Before & After: Changing out Artwork

When I moved in with Jim, we went to Hobby Lobby and bought twelve matching 12x12 black frames.  I wanted to hang them in a grid of three rows of four pictures in the living room.  I had seen this done a lot in the magazines, and I really liked the look.  I had a calendar from 2008 that had artwork in it that I really liked, so I used those pictures because they had a similar theme and worked well together. Jim did the hard part, figuring out where to put the nails so the pictures made a perfect grid on the wall with only 1 inch between each frame.

Here's how it looked when we finished hanging them.



[caption id="attachment_1055" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Art over the couch"][/caption]



The thing is though, after a while you get used to artwork, and you don't really see it any more.  The same pictures had been hanging on the wall for more than a year, so I thought it was time to change it out.  I took the our calendar from 2010 and replaced all the pictures.

When I hung the frames back up, I was very pleased. Better yet, when I showed Jim, he said he liked the new pictures better than the old ones.

Here's what it looked like after I changed out the artwork.  The colors are brighter in these pictures, so the eye is drawn to them more. They do still have that dark masculine feel too them, but they also have a romance to them, which is probably why they appeal to both of us.



I should have known Jim would like these pictures. Every time I've asked him what artwork he likes best when we're looking for new art, he almost always chooses pictures street scenes and buildings with a European feel to them.  And, I have to say, I like them a lot too.

Anyway, calendars are great sources for inexpensive artwork. They don't have to be hung in a grid like we did, but they can give your entire room a cohesive look.  Which is why I'm now looking for a calendar for this year so I can change out the look again next year!