One Frame at a Time

Alright, I've been married for 2 months and it is time to get this apartment designed!!!

I've been working on the layout for the photo collage wall.  To achieve an organic design, I aligned the frames by these three rules:

1- Space frames 3'' apart in at least one direction
                                 AND
2- Align the frame with an edge (right, left, top, bottom)
                                  OR
3- Center the frame


Frame numbers 17 and 20 will house the nine Road Trip photo collection, in order from left to right.  I also plan to label the states consistently on the matte of each frame.

The organic layout also allows me to add frames later on if I wish to.  It can grow with time because it is not a static design.

I also stacked two photo ledges above the keyboard.  The stacking balances the organic layout, and provides  easy access to my music books.

Oh, and I'm back on the hunt for the end table next to the sofa.

*Remember: "click" on any drawing for a LARGER view

Here is my Interior Idea:

Archive, Organize, Layout

Now that the Floor Plan has been finalized, it's time to turn my direction to these empty walls!

I am planning to design a large collage with my existing picture frames that I have accumulated over the years.  Any guesses how many that is?  I'd never fathom it, but I have 30 picture frames- oy vey!  I made an archive of each frame: frame #, photo reference, dimensions, frame color.  I also put a Post-it on each frame with its corresponding frame # to stay organized.

To avoid making your wall look like swiss cheese- design a layout!  At a store you may have seen that you can buy a collection of frames, and it will come with a large wall template. Well, I'm going to design my own- of course.  Below you will see that I drew the South Wall Elevation:

Then, I drew each frame and labeled it with its frame #.  If I have multiples of a certain frame, I labeled it  20a, 20b, 20c, etc.  Now I have a clear visual of what I have to work with.  This will make it much easier and enjoyable to work on.  The next step will take some trial and error, but that is just part of the design process.  My goal is for the layout to be asymmetrically balanced, but we'll see how it goes!    Just do the grunt work of sorting through your boxes first- you'll be glad you did!

My idea is to highlight a collection of photographs from our road trip to Chicago this summer.  We took photographs in each state we passed through: California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and finally Illinois.

I have a set of 6 white square frames, 4 black rectangle frames, and another 2 black rectangle frames.
Using these sets of frames will highlight the Road Trip Collection among other photos in smaller, individual frames.  The consistency in size and colors make it a cohesive collection.

Stay tuned for some of my Interior Ideas for the photo collage- wish me luck!

Three is Not a Crowd

My husband found a black parsons desk on Craig's List about 2 weeks ago.  It was the perfect style and fit, but the seller went MIA after initial negotiations.  So, we searched and searched for a replacement, but surprisingly, it was almost impossible to find.  I found one that was very similar, but had solid legs.  That didn't work because the desk placement is perpendicular to an open bookcase.

I decided to contact the Craig's List seller of the original desk myself, and 3 days later we made a deal!!

In addition, I also came across another tall bookcase while searching online.  I wasn't really looking for one, but when I saw it I thought it would make the office area more complete.  Now the niche is entirely "one" large bookcase.  I also made a deal with her the next day- I was on a roll!

Speaking of being on a roll- I really was!  Thursday morning I went with my husband to get the bookcase, just 2 blocks away.  That was a decent roll home on the furniture dolly.  Then after I got home from work, we took the bus to get the desk.  That was just over a mile of rolling, but we did it :)

So, yes, three tall bookcases in our apartment give optimal storage in our small space!  In a smaller apartment, it is important to use vertical storage to maximize the floor space you do have.  My trick to make a white and a wood bookcase look cohesive, to appear as one large bookcase, is to use a decorative paper to line the backs of both units.  I will choose a color(s) to accent the drapery pattern.

Here is my Interior Idea for the office bookcases: