One hallmark of the English country house style is personal collections. They add a distinctive charm to a home that tells a story of the people that live there, plus they’re so interesting!
You’ve seen the blue and white transferware collection that decorates our kitchen. This collection was carefully planned and intentional. But today I’m sharing a collection that came about quite by accident…
As many of you may know, I have a weakness for lamps and art. Not purses or shoes, but lamps and art. Today I’d like to share with you an accidental art collection. I have, ahem… a good bit of art awaiting a home. Most of the art has been thrifted, with a few pieces picked up at antique shops, or online. Many of my art pieces have morphed over time as I reframe, re-mat, and swap out glass myself. Occasionally, I will take a special piece of art to an art shop and have a mat cut in a certain color.
Here is an English equestrian piece thrifted for about $5. The red was a bit strong so I went for a frame from my stash with a green detail and re-matted the art in a warm gray.
Over the years I’ve refined my style in art and re-donated many pieces that were bought on a whim, were a great bargain, or something I thought would go well with our home. This process of filtering through what one loves, uses, and enjoys is normal and results in a collection highly reflective of one’s personality. These are the most fabulous collections!
One day when sorting through art (to pare down) a recurring theme appeared… There were a good number of lithographs and prints of buildings. There were thatched cottages, derelict castles, gracious plantations, a charming Georgian townhouse, a barn, and Buckingham Palace! I began setting aside all building art into a group.
Next, I toured the house for any building art hanging on our walls and pulled all the pieces with structures. There were quite a few pieces and I began to get excited.
There were enough pieces for a gallery wall! The next step was to choose a wall big enough for the group, and then start arranging the pieces. I chose a blank wall (yes, there are still blank walls in our home) in the hallway and measured the width. I decided to go all out and hang from the chair rail level up to a few inches below the crown molding.
Matt took these wall measurements and taped off a box on the carpet so I could begin playing with the layout. After several iterations, I landed on placing the largest piece in the center and working my way out with symmetry.
I enjoy this stage of the process and could spend quite some time creating different arrangements…
Getting closer… I’m still amazed at how this collection grew right under my nose! A good take-away from this project is that when you have a wide variety of mat colors and frame styles you can minimize that irregularity with a symmetrical arrangement.
Blank wall no longer! Here is the final arrangement and how it looks hanging on the wall. It’s now filled with interest and personality and is one of the first things you see when you step inside the door. I’m thrilled with how this collection turned out! Please pardon the odd angle. This is the best I could get with the wide-angle feature on my phone and cramming myself into the coat closet!
I hope this post inspires you to sleuth around your home and see if you have an “accidental” collection that you could put to use! Until next time,
Take care,
Rachel
