Susan's Question

Hi Christine,

First, thanks so much for your wonderful blog and willingness to
generously share your time and talents!

Here's s design challenge from Massachusetts. I hope I'm giving
useful information. I'll attach a photo, if that helps.

We live in a small (1050 sq ft) post-war cape. Our living room has an
inside wall that goes along the center staircase. It's the perfect
spot for a collection of family photos or other artwork. I tried to
put something together, but, ugh! -- it looks like a bad dorm room
wall (not to mention, they're all crooked).

Do you have some good examples or rules of thumb to follow in terms of
proportions, spacing, etc. for a small living space? Also, a big
obstacle is that a programmable thermostat is in the center of the
wall. I've thought about installing a floating shelf under the
thermostat and covering it with a picture, but think that might look
funny with the other pictures mounted directly to the wall.

Any creative ideas for creating a fun arrangement of photos, while
masking the thermostat?

Thanks very much in advance for any insight you could add!

Susan

Dear Susan,

Thanks for your question, and picture! I feel like it is so much more helpful when a photo is attached.

I just love the architecture in the east! How lucky you are!

Let me talk for a minute about small spaces. In small spaces, I try to keep the visual mass low. Visual mass is how "heavy" something looks. For instance, a dining chair with four wooden legs has less visual mass than a slip-covered dining chair. Light colors have less visual mass than dark ones. A see-through glass coffee table has less visual mass than a wooden chest used as a coffee table. Large bold prints have more visual mass than small simple prints. This does not mean that you won't use dark bold colors (or other items with high visual mass), just not in large areas- perhaps they would be in a pillow rather than the upholstery fabric on the sofa. On the flip side, some large spaces need to have more visual mass, so the furnishings will feel like they are a good scale for the room.

A couple of other items. When you have one table on a wall, the table should be a good scale and proportion for the wall. The table has a "relationship" with the wall. I would suggest that your table is too short, and not wide enough- and perhaps, too deep.

When you have a table, sofa, any furniture against a wall- the wall decor above it should have a "relationship" with the furniture. It should be "rooted" to the furniture. Don't hang it too high. Your pictures are too high :)

OK- so about your thermostat..... Some electrician just wasn't thinking. He was told it went on that wall- so where does he put it? Right in the middle!! Hello!!! My solution- let's use a collection of frames, some larger, some smaller, some square, some round, some rectangle- similar style frames- but not matching. Generally, I would say that my personal design style is a little more simple than this, but the business is what makes it work so well to conceal the thermostat that is right in the middle. I would keep the frames very simple if you have a more decorative table, like the one in the photo- or if you have a more simple table- I would be more decorative with the frames. I would also have my photos copied in sepia tones. With just a few frames, the thermostat is more noticeable- with more- it will blend in. Keep it assymetrical- random but full. - No noticeably large sections of negative space. Then- let's put a plant right in front of it. (It does not matter that you are covering up someone's photo in full or in part- don't worry about this at all.) I would also suggest that your frames are too contemporary for your traditional table. I would lean more traditional becasue of your architetcture as well. I drew two buffet lamps and a plant on your table- the same effect can come from two topiaries and a ceramic urn- or something similar- just so long as the thermostat is covered. :) Thermostat? What thermostat? (Yet still easy enough to use.)

The table above is an example of one that would work better for your wall. It is 40 inches high, 52 inches wide, and only 10 inches deep. The fact that it is taller and wider than your table will give it a better scale and relationship to your wall. The fact that it is only 10 inches deep, will make it a practical solution for a small space. The low "visual weight" will make it work well in your small space as well.

Susan- thanks for the question- feel free to follow up with more questions about this wall- or anything else in your home!

- Christine

Thanks to Guildmaster for the table- $699.00 AGED FILIGREE METAL WITH SKINNY HERITAGE GREY STAINED WOODEN TABLE TOP.