How to Choose the Perfect Wall Art for Every Room

Summary

Dear Alice | Interior Design

Episode: How to Choose the Perfect Wall Art for Every Room
Date: September 11, 2025
Hosts: Jessica Bennett (B), Suzanne Hall (C), and Corey (A)

Episode Overview

In this lively and insightful episode, Jessica, Suzanne, and Corey dive deep into the art of choosing, curating, and hanging wall art for every room in your home. With their trademark blend of warmth and wit, they answer listener questions about scale, style, confidence in collecting, spousal debates, and practical tips for gallery walls and unique art displays. The conversation is rich with personal anecdotes, expert advice, and memorable encouragement for anyone looking to make their home feel more "collected" and personal through art.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Role of Art in the Home

• Personal Storytelling:
  • "I think our art needs to, like, tell a story of us, but also when people come over and comment on it and then I get to tell the story behind it." — Corey [00:00]
  • Jessica likens art collecting to tattoos for your home: "Some people collect tattoos. You're gonna collect. These are tattoos for your home." [00:07]
• Surprising Statistic:
  • Nearly 25% of Americans don’t have any art on their walls [00:15]. The team discuss how intimidating or overwhelming the process can feel, leading many to leave walls bare.

Building a Collection: Where and How to Start

• Travel as Inspiration:
  • The hosts reminisce about buying art while traveling and encourage listeners to use vacations for finding meaningful pieces.
    • "I do love buying art on vacation...I remember buying a piece in Paris when I was 16." — Jessica [04:18]
• Personal Collections:
  • Objects like vintage scarves, wedding shoes, or even rocks collected on trips can become art [14:00–15:10].
• Start Small, Stay Patient:
  • Curating art is a “marathon, not a sprint” [18:33–19:01]. Be patient, and let your collection evolve with your taste.

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Listener Question 1: “How do I confidently select and hang art, especially with a precise spouse?”

(Jenna Longshore’s question) [07:00]

Guidance from Suzanne:

1. Define Mutual Tastes:

   • Start with a joint Pinterest board for art inspiration. Each person can add what they love, then compare to find overlap and identify individual tastes [09:14].
   • “This will be really revealing...it’s a good exercise for anyone to do.” — Suzanne [09:14]

2. Develop an Open Mindset:

   • Don’t just default to the only thing you both agree on (often landscapes); try to include a variety—landscapes, abstracts, photography, figures, and meaningful objects [10:34–11:23].
   • “You can’t have an entire home full of abstracts. Or it starts feeling like condo art or a dentist’s office.” — Jessica [11:05]

3. Visit Galleries Together:

   • Attend art shows, galleries, or student exhibitions. Seeing art in person helps clarify which mediums and subjects you both love [13:06].
   • Being in a “dream space” (like while traveling) helps couples choose art more naturally.

4. Think Beyond Paintings:

   • Collect and display three-dimensional items, sentimental objects, or mementos—anything with a story, not just framed prints [14:00–15:36].

5. Let Art Spark Conversation:

   • Art should provoke questions and conversations, both for you and your guests.
   • “I love when people come over and comment on it, and then I get to tell the story behind it.” — Corey [38:18]

Handling Relationship Dynamics:

• Scale and placement are frequent stress points, especially for couples with different preferences or standards of precision.
  • “This is the stuff of all marital arguments. So we feel you on this for sure.” — Jessica [07:35]
  • Use specific guidelines for placement (see "Practical Tips for Hanging Art" below) to diffuse tension.

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Curating a Collection: Tips and Examples

Principles for Collecting

• Mix Mediums:
  • Combine landscapes, abstracts, figure sketches, photography, and three-dimensional objects.
  • “You want all different types of mediums to make your home interesting.” — Jessica [11:23]
• Let Meaning Drive Choice:
  • Choose what lights you up—color, subject, memory—not just what matches the sofa [12:10–12:55].
• Frame for the Piece:
  • “When you have pieces like this, you’re framing it for the piece...Don’t frame everything the same just because you got them at the same time.” — Suzanne [17:15–18:33]
• Gallery Walls as Living Installations:
  • Start with your biggest piece as an anchor and “grow” the arrangement organically, like playing Tetris [23:39–24:03].
  • Corridors, stairwells, and hallways are ideal places for intimate gallery walls [24:16–25:45].
  • “A stairwell is only, like, 36 inches wide, so you’re close enough that you can appreciate all the little pieces of art going down a hallway.” — Jessica [24:34]

Special Project Examples

• Linden Art Manor:
  • Extensive personal collection framed individually, displayed in a gallery wall. “It’s a long game...curating art is a marathon, not a sprint.” — Corey [18:33]
• House of Harrington:
  • Incorporating framed 3D beadwork as a statement piece, adding texture and intrigue [28:38–29:00].
• Capitol Heights Project:
  • Mixing antique Flemish paintings, modern mirrors, and textiles/scarves for a space with layered energy and tension [34:38–35:57].
• Leverage Lane:
  • Humorous, personal art (a framed Yankees Yoda), demonstrating that “if your spouse hates something, it’s a perfect place for them to put it in their office.” [36:29–36:44]
• Sentimental Items:
  • Framing concert tickets, wedding shoes, or even a mint wrapper from a first date as “soulful” personal art [14:00, 37:35].

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Listener Question 2: “Should I leave blank spaces, or what should I put in my kitchen or hallway?”

(Cindy Ricardo’s question) [38:37]

• Don’t Leave Blank if You Can Help It:
  • Hallways and kitchens are perfect for smaller art galleries, family photos, plates, or meaningful objects [39:00–40:11].
  • “My kitchen...Tom got me these old carved wooden spoons...it’s just like a gift, and it’s something that I can keep collecting.” — Suzanne [39:50]
• Unique Options:
  • Rugs as art for stairwells are especially impactful if you have the ceiling height [40:11].

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Practical Tips for Hanging Art

• Standard Height Rule:
  • Center of the artwork should be at 60" from the floor (or 58" for shorter homeowners) [41:23].
    • "A general rule...60 inches from the floor to the middle of the piece." — Suzanne [41:23]
• Above Consoles, Sofas:
  • Bottom of the art should be ~6" above the furniture [42:27].
• Matting Small Pieces:
  • Small art can be elevated with generous matting and a large frame, giving it “visual importance” [43:33–44:01].

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with timestamps)

• On Art as Tattoos for the Home:
  • "Some people collect tattoos. You're gonna collect. These are tattoos for your home." — Jessica [00:07]
• On Showing Your Story:
  • "I think our art needs to tell a story of us..." — Corey [00:00]
• On Couples’ Disputes:
  • "This is the stuff of all marital arguments. So we feel you on this for sure." — Jessica [07:35]
• On the Collecting Process:
  • "Curating art is a marathon, not a sprint." — Corey [18:33]
• On Displaying Art:
  • “I feel like a house never feels like it's finished until there's something hanging on the wall.” — Jessica [20:04]
• On the Power of Objects:
  • “There's a way to hang anything!” — Corey [33:04]
• On Personalizing with Sentiment:
  • "One of the greatest gifts I've ever been given... It's three different skate decks, and the art is on that, and it can hang... It's the favorite gift I've ever been given." — Corey [33:05]
• On Mixing Mediums and Subject:
  • “When you get the tension of multiple mediums and subjects and interests, like, all together, like it has a pulse.” — Suzanne [35:33]

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Summary of Step-by-Step Process

1. Define Your Style:
   • Use Pinterest or similar to find and compare preferences.
2. Explore Galleries & Try New Mediums:
   • Visit local shows, galleries; be open to new subjects and forms.
3. Collect Over Time:
   • Embrace the “long game.” Let art tell your story as it grows.
4. Frame with Intention:
   • Frame pieces thoughtfully, for the art itself.
5. Hang with Confidence:
   • Use placement rules for less stress and better aesthetics.
6. Mix and Match:
   • Combine paintings, photos, objects, textiles, and sentimental items for depth.

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Tips & Reminders

• Use travel, life events, and even “everyday objects” as sources of art.
• Don’t stress about blank walls; build your collection with patience.
• Most importantly, let your walls reflect your journey, unique relationships, and experiences. As Jessica says, “Let your walls tell a love story.” [16:50]

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This episode is packed with actionable advice, cheerful banter, and creative encouragement to help everyone—regardless of decorating confidence—make their home an expressive, collected, and welcoming space.

Transcript

[A]

I think our art needs to, like, tell a story of us, but also when people like. I love when people come over and comment on it and then I get to tell the story behind it.

[B]

Some people collect tattoos. You're going to collect. These are tattoos for your home.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

This is the art on your walls, and I think that it will also tell your story.

[C]

Almost 25% of Americans don't have art on their walls.

[A]

That's crazy.

[C]

Isn't that crazy?

[B]

Hi, everyone. Welcome to Dear Alice. Today we are going to be answering two of your listener questions all about art collecting and hanging. And we bring you a very special guest, Suzanne Hall. Today. She is a great art collector and hanger. I have to say, you and Tom.

[C]

Are resident dynamite team.

[B]

You guys are often called out by friends and neighbors alike to have you hang their art.

[C]

So had no idea I was becoming like a third party art hanger. Yeah.

[A]

Or like anytime I have an art question, I'm always like, when I got those pieces done, I was like, you know someone I know that can do it.

[B]

She's like a special kind of drug dealer.

[A]

She's like, this is your guy.

[B]

She's got an underground framer guy that's super special. I've tried to have my artwork framed by him. I do not have the same experience as Suzanne has. She goes in and he's like, rolls out the special red carpet and takes her into back rooms and they come up with.

[A]

Because Suze has never met a stranger.

[B]

I know, I know.

[A]

So you guys friends?

[B]

You're so lucky that sue just happens to be on this podcast always and isn't just a special guest. True. Because we're going to be breaking it down for the people today all about art collecting and hanging. And so we're going to redo those questions in a minute. But first I just wanted to say if you're new here, we. We are called Dear Alice on the podcast, but our business is actually called Alice Lane Home. Funny, huh? Funny that we didn't call it the same thing. So I just wanted to make sure you weren't confused. And if you want to check us out on insta, our handles are Alice Lane interiors, and that's building and remodeling beautiful homes. And you can follow along that process. And I know you love interior design, so I thought I would tell you about that awesome resource. And then our other handle is at Alice Lane Home, and that is our showroom. We have a beautiful store in Utah, and then we also have an extraordinary online store where we curate. But More than anything, we're making our own products. Corey and I are designing and developing. We have, like, 700 of our own SKUs. So it's unique stuff to the market that isn't sold anywhere else but at Alice Lane Home. So definitely check that out. And if you guys need help putting together a space, we have a couple design services. One, first of all, is free, and that is called home furnishing design. And those are designers that we have on tap that will use all of our resources for whatever you want to create. So it's the greatest cheat code in all of interior design, because it's free. And they have 200 vendors available, plus all of the unique stuff that we're making. And they'll put your house together for you. They're in AutoCAD. They're going to ask you all about your story, and you are going to create an extraordinary space. So those are some resources that are available to you. And then, obviously, dear Alice, we're just giving away all the secrets of the universe here when it comes to interior design. So today we're going to be again, talking about art. So, anyway, we're excited to tell you everything we know there. Oh, one last thing. Oh, my gosh. It's September 11th right now, and we are in the middle of our very best sale online. It's the best sale of the whole year. Our own stuff we're creating is up to 25% off, and then all of our vendors participate. So all that's 20 off. So jump online, because if you've been wanting a new piece, this is a really great time to grab that piece. That is first quality.

[C]

It's.

[B]

This isn't scratch and dent stuff. It's brand new, and it's all on sale right in the month of September. So go get something nice.

[C]

Also, for you preppers, it's a great time to grab your gifts since you're probably already, like, stocking up your stuff for Christmas. Everything's on sale, even the little things that you want to like. Gift for the favorite things, party for your moms, your neighbors, your. All the things. Now's the time to grab it. So good.

[A]

Yeah, I wish I were that prepared.

[C]

Me, too. I was just, like, in my dreams.

[A]

Maybe next year. Okay, before we get into the listener question, we all like to travel. And in that travel is art, and curating artwork is around that. So I want to know, where are you guys going in the near future and how. Yeah. Are you guys going to go to any museums, local art shows?

[C]

Hmm.

[A]

What are Your travel plans.

[B]

I have to say, I do love buying art on vacation, I think. Cause it's. You're in a dream space and you kind of. You're allowed to like wander on vacation and your mind can go places and you want to remember your vacation.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Right. So I'm getting ready to go to Paris maybe.

[A]

Yeah. The. One of the best places for centered around art.

[B]

So excited. I've always heard Paris is just so magical in September. So we are going and I'm so excited. And I remember buying a piece in Paris when I was 16. I went over there and I bought something from a street artist. It was a little 5 by 7 sketch of the city. And I've kept it in one of our crystal frames. And it's one of my favorite things. And I still go back there in my mind whenever I see that little sketch. So I'm really hoping to come back with art. And I have a bunch of places on my itinerary where we can go and explore and find things to remember that vacation by. I mean, original is always, you know, the hope of any art buying trip.

[A]

So I think it makes your collection feel traveled too. You know, it's experiencing different cultures and stuff like that. So.

[B]

And soon I always go in October. We go to High Point and we hit up a couple of our favorite vintage shops. And we love buying vintage art too. We. I mean, so we either you're buying something or I am, or we both are, or we're buying vintage scarfs to hang. That's another pro tip. We'll be sharing a little bit later. What else. What else do you. Where are you traveling?

[C]

What do you.

[B]

Where do you like to buy?

[C]

I've traveled so much for installs this summer, so I'm like, boots on the ground. I kind of don't want to go anywhere. No anywhere. But gosh, where are we traveling next? I don't even know. I need to plan that trip. I need to have a destination because we've been all over the place. But next place will be High Point. Yeah. And so we're going to grab something. Yeah. Do I have walls for it? Absolutely not.

[A]

You'll find one.

[B]

Susan's house is a gallery.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you even have so much stuff that's still unframed at my framers. Like in his, like, big, long, large map drawers. He's like, what do you want to frame today? I'm like, what do I have in there? Anyway? So he.

[A]

He has your inventory and you don't even know.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. It's probably, like, stuff sue has. I just have it shipped to him now. Like, that's weird.

[A]

That's amazing. Yeah, no, that's cool.

[B]

You guys need a framer.

[C]

Yeah, that's what you're a good framer.

[B]

Yeah, I have a special relationship with him. It's like your hair girl. You need a framer. Yeah.

[A]

100.

[C]

It'll become an issue, a real issue, so just prepare yourself. But it's such a fun hobby. Oh, it's such a fun hobby.

[A]

Okay, so, guys, today we have two questions. The first one is from Jenna Longshore. She asked, do you have any advice regarding hanging art and decor on your walls? I can't seem to figure out the formula in terms of scale, number of pieces, etc. Art and mirrors are. And wall hangings are all pricey. I'd like to have some confidence or a bit of a guardrail or foundational understanding when it comes to investing and hanging pieces. The other fun element is that I inevitably drag my husband into hanging the decor with me and for me. And he just hates when I don't know where I want something. I tend to eyeball. And he's an engineer that prefers a precise understanding. It makes me second guess nearly everything.

[B]

Jenna Longshore, you are every woman in America. Let me just tell you. I am also married to that guy. He's not an engineer, but he. He always says to me, I work alone, so you tell me where you want it, and then I will hang it for you. So I can't even stand there and be like, oh, just. She's just like, just stay where. So, yeah, it is. This is the stuff of all marital arguments. So we feel you on this for sure. Suze, what advice do we have for Jenna?

[C]

Okay, Jenna and I think. Jenna and I think your advice will go for most of the audience, because I guess what a fun fact that I found out, Jenna, is that almost 25% of Americans don't have art on their walls.

[A]

That's crazy.

[C]

Blown away.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Isn't that crazy? Anyway, so many people don't have any art on their walls, probably because of these same apprehensions of just, like, confidence in buying the right thing, where to put it, how big to go. And so.

[B]

And do I want to get in a fight today?

[C]

I want to get on a fight today, you know? And so, yes. But when you can have confidence in buying the art and, like, loving it, then hopefully you have, like, an idea of, like, where it can go. I think if you love the art and you're invested in it and, like, invest not for only you, but hopefully for your husband, too. Hopefully he has some investment in it, whether it be financial or emotional. Then you both will be in. Both be in the pool together. And then he can work alone. You'll know exactly where to direct him, like Jess. And then he can, like, get it to the very perfect levelness that it should be as an engineer. So. But it's. Yeah.

[B]

How could we help Jenna get on the same page with her husband about. About this project together?

[C]

Okay, first, I have a few rules, okay, for everybody out there, so get out your pencils. First. You need to define, because it doesn't matter. You can buy, you know, a piece from a showroom, and if it's not emotional, it's not going to be. It's not going to be part of your collection. Where what you're doing here is. Is find, like, building a collection. You are curating and defining your style. And so what I want you to do, one is you and your husband, you can do this separately first and then, like, come together. Um, you're going to start a Pinterest board, and it's just going to an art folder, and you guys are both going to sit there on a date night, and you are going to go through images and go to, like, accounts that you love, go to Alice Lane, go find other designers that you love, their work holistically. And. And then you're going to start to zoom in and you're going to start to drill in, like, I love that art. I hate that art. I hate that guy staring at me. Get him out of here. You know, you're really going to cue into, like, the art happening in the spaces, and you're going to put the things that you both love or you love, you know, on your own and stuff you love together in this art folder. Okay? So you're going to be building that together, and you're going to do that. Do that for a couple hours. You know, if it gets exhausting, make sure you have snacks, drinks, whatever. But, like, this will be really revealing. And I just. I think it's a good exercise for anyone to do.

[B]

And this isn't for you to go buy the art. It's just for you guys to cue into. What do you both, like? What do you both agree on? One of the downfalls that I see amongst couples agreeing on art in the work that we're doing for. For families, building homes and whatnot, is that oftentimes they'll just go to the thing that they both agree On. And that's often landscapes. Well, we, you know, he loves this and I love that, but we can both agree on landscapes. And so their home is just full of landscapes. And you're like, well, that feels kind of flat, right?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Like, definitely buy a landscape because you maybe. Maybe even buy two, but. Or they both are like, well, we can both agree on abstract, but you're like, you can't have an entire home full of abstracts. Or it starts feeling like condo art or a dentist's office. And not like, not super thoughtful.

[C]

There's not a curated collection by any means.

[B]

And so we want it. We want you to. We're going to show you some examples of projects that we've done in the curation because you want all different types of mediums to make your home interesting. So for sure, everybody's going to have a landscape in their home. So maybe start there, you know, because that's a really easy, agreeable place to start. Everybody's probably going to have something abstract because they can probably agree on that. The part that gets hard is the subjects.

[C]

It is.

[B]

That is when there's a human in the art or an animal in the art. Some people can't live with other people in their art.

[C]

I'd say majority of people have an issue with it at the beginning until they find the right type. Photography. Yep. Or something. And. And 100 of clients. Art is the hardest layer. Yeah. Like, bar none. And it takes a second. So again, you're very. You're amongst friends here. Yeah. And it takes a second to get it right. And by one second, they want it to be something. It could be yours anyway. They want it to mean something. And so not every picture on your wall needs to be your child. Not every picture of your wall on your walls needs to be Jesus. Like, you just have to, like, find some things that just, like, make you happy. Whether it be an experience, a travel trip that you took together, something that reminds you of your child, you know, or color that just, like, lights you up. Those are the things that like. And that variety, that type of variety is the stuff that you want in your home. You. It talks, it tells your story. So you need to make sure that, like, it does light you up. But this is the time to become a little bit more open mindset. So once you do, like, initially make this board of art, you know of things that you're initially drawn to. That's the first step. So Pinterest board is the first step. The second step is you're going to go on another Date night. And if you're on your own, lucky you. You get to be your. You don't have to talk to anybody about this night. Two, you guys are going to go try and find galleries in your area. Art shows, even showrooms that you like. Come to Alice Lane, make a trip out of it. Come to Utah anyway and go to places that have like interesting art curations. Galleries are really fun because you get to learn about the artist. You know, if the artist isn't there, you're talking to the gallery owner. Student art shows are fun anyway if you can go to an actual gallery. And then that's when you. I think because you're live, you start to cue into the mediums that you. If you're like, oh, I love that the gloss and the varnish on that oil that like catches the light. I love that so much. And that's when you're just like in. And subjects might be more acceptable to you when you see them live. When you see them on a two dimensional thing, you're like, oh, they're just staring at me. But when you feel the texture, you feel the artist, you feel the story and the. And it becomes a more dynamic backdrop 100 of the time for me.

[B]

I love that. I totally agree.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. So. So, yeah. So you're gonna like fill and also like photography. You know, there's so many different mediums that like make a successful collection. And that's like oils, I think, photography, sculpture, three dimensional objects. This is really fun because this is when it can get personal. I mean, there's obviously sculpture in galleries, in vintage stores, in all those places that you can like grab and start to collect and put it in a room if you're. And if you're not ready to hang stuff, just start grabbing things you love and just tuck them in the corner until you have enough to start, you know, like rolling down that road. But I will say I'm like some of the most fun art that we've ever framed is just like people's personal collections. Rachel Parcel, we framed her wedding shoes and her in her closet and I love that in an acrylic box and they're hanging on the wall is a real. I think it's just like such a tribute to that like moment that was very special in her life. And it tells part of their story. And you can't not ask the question, like, where are these shoes from? They're amazing to totally. And.

[B]

And there's even a collection of shoes going down the stairs to their basketball court of you Know favorite players, game shoes that are signed and there's acrylic boxes or acrylic ledges that you can sit those on as art.

[C]

Also, like her son's first, like basketball shoes because he's like an, he's an avid basketball fan and he plays all the time and he'll probably play for a college and who knows, but he. To have his first pair of shoes of this, like, love that he had, like, that's what tells your story. The rocks that they collect, you can, you can frame those bugs, scarves. We're going to show you a bunch of pictures of just different things that not only are like a two dimensional, but actual three dimensional, which I think is so dynamic.

[B]

I think so too.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So you're trying to curate a collection. You're going to start with the easiest thing. But more than anything, you want to get inspired. So you can both just at least agree on what you both like. And also it will give you sort of space in your head to go, okay, he really likes photography. I didn't think I liked that. But because he likes it, I'm going to start looking at photography and oh, I get it. She's really into oil paintings. And so he'll, he'll appreciate what you're appreciating. And then that's a really good common place to start from as you, as you begin your journey. And like we said earlier, traveling is a really fun place to buy art because you're usually together anyway and you're out of work mode and, and it will remind you of your trip and I don't know, you can just make decisions easier than at home.

[C]

I feel like when you travel you kind of like go back into that honeymoon phase. Yeah, like, I think that's the magic of traveling with your person. You're just like, we like each other. We're pausing and you know.

[A]

Yeah, you pause.

[C]

You get away from all the chores and all the busyness of life, that travel becomes magical and you see things. The art that you do collect reminds you of that trip, you know, every time you go in on a honeymoon. Yep. It's just like this reoccurring love story. And so that's what your walls should say. Love.

[B]

I love that so much.

[C]

Okay, great. All right, should we get into it and show them examples? Okay.

[B]

Some great examples of this.

[C]

Okay, so we're going to be showing you some full home so you can see, like what does their curation look like? Because some of these are things that they brought to the table when we Started to design. Some of the things are things that we introduced as we designed, but all together, they do feel like really beautiful curations, so.

[B]

And they all belong in the same home, right?

[C]

Yes, they do. And they get along, so. And I will. The common denominator of all the things is that they love them. So that. And if you love it, it'll get along. Okay. All right. So this first one we're starting out with is Linden Art Manor, which she came to the table with. I kid you, I don't know how many pieces of art, like, little pieces of art we framed, but it was in. I swear, it was in, like, the 60s. Like, it was so many little things that we framed. But just stuff that she's collected and had love stories with, like this, you know, for. So they were able to build their dream house. And so a great way to do. To take all those is you get them framed. And you. I want to say one thing about the framing. When you have pieces like this, you're framing it for the piece. There are some, like, galleries where you'll have, like, a series of black and white photography, you know, of just, like, people, you know, ancestors, things. You love those time. Those times. I think if it's the same type of, like, photography and it's printed off at the same time, those can be framed identically, you know, and put in, like, a really organized grid. When you're dealing with a collection of stuff that you've collected from all over the world, it should be framed. The art should be framed for the piece, not the time that it was framed, because that will timestamp it real, real quick. So I feel very strongly about that. So frame for the piece.

[A]

Here's another thing that, like, you talking about her. Her collecting, that just made me think of it. Curating art is a long game. This isn't like, hey, we need this this week. We need it by Monday. This weekend we're doing. You know what I mean? So it is to be patient with yourself, I think, developing, you know, your. Your taste and, like, what you gravitate towards. That takes, you know, some time, too. So this isn't. This isn't a. It's a marathon.

[C]

Yeah, it's a marathon. On that point, I was gonna say, I'm like. I like being around people. And I didn't realize that, like, in my art collecting until I had enough pieces. So, like, kind of tell this right? Is I started looking around at all my art, and I'm like, 99 of it has people in it, which. Which Then I was just like. That was, like, a realization I had probably, like, 15 years ago. And I'm like, jessica, Jess, this is what I found out about myself today. Yeah. I'm just like, I have eyes all around me. Like, they're staring back anyway. But it wasn't until I had enough pieces on my wall to be like, you can do this on Pinterest. That's a much faster game. But in the art of, like, gathering art, you will start to see, like, some, like, common reoccurrences. But then you're gonna switch up your medium and add other things to, like, flavor it up. But two, love subject to the long game. Like, and it'll evolve. Like, you'll be exposed to different things. And I think that's the biggest thing is to go into this open mindset.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Go into this. Like, don't limit yourself, because that's when it goes flat.

[B]

Yeah. Give yourself place space to dream in it. When you both go in really rigid with, like, I only like landscapes. And he's like, I only like abstracts, and you're in a standoff. You're just never gonna get there because you're trying to find common ground, and. And you can both represent what you like and why you like it, and then you can like it for why she likes it, and vice versa. So I think that open mindset thing, staying really pliable in it because it's art, after all. And I will say this, too. I feel like a house never feels like it's finished until there's something hanging on the wall. We just moved my daughter into an apartment over the weekend, and I said to Adam, we've got to get over there. We've got to put the art on the wall, because then she'll feel like she's home. When there's art leaning up against the wall, then it's like, well, you just put the bin in the middle of the room, and it can be half unp. There's just something about it where you never really feel like it's done. But when you have art up on the wall, you're like, oh, I live here, and I feel put together now. I want to fold my towels and put those on the thing, and you just kind of want to finish up. It really fills in the gaps. It looks like home. So if you're living without art and you can't put your finger on why it just doesn't quite feel done, it's probably because you're missing something at eye level, which is the artwork. And and your story.

[A]

Yeah. And art, like, is a very personal thing. Like that's, I mean, in a lot of ways it's probably the most personally expressive thing in, in someone's home. So tells a lot about you as an, as an individual or your family as a whole. And yeah, I think that's, that's what creates, you know, makes it feel like home. Yeah, great point.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

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[A]

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[C]

Okay, let's get back into this. So Lindenart Manor, here are a few pictures that we're going to be showing you. We kind of discussed this gallery. These are all pieces that she had collected and then we had framed and, and kind of came up with the gallery. And I'm sure if you've seen like little tutorials on how to do galleries, you kind of lay them all out together and kind of like play Tetris with them. And the fun thing about a gallery is it's kind of a living, growing thing is like you'll start with this and like if you have room, you can Keep climbing it up. Or if you're going to cap it at the crown, because you build the entire space here.

[A]

Are you laying them down on the ground and kind of, like, orienting them how you would like on the wall? Or how are you. How are you laying that out?

[C]

I'll start it out like that with just, like, a. The first, like, few pieces, like, usually, like, the biggest. Like this piece has. This gallery has a lot of little pieces. Usually start with your biggest piece.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

And I get that. And then I kind of branch out and grow from there. And then it really is like Tetris. You're just like, yeah, you're playing.

[B]

So you're doing it on the wall. You're not really doing it on the ground.

[C]

I'll start out on the ground with, like, two or three pieces, and then I'll put those up, and then I'll kind of just like, play with it on the wall. Yeah.

[A]

At that point, that's kind of like what. What Jenna was saying. Like, she's more like eyeball, I think, with hanging art, it is an art in it. In and of itself, especially a gallery. Yeah.

[B]

And let's just say we're a good place for G is because I like that we honed in on this for this podcast.

[C]

Yep. Okay. Gallery walls, I think, are awesome. I said this before. And corridors, I think stairwells are awesome, too. Just like, if you're going up a stairwell, because that's kind of an awkward spot to hang or in general. So this is a great place to kind of, like, you know, play Minecraft. And as you go up the stairs.

