Design Details: How To Successfully Add Stuff To Your Walls

Or how (to randomly quote Confucious), everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it. And why it's totally fine to love what you love and not care what anyone else thinks.

About four years ago, I built a shelving unit in my dining room, a project that I’d been completely obsessed with undertaking ever since I saw a photograph in Architectural Digest some years before (you can read about here). When I say I, I mean, of course, someone else. I like to try my hand at most things, but building a twelve foot high MDF unit with copious shelving slots exceeded my DIY abilities by at least tenfold. Prior to this unit being built, I had temporarily put up shelves in this very space myself, one next to the other, until my grand plan could be put into action, but tbh, they didn’t work particularly well. They were straight as a die thanks to my excellent use of the spirit ruler but unfortunately, they weren’t on the same level. What this meant was that there were not only gaps between what should have been a straight run, but it was also impossible to place any sort of object on the joins as they were on levels at least an inch apart. My poor DIY skills were, however, were brilliantly disguised on Instagram by my very effective usage of Touch Retouch, the saviour for all prospective social media posters with its Houdini style abilities to remove both non aesthetically pleasing plugs and wires but also copious dustballs. An absolute essential.

Anyway, the object of the shelving unit was to create individual shelf spaces for my favourite art work and general family and vintage memorabilia (most of which could be - and is - described by my husband as ‘random shite’). I wanted the whole shelving space to reflect me and my personality - I picked pieces that meant something to me. As readers of any length of time will know, my mantra has always been that your home should be a representation of yourself and that every piece that you have in your home, whether it be a picture on the wall, an armchair or a paint colour, should be something that you truly love. If it doesn’t make you happy, ditch it. Harsh, but true.

I’ve lived by these rules pretty much forever and as a result, my home makes me happy every time that I walk through the door as I’m surrounded by things that sing to me. Much of what sings to me is art, which is an area where prices can range significantly. However, some years ago now, I received a message from a follower who told me that to say art was important to me was very privileged, that not everyone could afford to decorate their home with art.

I disagreed (I’m quite good at disagreeing). Vehemently, in fact. Many years ago, I picked up a large vintage painting of a rampaging lion from our local charity shop for £2. Resplendent in a white etched frame, I was super happy with it. I’ve always had a real thing for kitsch artwork so I paid the two quid, brought the lion home, cleaned it up and hung it in the hall. My father in law dropped in later that day, took one look and this was the conversation that ensued.

Me: ‘Look, I bought this in the charity shop. I love it!’

Father In Law: ‘Ah yes. This is what people hung on their walls in the sixties who didn't know anything about art’.

I was infuriated. I liked it. Actually, I LOVED it. And if I loved it, then it worked for me and my home. I may not have been super knowledgeable about art in general, but I knew what I liked and I liked this. I felt most aggrieved. Why should one person decide what is art and what isn’t? I still own the rampaging elephants today and they still hang proudly on my wall.

You can READ ON by becoming a paid subscriber which means that not only do you receive four free posts a month but eight EXTRA posts a month (including this weekly Wednesday post) plus Chat threads so you can join our blossoming community. You’ll also be able to access my archive to read ALL of my past posts (including recipes and travel write ups) for the price of one Starbucks a month. I would thoroughly recommend it!