Friday the 13th - Superstitions as Decorations

Friday the 13th is here and since I'm not very superstitious myself, I've decided to celebrate the most common folkloric phobias and anecdotes from the bad luck black cats are supposed to bring to the good fortune of horseshoes. With a whopping three Friday the 13th's falling in the 2012 calendar, maybe I should consider being a little less flippant and a little more cautious this year. (Knock on wood, that is.)


A whole wall of intentionally broken mirror from Living Etc, via Aw Snips.


Two of the many brilliant umbrella art installations by Crooked Brains.


From a post on Elements at Home featuring intriguing ways to decorate with ladders, some safely against the wall, some just beckoning to be walked underneath like this one.


Tempt fate every day with the Sigg Black Cat Silhouette Water Bottle.


The aged concrete floors of this Toronto, CA auto repair shop converted into a relaxed modern home leaves plenty of floor cracks over which to step, but I think these are of the lucky kind. (Design by Levitt Goodman Architects, found on Plastolux.)


Put this symbol of good fortune to good use. (Authentic Used Horseshoe Triple Hook from Trailwood Western Store.)

Deck the Walls

Two of my current clients are looking to create memorabilia and photo-filled collage walls, so I've been scouring the internet for inspiration while they lovingly collect family portraits, theatre tickets and their children's first scribbles. It seems that are no rules for the perfect grouping, other than DO NOT RUSH. The collection is the most important, which must be gathered and edited with great care. Then the chosen pieces and one's decor will dictate framing style, quantity and layout. It's a totally organic process with infinitely possible results. Here are a few of my favorite inspiration walls:


A wall in designer Scott Newkirk's home, found on Remodelista.


In this image, found on Traditional Home, designer Tobi Fairly proves that framed objects need not be 2-dimensional (like this collection of found seashells) and that the frames can steal the show.


Unified frames hung in a neat grid allow endless possibilities for color and photographic content.


Classic black and white photos in black frames on a white wall is always a fool-proof choice for a cohesive look.


But black frames also have the power to unify the most eclectic groupings on lively striped walls as well.


From Creative Index, ledges like those in this image are an ingenious solution for anyone who wants to continually rotate memorabilia and photographs.


Check out the helpful how-to on Boston's Apartment Therapy behind this AT reader's collage wall.

Etsy Love: Art and Philanthropy

Everyone knows I'm a fan of doing good while doing what one loves, so I am especially smitten with Art and Philanthropy's creative, hand-made offerings on Etsy. But Rebecca Peragine, mother and social entrepreneur, takes this a step further by making beautiful pieces that pass on principles of philanthropy to the next generation, earning her place in today's Etsy Love post and in my heart. Her product line of "modern, eco-friendly and culturally diverse wall art, wall cards and posters....are designed to help children learn compassion for our earth and all who inhabit it." Changing the world one notecard or poster at a time......


Fundamentals of kindness for all children: Please and Thank You Print.


Inspire wanderlust from an early age with the World Traveler Room Collection (includes a large 11"x14" world map and four smaller 8"x10" prints).


One of the collection's beautiful blank journals.


100% recycled card stock with eco-friendly dyes, make these adorable Nature-Themed Alphabet Cards even sweeter.

Goodwill Hunting

Falling in love with a European-American who has been shooting guns since before he could ride a bicycle or write his long Greek last name has caused me to consider my position on firearms and hunting season. I was surprised to find that operating a rifle is a very zen-like experience in which everything but my own breath ceased to exist for a few moments while I aimed at my target. But in my case the target was - and will always be - inanimate paper circles tacked to wooden posts, which apparently are very safe from my novice aim. And even if I someday become a skilled markswoman, the targets will remain the recyclable kind and I won't be putting a real skull or artfully preserved buck head up on my wall anytime soon. But still, for some reason, I like to look at them; in fact the decor of one of my favorite Manhattan restaurants closely resembles an upstate hunting lodge, trophy heads and all. They impart a rustic feel of yesteryear that pairs well with my affinity for patina, peeling paint, wool blankets and clothbound novels. Fortunately for me and nonhunters everywhere, clever home decor brands deliver the look, minus the trip to the taxidermist.




The Steer Horns in Cast Resin from Restoration Hardware is molded from a real skull and hand-finished for striking realism.




This faux Moose Head from Z Gallerie is covered in white lacquer in a nod to taxidermy that is kitschy and fun.




Velocity Art and Design offers a whole herd of hand-carved wooden trophy heads that are as modern and tasteful as they are humane.




Add a little shine to your trophy wall with the oil rubbed Bronze Trophy Head from Ballard Designs.




Designers Christophe Hascoet, Annabel Karim Kassar and Isabelle Rolland created this unique wall-mounted Trophy Lamp replacing fur with form and function.




For a more practical lighting solution, the resin Barbara Cosgrove Ram Horns table lamp has a rustic Southwestern appeal that works with any decor style.