I’ve been spending a lot of time at home. I bet you have been too. When I have extra time on my hands I like to decorate.
Two years ago our family moved into a bigger house. Because it was new construction, my husband and I were able to have a say in most of our interior design elements. We picked a high-quality neutral color paint, Collonade Gray by Sherman Williams, to cover all of our walls. Because the paint is practically brand new, and because we still remember exactly how much our paint choice cost us, we are not adding any accent walls at the moment.
Even though I love the look of patterned wallpaper or wood-paneled walls, right now I’m sticking with my Collonade Gray. Still, I’ve found a lot of fun ways to decorate my walls that don’t require a trip to the hardware store or hours of DIY angst.
More is More
Gallery walls have been a game-changer for me. I love everything about them. They have been particularly fun in my new house because they’ve been a great way to merge older decor items with some new purchases while accounting for the higher ceilings in my new home. I feel like anything goes with gallery walls and I’m not too proud to say I have them all over my house. 
My advice is to start with a piece you love, pick 3-5 colors to stick with for your gallery wall, and then have fun shopping! I am notorious for buying and returning things a million times until I get exactly the look I want. I also make a lot of nail holes, but I don’t care because I can easily fill them when I have achieved the look I love.
Less Is More
As much as I love a good gallery wall, I think it’s visually appealing to break up this trend with some larger-scale items. This is particularly hard for me. I’m a spender and I’m easily distracted by cute small design items, so it takes some discipline for me to save up for the big stuff. Still, I always enjoy the outcome of a simple bold statement piece.
Unique Spaces
It’s your house, you don’t have to follow any rules. My favorite gallery wall is above the toilet in our master water closet. Sure, guests won’t get to enjoy this space but it makes me happy. I can see it reflecting in the mirror above my sink every day when I brush my teeth or wash my face.
If It Makes You Happy
I know some may say the yellow turquoise color combination is beginning to feel dated, but I don’t care. Yellow is my favorite color, and these pictures of my kids in turquoise clothes were taken at a special time in our family’s journey. I find a lot of joy waking up to see this display in the corner of my bedroom each morning.
For the Kids
My kids talked a lot about paint colors for their new bedrooms when we moved, but we decided to stay with the Colonnade Grey in their spaces as well. Thankfully, I was able to give their rooms a personal touch without opening a paint can. I like buying digital downloads from Etsy shops to fill frames. It’s an economical way to acknowledge their passions and can be easily swapped out as they discover a new love.
I’m sure in time my walls will see new paint or even a magazine-worthy accent wall. For now, however, I’ve had a lot of fun finding paint free ways to dress up my walls.
How do you like to decorate?
