How I Spent My Weekend: Hanging Wall Decor

My How I Spent My Weekend posts are providing me with the inspiration to catch up on some much needed home maintenance and decorating. After spending the last two years running a full time design business, writing 2 books and teaching, my poor house is in a shambles.

Now, don't get me wrong. My house has always been somewhat of a disaster and very much a continuous work in progress. I constantly cycle furnishings and accessories in and out. The piece of art or tapestry hanging in my dining room today might very well be hanging in a clients home tomorrow. I like to see how long it takes for my husband to notice that a particular piece has been subtracted or added.

I have never really trusted a designer who's house is perfectly done. I think this is a sure sign that they are not busy enough with real design work. Most good designers I know live in a perpetual state of organized disorganization!

Ok, let's get to this weekends project:

The Big Blank Wall...



We all have one. That gaping huge space that we have to fill. Here is mine. It is the wall over my sofa in my Family room. This room is Von George central. (my last name is Von Tobel, my husband's is Di George, so we have morphed into the Von George household) we spend all of our time here.

My philosophy with a large blank space in a room that is meant to be cozy and comfortable is to use a collage. A mix of accessories and art will fill the space while allowing it to remain intimate.

Step 1: Choose Your Weapons - You need just the right mix of stuff to make this work. I find if you lay it out on the floor first you can re-arrange until you get it right. This saves you from punching unnecessary holes in your walls.



I liked the style of this round mirror but it just wasn't working on the long rectangular wall.

Step 2: Line em Up

I decided to go symmetrical with a variety of rectangular shaped pieces. I placed them in a vertical arrangement. By creating a towering effect with the bottom being wider than the top, the ceiling is heightened and the width of the wall is minimized.



Step3: Hang em High

Hang your accessories on the wall.

Super Secret Trade Tip:
Lay your arrangement out on top of butcher paper on a hard surface (tape sections of paper together to create a surface big enough for your size wall). Make sure your pieces are level.
Trace the outlines of the pieces on the butcher paper.
Plot where the nail holes need to be placed.
Remove your accessories and hang the butcher paper on the wall. Now you have a road map of where your hangers should go right on the wall - no measuring no guessing!.
Apply your hangers directly through the paper at the pre-marked spot and remove the paper only after you've determined everything fits perfectly.
Hang your pieces and your done.

The Finished Product





Yes, I do have a dead tree in my family room and an obscene amount of candles - but that is a story for another day. Happy Accessorizing!


The Before & After