I love Studio McGee- everything Studio McGee- their decor, their kitchen design, their kid bedroom design, their bathroom design, their style. I LOVE IT ALL. Recently, I read a post from Studio McGee on their favorite ideas for how to incorporate family pictures in the home. The image below is one of my favorites, and is my inspiration for a new way to incorporate some of our family photos.
I'll admit we've been so busy with the renovations, that we haven't put much up on the walls. Most of our frames are sitting in a bonus room upstairs, but after the Studio McGee post, I went through our frames and knew I needed to find some larger frames.
Let me bring in my deal of the century, remember my post last week on my Southeastern Salvage finds? I'll refresh your memory, I found 16x20 black frames for five dollars a piece. I purchased six, so 30 bucks, and that's all in the frames......maybe I should say, $33 to include the tax. Everything else needed, I had on hand. The frames have a yellowy mat, that I'm not feeling, so I opened up the frame and flipped the mat to find the backside of the mat to have a more white tint. At five bucks a frame, you are getting a frame backing similar to those from Ikea with the rectangular bendy things that hold the frame in place. Those are a bit annoying, but otherwise, I think these frames are an exceptional deal.
Design by A Cup of Jo
These will be your gallery wall friends:
laser level // torpedo level // tape measure // 3m velcro strips // needle nose pliers // hammer // picture frame hooks
Here's what I did to hang the Frames:
1. On the backside of the frame, I removed the annoying staples, cardboard, and flipped the mat from the creamy white side to the whiter tinted mat.
2. I got out my laser level and measured and marked three spots: The vicinity of 1) the beginning of the gallery wall, 2) the middle of the gallery wall and 3) the end of the gallery wall. I looked for the same distance between the baseboard molding and my marked spot. For me, it ended up being 72 inches from the baseboard.
3. After marking the three points, I pushed the laser level into the wall and connected the three points with the laser.
4. I hung the first frame on the marked spot along the laser line.
5. I hung the second frame and then marked and measured the distance between the first and second frame. This became the distance to mark along the laser line for the remaining four frames.
6. I grabbed six of the same size and style picture frame hooks and nails. I hammered these into my six marks.
7. To help with leveling, I used 3-M Velcro strips. I didn't install these as recommend by 3M. Instead I put two strips together and attatched it to the frame. I loosely hung the frame on the picture frame hook and then balanced my torpedo level on the top of the frame. Once level, I pushed the frame into position and counted a ten second count to help the 3M strip adhere to the wall.
8. I don't have my pictures for the frames yet, but I will be able to remove the frames from the wall when I'm ready. The 3M Velcro strips will reattach and I'll use the torpedo level to make sure the frame is level again.
