When you rent, you work with what you have—worn carpeting, tiny kitchens, walls you can’t knock down. I tend to overlook most of my apartment’s cosmetic frustrations because it’s a trade-off. I can’t replace the carpet, yet it also snowed 4 inches last night and I don’t have to shovel even a spoonful of it. If a window leaks or the dishwasher breaks, I email someone and it’s fixed the next day.
One design detail I couldn’t overlook in our apartment was the location of our fuse box. For whatever reason (accessibility I suppose), it’s located on the main wall as you walk into the apartment, opposite the kitchen. On top of that, it’s off-center so hiding it behind a large picture isn’t an option. I tried. See?
As inconspicuous as a hot-pink Audrey Hepburn print can be, I knew there had to be a better solution. A gallery wall seemed to be the most logical camouflage. I choose all white frames and hung them an arrangement that filled the space. Then, after settling on a color palette, I filled the frames with images. I’m not satisfied with the end result—partly because I can endlessly tinker with any creative project—but it looks a lot nicer than an awkwardly-placed fuse box. Yet I have to admit, I miss Audrey a bit.
Art rundown:
- A painting experiment by me involving watercolors and tape.
- Photo by Maren Misner of The Tin Owl.
- Great Lakes 1948 Blueprint Map from The Map Shop.
- A typewritten Mark Twain quote that reads: “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born, and the day you find out why.” From White Cellar Door.
- “Balsam Basilica,” by Liz Sivertson, one of my favorite painters.
- “Coming Storm” by Emily Jeffords.
- Photo by Maren Misner of The Tin Owl.
- A watercolor by me. Which in turn, inspired a blog post.
- Watercolor print by Printable Wisdom.
