"Buttery" Gallery Wall

Recently, I added a

gallery wall

to my living room.

The gallery wall

is on the large wall behind our big sectional sofa

(a necessary piece of furniture when

you have a lot of teenagers hanging out at your house).

I began with painting the wall a soft yellow color.

I used "Butter" subtle velvet paint

from Restoration Hardware.

I LOVE this color!

It's not too lemony; it's not too green.

"Butter" is the perfect name because that is

exactly what it looks like.

It adds a gentle brightness to the room.

My next step was to look through some

of our family photos.

I chose some of my favorites to display in the gallery.

I found family photos from trips to

Yellowstone National Park, Mackinac Island (Michigan),

San Francisco (California), Monterey (California),

and many other places. 

I had all the photos printed in black and white

to add cohesiveness to wall.

However, I used different size prints

to add variety.

I purchased a large gallery frame -

and several other matching frames - from Pier 1.

I love the rustic wood and the burlap mats!

My home's thermostat is located on this wall.

What to do about the eye sore???

Frame it, of course!

I found an inexpensive frame at Ikea that had

the appropriate depth to camouflage the

thermostat - and it almost matches the other frames.

Before creating my own gallery wall,

I spent quite a bit of time searching

for inspiration on Pinterest.

I noticed that the gallery walls I liked best

included photos and a variety of other items

for visual interest.

In order to break up the monotony

of all the rectangular frames,

I added this circular burlap "rose" wreath.

In addition, I hung a long, cylinder-shaped

container and filled it with branches and dried florals.

Next, I went to Pottery Barn and purchased

a large metal "M" - for our last name -

and a long shelf to use for creating a vignette.

I moved my painting of the Eiffel Tower

(which I recently purchased in San Diego)

from the foyer to this wall.

I hung it directly below the Pottery Barn shelf.

On the shelf, I added touches of red and yellow.

It ties everything together!

It connects the vignette on the shelf

to the pops of color in the painting.

The reds and yellows are also found elsewhere in the room.

The room feels more cohesive

with the addition of this galley wall.

Eventually, I will replace the white molding

with a thicker crown molding.

Also, I would like to replace the cover for the

heating vent with a decorated cover.

For now, however, I am so pleased with the way

this home decorating project turned out.

I love sitting on my couch and

looking at the family photos and other items

on the new gallery wall.

Au Revoir,

Michelle

Today, I am linking up at The Scoop:

http://cedarhillfarmhouse.com/2015/06/the-scoop-174.html 

I am also over at Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House:

http://www.thededicatedhouse.com/2015/06/make-it-pretty-monday-week-138.html#more