Picture Perfect

One of the things I love most about a home are the pictures, mirrors, and decorations that people hang on their walls. Their choice in artwork and decoration says a lot about their personality, what they value, and what they find beautiful. What's on those walls is one of the first things people notice when they enter your home, so to me, it's a pretty important part of the decorating process. I've also been in homes where there are very few pieces on the walls, or nothing at all, and it really bums me out! Why not decorate those ugly apartment walls? The pieces you choose to hang can pull an entire room together and they just create a more homey and personal space that represents your interests personal style.

Wall hangings can be tricky though in an apartment. Most apartment managers do not allow any holes to be made in the walls, so hanging a picture or painting with a good old fashioned nail may not be an option for you. For me, all of the apartments I've lived in before, have already had MANY little nail holes in the walls, so I cheat a little and just use an existing nail hole to hang my pictures, or just make a new one...what are a few more little holes and a hole riddled wall anyway? Just don't tell my apartment managers... But, if your walls are nice and smooth and covered in a fresh coat of paint, I wouldn't recommend covering it with nails and fresh holes. There are still options though for hanging pictures. One of my favorite things do with my frames, is hanging the picture with a piece of ribbon, and using a more decorative Command strip hook to hang the ribbon on. Something like this:

I think it can make a picture more interesting, and you can use varying ribbon lengths to add more variety. The Command hooks are getting more decorative too. They're coming out with more colors and styles of hooks, so it's not too hard to find one that will look good on your wall.

Adding wire to the back of a picture frame can also make the picture hanging experience much easier, and you can use a Command hook or two to hang the wire on.

You could also use the Command picture hanging strips, that are basically two Velcro pieces. You stick one strip on the frame, and one on the wall, then stick the two pieces together! 

You don't just have to stick to picture frames or mirrors either! Wall decals are also popular right now and there are so many different styles and designs now, it's easy to find one you'd love. They're generally easy to apply and remove, so you can change them up however often you want! I really love the little patterned wall decals. 

It's definitely worth the time and effort to cover up those ugly apartment walls with beautiful things you love! 

Punch of Color

One of my favorite design teams I've been following for a several years are the Novogratz. I became enchanted with the husband and wife "self-made" design team when I started watching their show "9 by Design" on Bravo. They were also raising 7 kids! All while living and designing in New York City. I immediately fell in love with the bold and bright colors and patterns they often used in their designs, and have become a part of their signature look. They had a very eclectic taste  in the furniture and accessories they collected from different flea markets and countries around the world. They were living a beautiful life in a big city with a happy family. I'm sure it wasn't all sunshine and roses, but they were my dream, everything I wanted and everything I wanted to be.

The Novogratz

I love their designs because they convey a sense of happiness and fun. They look for unique pieces that make a room or home feel one of a kind. They recently bought a "castle" in L.A. and I'm excited to see how they transform their castle into a home.

You can follow their current projects and check out previous ones on their blog.

They're also active on social media and you can follow them for more inspiration on: Pinterest, Facebook, or Twitter for more ideas for your own place!  In the mean time, enjoy these pretty pictures of some of their past projects.