DECOR STYLE SOLUTIONS FOR MOM

Tic Toc... Tic Toc... Time is running out to make something for mom! If the gallery wall is too much to take on this weekend, here are two simplified, but still stylish solutions you can make for mom: One is to just print and frame nine vintage photos and create a grid styled memory statement and reading nook for mom. The other is to take some time to restyle her bookcase or wall unit with some B&W framed photos, updated accessories and clutter control.


Moms photo grid
and nook.

Moms bookcase restyle.

View from moms living room,
just past the memory wall.



When I was selecting photos with my mom to frame in her home for her makeover (and the Memory Wall you can read here), one of the categories I made was of her and my dad. He passed away back in '89, but those memories of their time together live on.  I found these really cool vintage images, from when they were dating, of my mom, my dad, her brother (my Godfather) and their cars I thought would make an interesting statement...

MOM'S PHOTO GRID

Images of mom & her brother...

Mom & dad...

Dad's car...

My my mom's brother (my Godfather)
and my dad.

Here's what I used and how I made the wall grid:


~ Scan vintage photos
~ Edit to make images sharper
~ Edit more contrast for B&W


~ OR choose a sepia finish for your space

~ Use five 2 pks of 11x14 frames
(@ $6 ea. pk. from Michael's)

~ Cut white poster board (3 sheets @ 22x28)
into quarters @ 11"x14" each

~ Print & cut photos

~ Center photos or place with wider margin to bottom and attach photo to posterboard with double-sided photo tape

~ Clean glass / close frames

~ Use a yardstick, a level and a pencil to mark your grid

~ Hang frames & secure lower frame corner backs to wall
with double-sided foam tape (to help prevent movement)




 Create a nook or vignette for mom by using her favorite chair, an ottoman, a throw &  comfy pillows, a table, a lamp, and a basket full of magazines - or hang you grid in a spot in her line of site from another place in the room.

MOM'S BOOKCASE RESTYLE




Within this same space, I used the other category of photos: My mom with her immediate family - her mom, dad, sisters, and brothers. Using the same technique, scanning and converting to B&W within this same space, I used a mix of metal and wood frames to re-style her bookshelf with.



Unit after update.

She LOVES shells, candles and books. I color-blocked what books she had, but turned them in reverse for texture and also used them as risers on the shelves. Helping to clear away years of clutter, but still have keepsakes within reach, I used a collection of chocolate & black baskets I picked up at Marshalls. She already had tons of shells, so some simple glass cylinders added some sparkle to the bookcase, and helped keep moms collections separate.


Unit during:
Cleared clutter, keepsakes stored in bins / boxes,  and some
frame placement to get a feel for the new look.


Frame placement first helped with deciding how many horizontal & how
many verticle images I would need to print for the frames.

Bookcase before.

My father had built this bookcase (not one of his better builds, but still a great storage piece non-the-less. Since he had built it back in the 80's, it was in need of a little update. I had my mom ask a carpenter friend of hers to simply cut back the curves, and add mouldings to the unit. When the painter came to do the living room (and continue the color in this conversation space off the kitchen) I suggested she keep the color the same. But to help with lighting in the space, the wall unit was painted a semi-gloss white.






Fresh paint, moulding, hardware and a few updated accessories was all this piece needed to take it from sad to fab. During the holidays, I add in some simple silver sprays / picks to add a little sparkle, but without over doing it. The simplified style of the bookcase has made it a little easier for mom to maintain.


Hope you enJOYed these simple style solutions I made for my mom...
I'm not a mom, but I do hope if you are, you enjoy a
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY



UNEXPECTED VINTAGE FINDS

When one thinks of the Keys, images of sun weathered buildings, cottage style beach homes, docked white boats, touristy shell shops, coral reefs to explore, beach bums and rum runners can easily come to mind. So imagine my surprise to find a cute little shop featuring some vintage pink (and even gold!) flamingos, 60's detailed dishware, vintage lamps, furniture & collectibles, vintage (and designer) clothing & accessories and even some charming antiques for your shabby chic collection... all at a little consignment antique shop featuring anything but junk and called Pink Junktique. I had mentioned earlier it in my mini-vacay Key Largo post, but here are some more shots from the shop...enJOY!












The Keys premier antique shop - just an hour south of Miami.
Something for everyone - from vintage clothes & jewelry to furniture & collectibles.
 
P I N K   J U N K T I Q U E
MM 98.2
98275 Overseas Hwy
Key Largo, FL 33037
305. 853.2620

Happy Thrifty Thursday!




