the art of the collage wall

I'm not sure if it's the creative in me, or purely a coping mechanism, but I love a good collage wall. Collin raises his eyebrows, give me a "not another collage wall" and moves along with his day, all while I hum & haw about what's going on the wall next.

Here's a few reasons why I love collage walls:

1. They can be very inexpensive. a bunch of picture frames & objects are almost always less expensive than a large-scale piece of art. Not to mention, I have a hard time finding that one piece that's going to achieve the look I'm going for. Chances are, you've got half the frames you need, lying around, unused. If not, a quick trip to Ikea or Target will solve that problem and you're well on your way.

2. They add texture + dimention to an otherwise flat space. Hallways, staircases, bedroom walls and other obscure places can be difficult to fill, oddly shaped, and often times fall very low on the priority list, due to the fact that they're not the main focal point of your home. Collage walls make decorating these spaces easy, and make a bigger impact than you might originally think. Having a little texture on the staircase or hallway wall really makes your home feel finished and thought out.

3. They're an excellent way to showcase your style. My favorite part about doing a collage wall is that I have an excuse to put all my favorite pieces together in one space, creating a larger "work of art". This may be the in-decisiveness in me, but I love finding peices that aren't too matchy, but that all flow together. I'm able to showcase my favorite photos, art, and objects in one place.

A few ideas for collage walls (if you find yourself stumped): simple letters or numbers (anthropologie & restoration hardware baby are my favorite sources), family photos (candids work really well in this case), wrapping paper (a really cheap alternative to art - just pop it in a frame, and voila!), antlers or animal heads (3D objects really create interest & dimension in your space), special sayings or verses that have meaning to your family (a lot of shops, including mine, do custom art prints on etsy - an easy and inexpensive way to commission a piece of art!), silhouttes of your kids, and garlands or banners (these add great texture if you overlap them over some of your frames).

we've done quite a few collage walls throughout the years, but these are a few of my favs!