Forward Facing Book Display

Let's face it - I have a TON of kids' books.  I've been collecting them since I was a kid and now that I have kids of my own, the collection is growing even faster than usual.  The thing about books though, is that it seems totally criminal to have them all piled on top of each other, crammed into a bookshelf where you can't even see the beautiful art on each cover.  And though I try to avoid judging a book by its cover, I do get sucked in by beautiful artwork.  So, it seems inevitable that some day I will have to do this.  It looks awesome, doesn't let the beauty of books go to waste on a bookshelf, and it allows kids to see which book they want - hopefully avoiding the same-book-every-stinkin-night syndrome.  Now, where to find that much wall space....

Eclectic Inspiration in a Minimalist Collector?

At first glance I found this apartment tour really inspiring.  I got further into and lost interest a bit as some areas are quite bare-bones.  But looking over it again I realized that the way he puts together a minimalist approach with a repurposed, eclectic, collectors eye results in a very interesting and inspiring esthetic.  In the bathroom for example, bare conduit and light bulbs are curved and positioned in a creative way that makes it look like a light fixture, rather than purely functional materials.  That, combined with the non-existent faucet, stands as an intriguing contrast to the fabulously colourful and lively tiles and concrete blocks that make up the shower surround.  Of course this is a bachelor pad where the ever challenging practicality of children doesn't come into consideration and where each object is carefully curated and controlled.  I have to remind myself of that.  But inspiration is good, even if it just adds a little piece to the puzzle in my mind of what it is that I love.

frame gallery wall

I am starting to think about ways to make my daughter's art work stand out.  Sticking it to the fridge isn't quite cutting it.  If I had endless space, I'd love to do something like this.  Even with the limited space I do have, I'd love to make it happen in her room, perhaps on a smaller scale.  Let's keep this one on the top of the to-do pile...

Alphabet Shadow Box

My love for tiny things, displaying collections, letters/fonts and kid stuff all combined into one great little project.  Lots of work but super cute.