Playroom + Prints
Every January I like to freshen things up with new art work. I stockpile it all year and then as soon as the Christmas tree is down I'm swiping frames, popping out prints and pictures, putting in new, sometimes rearranging the spacing and placement.
Last Fall I scored a Rifle Paper Co. calendar - the 2016 Folk Wall Calendar - for a mere $8 which meant 12 new illustrations for less than $1 each! Not all of them were winners, but you can afford to dislike a few when it's that cheap. (SIDE NOTE: Buying calendars is my absolute No. 1 trick for getting great art in your house with minimal price. I've now got prints from the 2016 Alice & Wonderland calendar, Vikki Chu's 2015 calendar for Anthropologie, the 2016 Folk calendar mentioned above, and now the 2017 Greenhouse calendar by Quill & Fox. BEST DESIGN TRICK EVER. And remember, you got it here, folks.)
Knowing I needed new frames, I dashed to the thrift stores and only managed to find a few I liked - will definitely have to keep those on my radar this year. I cleaned them up, moved nails, slipped in my illustrations and re-fitted them for hanging.
Other new pieces in the playroom? A dark and almost macabre Alice in Wonderland postcard by artist Emily Winfield Martin I had purchased from SCOUT years ago; an ornate baroque-style mirror that was ONE DOLLAR at a garage sale in Arlington last summer; the "Uh Oh" bear print by Rifle Paper Co. which I happily shelled out for. It's the cutest print ever! I loved reading growing up and it's the perfect, most meaningful thing for our little playroom. I love the adventure and comfort and nostalgia of it, feeling like I was in another world curled up with a book.
It took a few hours to manage everything, but with minimal money and hours spent, our playroom walls keep filling up and adding charm! I absolutely adore the playful whimsy and colors when I'm in there. Cultivating this space for Alice & Milo to grow up in is probably one of my favorite things as a Mama/Artist/Designer/Homemaker.
Other ideas on my radar once I save enough: window treatments and throw pillows. I have my eye on some darling finials and tie-backs from Anthropologie and of course they're a million dollars - but they're worth saving for!
Enjoy some before and after photos along with the current state of our playroom!
Other fun art makeovers: The White Frames, calendar prints for the nursery, Playroom Update 2015
