I’ve been wanting to get back into the design side of compact by design. As a designer myself I can’t help but search out and be inspired by ideas of what can be done with a little creativity. And if I can do it for less, so much the better. I hope to bring you some great ideas of things you can do around your own home that don’t break the bank or the tenets of the Compact. (I can’t promise I won’t bend the rules sometimes.)
Many of you may have heard about this guy in Kentucky who used his mad skills with a Sharpie to decorate his boring basement walls.
It is certainly creative. And daunting. I don’t have that kind of talent. But if you do, why not go for it? How cool would it be in a small (boring) bathroom to give your guests some unique reading material? Create your own comic strip and add to it as inspiration strikes.
For those of you who like something a little more high end. Or just have less mad skills. Or both. How about going big like Kellie did with a few hours of time and a metallic paint pen?
Inspired by a favorite wallpaper print and the courage to try something different Kellie took a drab space and really made it sing. I’ve always been one to paint regardless of rental agreements (my designer bones can rarely handle white walls for months on end), so this is something I am definitely adding to my mental file drawer for future use. What a great fix for the long hallway – the bane of many homes.
Have some great design tricks that are Compact approved? Send me [calimama @ gmail . com] the info and some pics, I will give you all the credit and share your good work.
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Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Angela
That is so cool! I like both of them actually. But Kellie’s is so “Single Girl in Modern Apartment” circa the 1970s. Like what Mary Tyler Moore would have had if she’d had a hallway. Love it!
I dream of a “long, boring hallway.” It would be the only place in our little cottage I could hang photographs.” We have almost no wall space. It’s covered with tons of windows (good), a fireplace (great), and furniture. But I would like a little more room for art and photographs.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at 8:23 pm
calimama
Angela, love the Mary Tyler Moore comparison. I can just see an episode about her drawing on the walls, getting in trouble and then having the landlord love what she did! And don’t forget to think outside the box (or off the walls!) when it comes to hanging art. If you have bookshelves consider propping or hanging pieces over some of the less often used books. And depending on your space and style you could even consider putting pieces on the fronts of your kitchen cabinets. Don’t forget to bring the inside out too. Some fun/funky pictures in a garden area can really be charming.
There’s no limit to creativity except our own lack of imagination!