Did you know that you can actually run all of your fabrics AND wallpaper through a stain treating process to repel spills and smudges? We aren’t going to reveal our secret source (unless you hire us of course ) but just wanted to let you know that this is a thing and helps immensely to provide that extra layer of protection.
#3 - The Magic Eraser /
Did your child have a field day with markers on the wall? No problem. I have actually made it a part of our regular cleaning routine to Magic Erase the walls since it seems the more prominent the wall, the more enticing for little hands to be on it all day every day. I have heard more than once that eggshell paint is better for removing handprints but I personally prefer a matte finish and find that it cleans just fine. But just so I don’t mislead you, Sharpies are still hidden deep away in childproof cabinets in our house. There is nothing a child and a sharpie can do together that is good.
#2: Pattern Extravaganza /
It feels good to be raising kids in the days where more is more. Velvet is great and all but you can really only use it once or twice in a room before it starts to look like the champagne room in Vegas. Which calls for another strategy in childproofing textiles: patterns. Fortunately, these days the design world can’t seem to get enough of pattern. Patterned windows, chairs and rug? Why not throw a little on the pillows too. In full disclosure, pairing patterns can be quite a challenge. Aka, it’s not for everyone. But if you have a strong sense of design confidence or a designer helping, nothing helps hide the spills better.
#1: Velvet, Velvet, Velvet! /
We have always had a love affair with velvet. It is lush, it is regal, it is immensely comfortable. But once we discovered it is also (who knew?) kid friendly, it became clear we were in it with velvet for life. I can’t even tell you how many spills I have cleaned off of our red velvet sofa. (This one, for the record, is a client’s who also happens to have three young children). Of course, stay away from silk or linen velvet but now that we mention it, those actually develop a beautiful been-in-the-family-generations patina as they wear. So really, all velvet is game.
Kid Friendly Design Tips /
Design fallacy of the day: Wait to decorate until your kids are older. It’s all about decorating smart! (Did I mention that I have a 1, 3 and 6 year old?!) Follow along on the blog as we share our top 5 tips on I-spent-a-lot-please-don’t-ruin-this.
The Art of the Gallery Wall /
There is so much more that goes into a gallery wall than simply picking out a few pieces of artwork that goes well together. Are the sizes right? Will the frames go together? Who’s going to hang it? Follow along to take a look at the steps we follow to get a seamless gallery wall.
1. We start by taking inventory of your existing pieces. From there, we fill in the gaps making sure we hit on a nice balance of portraits, organic art, colorful prints, black and white, antique and new, and modern art. We love adding unexpected items, like the sconce pictured below, mirrors and plates. The balance of all these elements is how you will make a new gallery wall look “collected.” Some of our favorite sources include Chairish, Artfully Walls, Scout Design Studio and Mary Maguire Art.
2. Once you have the main pieces, it’s time to lay it out. Pottery Barn has a great free service called Icovia where you can put in dimensions to see exactly how it’ll look. First measure your wall, and then map out the sizes of the prints. From there, we print photos of the art out to best fit the scaled drawing we made with Pottery Barn and check that the art works together. This tool can also help you figure out what size frame you need and if there’s room to add matting.
3. Figure out the framing/matting. Our go-to source for framing is Framebridge. They make it extremely easy - all you have to do is choose your frame, mail in the piece in a box they send you, and then it’s shipped back to you framed!
4. Now it’s time to hang the gallery wall. We highly recommend hiring a professional art hanger for this task - it can oftentimes be tedious to get it exactly right, and hiring a professional can save hours of having to move each piece an inch this way or an inch that way. Trust us, we know from experience ;)
The Art High-Low Game /
10 years ago at the beginning of our design career we loved the slogan "champagne room on a beer budget." Ok...ok...so we may have come a long way since then and lean more toward a wine/champagne miss these days but there is definitely some truth in that statement.
It's the high-low game baby!
A gallery wall is the perfect place to take a shot at the high-low mix. Unique pieces by esteemed artists mix beautifully with more affordable prints from mainstream art retailers. The range in price usually lends itself to a variety of mediums too - we always strive for a mix of acrylics, framed prints, paintings on canvas, photography and even 3-dimensional art showcased in shadow boxes.
Not to give away all of our secrets but we wanted to share some of our favorite pieces from our mainstream go-to lines!
Time to start your own gallery wall!
~Melissa
Art Excursions: Team SVD's Favorite Unique Museums the World Over /
Venice – The Peggy Guggenheim Collection
A fabulous femme who put her inheritance to great use championing American and European art, Peggy Guggenheim was THE trailblazing female collector of her generation. Renowned for her sense of style, Peggy’s foundation calls her a “self-described art addict who sought to distinguish herself from her business-oriented relatives and make her mark on the world through collecting and traveling in avant-garde circles.” She was a key collector of Surrealist art while married to one of its most famous progenitors, Max Ernst. She purchased an 18th-century Palazzo on Venice’s Grand Canal to showcase her collection, which, following her death, became part of her Uncle Solomon Guggenheim’s foundation in New York City. I’ve spent my life looking for sunglasses half as cool as Peggy’s signature frames – alas, to no avail. It goes to show that true originals can never be copied!
Guggenheim with her beloved pups and iconic sunglasses!
The museum on the Grand Canal
Boston – The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
"Mrs. Jack Gardner is one of the seven wonders of Boston. There is nobody like her in any city in this country. She is a millionaire Bohemienne. She is the leader of the smart set, but she often leads where none dare follow… She imitates nobody; everything she does is novel and original." This quote from the Gardner Museum’s website sums up everything we love about this museum and the wealthy iconoclast who founded it – a woman truly after SVD’s own hearts! Inspired by a visit to Venice, she built a stunning Palazzo in the heart of Boston beginning in 1899. She filled it with the treasures she amassed during her world travels and stipulated everything remain exactly as she had hung or placed it after her death. When the museum was robbed in 1990, 13 artworks valued at over $500 million were stolen, and their empty frames still hang on the museums walls. Of course, we love a good mystery, and if you do too, check out the Boston Globe podcast about the famous Gardner heist called “Last Seen.”
The museum’s courtyard.
An empty frame where a master work was cut down from the wall.
Chicago - The Richard H. Driehaus Museum
Perhaps lesser known than Chicago’s two titans of the arts & culture scene -- The Art Institute and The Museum of Contemporary Art -- the Driehaus Museum “explores the art, architecture, and design of the late 19th and early 20th centuries with a focus on the Gilded Age.” Mr. Driehaus purchased Chicago’s famed Nickerson Mansion to showcase his extensive collection of decorative arts—Tiffany glass in particular. This makes it especially appealing to interior design enthusiasts – I loved an exhibit they hosted on “The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design.” 37 stunning chairs spanning the years 1810 to 2010 were on display, and it was hard to choose a favorite! The Driehaus is always worth visiting for the stunning Art Deco interiors of the building and the rare Tiffany lights in its permanent collection.
The museum’s magnificent home in the former Nickerson Mansion.
A few amazing examples from the “Art of Seating” exhibition.