MAKE MOM A MEMORY WALL - GALLERY WALL

Mother's Day is Sunday! And rather than just give mom a card, flowers and a bottle of perfume, why not give her something different? Give a gift that keeps on giving and make mom a memory wall. Today is Wednesday so you still have time to get it together. Here's what I did to make mine for my mom - hopefully this will inspire you to make one too. For starters, you'll need some inspiration. After spending some time with my mom, looking through several catalogs and magazines to see what she liked, we choose this image as the inspiration:



At the time I made the memory wall for my mom (2009), we were also doing a (LONG overdue) makeover in her town home. Since we had already selected a sage green color for the walls, and she knew she liked the espresso furnishings (vs. black or white) this photo from a Pottery Barn Catalog was a wonderful starting point.




Next, we choose a location to feature this grouping. I suggested the tallest wall she had - it was also thin, and a great focal point in her space. It's the first wall she sees when walking through the front door, as well as the first wall she sees when she wakes up in the morning and steps out from her bedroom.

SPACE BEFORE


SPACE BEFORE



PLANNING
Two abstract wall art pieces we found at HomeGoods 
was the color palette inspiration for the space. 




After choosing the style and location, she made a pot of coffee, and together we sat and went through a TRUNK load of photographs. I'm not joking - my dad LOVED taking photos - of family, of friends, of events, and of all the parties they use to have up in New Jersey in our basement. We sat on the sofa, flipping through albums, sifting through boxes, and reminiscing about the stories behind the photos (HINT: another wonderful idea to do for Mother's day: Spend TIME Together). Since there were so many photos to go through, I asked my mom to pick ALL her absolute favorites. Afterwards I grouped them by category:


Friends as Bonnie & Clyde from a Halloween Party
(GREAT conversation photo for the living room memory wall!
Friends and immediate family

They looked SO cool!
Mom & Dad dating

Mom with her sisters and brothers
Mom and HER immediate family

Since most of her fave photos were of friends and immediate family, that became what the focus of the memory wall was about. I used the other two categories to create two other memory statements for her. More about those shortly, but here's a sneak peek:


Mom & Dad dating
Wall Grid

Mom with her mom, dad, sisters & brothers
Book Shelf Styling - also with HomeGoods goodness!

I brought home all the photos she selected and scanned them into my computer. Since we would be using espresso frames in the living room, and I knew she liked the sepia look of photos, I edited the photos for the memory wall to sepia. Since she likes the beach, I also tried to pull together some of the beachy pics from what she had selected...


One of the original photos...
Family of daughter of one of her best friends.


Scanned and edited to sepia...


One of her best friends from New Jersey - Gail.


Yup. That's me with a bowl haircut - courtesy of dear ole mom.
I think this was from 1979, the year after we moved to Florida.

I hunted around clearance sections and discount stores such as HomeGoods, Ross and JCPenney to find frames to hang on the wall, as well as scored a few to use on the bookcase later...


HomeGoods frame on clearance...



Linden Street frames at JCP...




I think this set was marked down to 17.99 at JCP, and I had a coupon, PLUS my (then) associate discount. The savings really added up!

Since I was making this from my home to hang in hers, I used the floor in our home office to layout a composition I thought would fit on her wall. Next, I printed an INDEX SHEET of all the photos I was going to frame. I cut all the index images and started to place them on the frames. This helped with grouping like stories together within frames PLUS then I knew which photos to print and in which size from each fame...



Gallery wall planning tip:
Layout wall grouping on the floor with printed index photos - helps to know which size to print special photos.










After deciding which photos for which frames and printing them, I cleaned and framed each and took another photo so I would have my idea to refer to install at moms... In case you're wondering - Yes. This was basically all done by eyeballing.


Space after painting + fitting in new (thrifted) furniture pieces and repurposing some existing accessories...


Post Update:
Shared post on the HomeGoods Happy By Design board on Pinterest.
SPACE AFTER



I relocated the buffet to the dining area and used the original two prints I got from HomeGoods over it. Having the abstract wall decor is a nice break for the adjacent photo gallery wall...


The built-in bookcase (built by my father) also got an update - painted white plus restyled with finds from HomeGoods...



Although not EXACT - the vision and plan still came together for the gallery wall...

Planning...

Installation...

Inspiration for the vision...

End result - a HAPPY mom!

Found the wood X-bench on clearance at Target.com It was a weathered gray-wash finish. I painted it espresso, to coordinate with the other pieces I thrifted & refinished for her space. The candle holders, books, ting-ting and glass vessel she already had. I found the basket at Ross while looking for frames, and filled it with some weathered bark chips I picked up on clearance at Pottery Barn. So although not an EXACT copy of the PB wall decor, it still has the look and feel of it - for a HECK of a lot less. And most all, mom has a gift that keeps on giving her a smile everyday!


Give mom the gift that keeps on giving -
Make Mom a Memory Wall.

Happy Mother's Day Moms!!




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