but there's a great sense of balance.  You can see that the surface applied panel moulding, its repitition and the symmetrical display on top of the cabinet give this room a classical look.  The gorgeous soft blue colour combined with all the white and polished chrome just takes your breath away when you walk in the room but yet the bathroom's tile and fittings are just very simple and timeless.

The Den

The second floor den was again, dark, inviting and intimate with a wonderful eclectic collection of pieces displayed on the walls and cabinets.  Despite that most of the rooms in this house would be considered small spaces, the use of large scale furniture and dark colours make it feel luxurious and grand.  The key to this,,,,,, is the great use of lighting.

Second floor hallway

Main floor bathroom, again the use of simple white, pale blue/grey and silver metal gives you that refreshing sense of a nostalgic old world spa.

The kitchen was simple and classic with its beadboard backsplash and butcher block topped centre island.

Again a wonderful integration of storage with the rad cover.  The use of metal apothocary style cabinetry and carts were used again here which I also saw in both bathrooms, this cabinet appeared to be vintage but the two small wall-hung ones in the bathrooms were newer. 

Basement bedroom.  

This was an irregularly shaped small room but I love the fact that despite that, they went for maximum comfort by using a full size bed - its cozy and luxurious looking even though its placed in this tiny nook.  The attention to the way the bed is dressed and accessorized would make any guest feel important and special.

I could notice from the reaction of those who were touring the house while I was there that the traditional style and detailing of this home was really resonating with all of them as they were were drawn into one room after another,,,,,,,,and not wanting to leave!   I have no doubt this house is going to attract a lot of attention this weekend......

All photos:   Carol Reed