Decorating with Pictures

My good friend Kristen, from Capturing Joy with Kristen Duke invited me to play along in her “Decorating with Pictures” series she’s had going on all month.  It’s pretty much fabulous and the inspo is insaaane!  If you’ve missed out on any of the posts, be sure to check out the whole series HERE.

So today I am sharing with you my gallery wall that took many hours of perfecting haha!  GALLERY WALLS!  The bane of my existence!  But they’re oh so pretty aren’t they?  We just moved into our home the end of December and with Christmas, birthday week (both kids – same week – do not recommend!) in January and well, maintaining my sanity while being pregnant with twins I haven’t gotten as much done as I would normally like.  But we’re alive so I’m counting it as a win!  When we first moved in I told Brian I just wanted to get the hallway and that front room decorated so that people thought we had our act together when they stopped by!  I’ll show you what I have and you guys are going to have to help me figure out what to do with the rest of the space!

To see more pics and a small sneak home tour, follow the jump!

All the frames are from Home Goods except the three simple black ones, they’re from target.  That temple watercolor?  I DIE!  You can find it at Taylor Town Design Shop on Etsy.  It came in the mail and when I opened it I literally almost started crying, it reminded me so much of home.  The live laugh love is from Printable Motivation and the black and white striped/gold heart is from LaLuna Designs.

I haven’t quite nailed down my style yet but when designing this gallery wall it was important that I used frames I genuinely loved.  I decided to mix the more fancy frames with clean and simple ones so that it wasn’t too over bearing.  I also think that your wall should tell a story.  Someone should know immediately what’s most important to you when looking at your wall.  And mixing photographs with paintings or prints or sayings is my favorite!  So there ya have it.  Nothing too amazing but every time I walk by that wall it makes me so happy and I think that’s when you know you did a good job.  Who cares what other people think – in the end it’s your space and you’re the one that needs to love it!  Now I just need to add a few things to the table and complete this hallway.  I need a lamp, some books and some little nick-nacks for on top of the table, I need a runner and a basket or something.  It’s still a little bare to me!

Here are a few sneak pictures of the main areas on our first floor:

^^ this is the formal dining area we’ve turned into a home office/art room for the kids.  It’s all cheap Ikea furniture which I don’t love but it’s what we could afford.  I’m still working on making it a little less bare and a little more homey but it’s getting there!  We just got some bar stools for the kids – they get that middle desk that’s jutting out and I chose to do another Kallax shelving unit on the opposite side to store all their paints/crafts/play dough etc.  I’ve ordered four of the cutest striped baskets for the bottom row but they haven’t come yet and I am eyeing this West Elm light fixture that’s ahhh-mazing.  I’m still playing with the decor on the shelves, I definitely need to add another color up there and break up the blue.  When I get a little further along I’ll make sure to share pictures!

The room I NEED help with!!!

^^  Alright you designers you.  This is the strangest room because of the window placement.  I’ve tried the couch every which way and this seems to be the best layout for the furniture.  The window cutting that couch in half though is killing me and there’s this awkward space for a piano maybe? that needs to be filled.  I’m seriously at a loss with what to do.  Back in January I posted a picture on instagram of some amazing floral window treatments that brought in some great color but they were way too heavy after putting them up.  I absolutely need to add more pops of color and a floral and cheetah pattern in the pillows.  What would you guys do though above that couch?  On instagram a lot of you were saying to put a thin table behind the couch and then put up lamps, books, decor etc on the table.  I just haven’t liked much and so it’s just sat here.  Looking lonely and plain and definitely not me.  I need some bold prints and bright colors somewhere, with it all still looking classically elegant!  Now who wants to come over and decorate it for me?!

^^ My most favorite room in the entire house.  I was not planning on taking pictures of the kitchen or family room but thought I’d share while I was at it.  I probably should have tidied it up a little more!  In the corner you can see we are building a farmhouse table, it’s coming along but ever so slowly!  I need some window treatments and a rug in the morning room for sure and I know those stools in front of the bar are really big but they are so perfect with my little kids so I haven’t decided if I should get ones that fit that space better.  Have any stool recommendations?  We plan on adding a backsplash at some point.

^^ And after I tuckered the kids out playing basketball at the gym they passed out on the couch just long enough for me to throw this post together.  I have all these amazing windows with the most amazing light.  I just need to get stuff up!  Oh yeah, and I need money… dang.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my super small home tour.  Having a home that’s your own really is the best thing ever and it really was worth the wait.  I love love the space so much that it almost makes being far far away from family and friends worth it.  We feel very blessed!  What rooms have you designed recently or have been putting off because the space is so bare it’s a little overwhelming?  Digging through Pinterest sometimes only makes it harder because then you’re not sure which direction to take!  Would love to know what you guys are up to and how you’ve been decorating with pictures!  xoxo