An Art Swaperoo Plus a "Project" From 2011

I got a little over-excited about answering a reader Q regarding our television storage and accidentally shared a little change to the living room before I meant to.  It might seem insignificant to you, but it is a huge deal for me - both aesthetically, and also because I got around to something I put off for a year.  Tackling something I've put off for that long always feels strangely gratifying and productive to me.

So what's the change?

I took down my beloved water colour from Paris - it was always too small for that wall - and finally hung up a vintage print I bought in 2011 from a mid-century shop.  Yup, you have to stick around for a year and a half to see the "after" sometimes.  Spot the difference?

 

The scale is so much better!!  The new piece isn't turquoise (gasp!) but I think it pairs well with the paintings over the sofa which have, in addition to turquoise (whew), similar pink and ochre hues.

In the end,  I just couldn't find a nice pre-made frame anywhere for this print, so I decided to have it professionally framed.  I love the print, plus it had come from the estate of the artist who must have loved it too because she kept this first edition.  I figured it was worth the splurge.  We DIY so much (even a lot of the art), that I think it looks nice to have a "real" piece of art with a great frame here and there.  

I have had a few pieces professionally framed (like my Hungarian embroidery piece) and am always surprised how much more affordable it is to go to a local shop, as opposed to a big box store (even with a 60% off coupon).  This time I went to Malen Framing, in Ottawa, and was really pleased with the fabulous customer service and also the quality and pricing.  I have never taken so long to decide on a frame, but the staff were patient and shared their experienced opinions without being pushy.  In the end, the frame I chose looks gorgeous - it's a perfect, muted, brushed gold that picks up on the warmth of the print and some of the metallic hues in the print itself. 

Malen Framing also nailed the matting; the print is on a really yellow-tinged paper and the wrong matting would have made it look smoke-stained.  But they picked one that is bright and crisp but still suits the print.

I know it's a crazy weird print, but I love it.



And don't worry about the little watercolour.

It found a new home on a blank wall in the stairwell, a perfect complement to the antique postcards and a nice pop of colour in a tiny space.

I have the hardest time moving art around, because I get so accustomed to having things where they are - plus I like my favorite pieces where I can see them most frequently - but I might need to do some art shuffling again when I'm home, because I couldn't resist buying a little print here, in Budapest.