When I'm someone's home for the first time, I'm always compelled to take a look around, fascinated to get a glimpse into what I think of as their true world. The world that they created for themselves. The items that I'm drawn to are always the highly personal ones -- pictures of themselves as children, an antique table that they inherited from their mother, their favorite books on the shelf. This is why I love the idea of personal art on the walls. Not paintings that you've done yourself (though if you are talented enough to do it, I'm jealous!), but art or mementos that have great meaning. The bonus is that personal art is usually very inexpensive or free!
I personally love anything that displays a loved ones' handwriting, especially ancestors that are no longer with us. In my kitchen, I matted and framed copies of handwritten recipes from both Glenn and my grandmother.
I found this enlarged framed letter at Southern Living. Isn't that a wonderful look? Staples will blow up an image to poster size for around $15 and you can grab a standard sized poster frame with a 40% off coupon at Michaels.
I was once in a model home in which they framed the back of postcards and hung them in a bathroom. I loved reading the messages and thought that it was such a clever idea, especially if you used old family postcards. I found a similar look at Bellacor, pictured above. To re-create this look, I would buy a set of standard sized frames (IKEA has simple frames that are perfect for this project for $3-$5 each) and mount the postcard on a piece of white cardstock inside of the frame.
I love framed quotes...but what about framed songs? Scout and Nimble shows how you can create art out of your wedding song. What a beautiful but unusual memory of your wedding...and, so inexpensive to make.
Finally, what is more sentimental and surprisingly stylish than your child's art? In this photo fingerpaint takes on the sophistication of modern art when framed in simple white.
Hope's homage to Kandinsky holds a place of honor in her bathroom.
I'm always looking for unusual ways to have our home tell our story. I love these ideas for being both personal and thrifty :)
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