[B]

Or also in hallways. And going upstairs, you're close to that because this. A stairwell is only, like, 36 inches wide, so you're close enough that you can appreciate all the little pieces of art going down a hallway. You're. You're in close contact. That's a great place for family pictures. Today, we don't really hang the family picture over the mantle like they did in the 80s and 90s, and their greatest work of art was their family. At least that was for my mom and dad, you know, and so it's like, big family picture over the mantle. Today, we don't do that so much. I think a great place for that is. Is these hallways, and it's all the family pictures over time. And then you can get really close because it's a small space, and you can hang art from the floorboard to the ceiling and just fill that up and tell your whole family story. And it's A fun place to just to go back to. My parents bedroom has a gallery wall going back there. Like Susa saying, going up the stairs or down this hallway at the. On the bottom of the stairs. So that's your place for gallery walls? Yeah. It used to be the people would be like, I'm going to do it above the sofa. You can do a huge piece over the sofa or a diptych or a triptych. You don't have to do your gallery wall there because you can't admire it over a sofa. The sofa's like three feet deep. The closest you can get to it.

[A]

Is three feet away standing on it.

[C]

I know exactly. That's just not safe.

[B]

You want to be able to admire those things up close. So think about that also, I think.

[C]

Over like a big piece like that and just all the things that you have in the living room, that many little pieces gets nervous. It gets really nervous. So having like he's sitting, having a large gesture. And so in those big great rooms, you know, you're going to want to really play up the scale and you're going to want to go with big art over the sof. Like you said, a diptych series, but not like a nervous gallery, I think. Keep those for the hallways, keep those for the stairwells.

[A]

Let's diptych. Can we define that for the people?

[B]

Totally. So a diptych is a fancy word for one piece of art cut in half and then framed as separate pieces.

[C]

And.

[B]

And Susan's going to show you that one of those on the screen right now. A triptych is when you do the exact same thing, but you cut that piece of art into thirds and then frame, frame each individual piece and then hang them close together. People go crazy for this trick. They cannot believe it. In the picture that's on the screen right now, this is from our lovers lane project. Above a sectional is a diptych of. It looks like just ripples in a pool of water. And it really gives this sort of restful feeling, which is nice at the end of a hot day in Dallas. Just to feel, you know, this cool water reflection, this easiness. It was a feeling that they were after in this space. And we were able to give them that through this, this series, this diptych. And it's photography, which is really nice, I think in, in a room because you're going to have other mediums too. So. Yeah, I think people often forget about photography. They do in the collecting. And this is just a great example of, of what Photography could look like in a setting like this.

[C]

Yeah. And it's a little bit more clean and crisp and I think a younger. It's a younger look too.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Like in general when you're looking at photography.

[B]

Yeah, these are crisp and graphic, contemporary. And for your transitional spaces or thrown into a little more traditional setting, we'll make it feel young and crisp. Exactly.

[C]

Yeah. These are a couple other just again, in London art manner, I just wanted you to kind of see like different types of things. We do have a subject obviously and probably a lot of that gallery, but we have a subject of that big bird amongst these trees in the powder room, which I think again the scale of that is. What's so impressive is the fact that we went big with like all the sketchiness of the wallpaper. And so again you're. When you're looking for a large art to fill up your walls, you're looking like in that 40 by 60, like in a minimum, whether that's landscape or portrait view, like that's usually a good size to start with and go on up from there. So, so, so that's Linden Art Manor. And again you can see the fun thing is once you see these like finished homes, you're like, this does look like a really like, I don't know, well, adept collection, you know, that has a lot of interesting things. Okay, go to house of Harrington.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Awesome.

[B]

I love the collection. I do too.

[C]

Right when you come into the door, you see like this, there's a piece that's a framed in an acrylic box and it's all these like little cocoa beads, beads strung to make this like really interesting, more abstract pattern. But there's some such definition and like definedness because it's a three dimensional object that's been framed.

[B]

Yeah. Really pretty line work. It's loose, it really sets the scene. And when you look up close you're like, oh my gosh, that's thousands of little hand sewn in beads into this textile that's then displayed in an acrylic box. So she just looks like this cool collector. Also she's a real fashion collector, fashion influencer. So this felt fashionable for something tactile.

[C]

Like this feels really, really good to define the person. Like it really gets along with Angie anyway. So keeping things that are loose along with things that are tight I think is really good. That's why photography is so good for the crispness. But then sketchy things and studies are awesome for just like that the again, just to keep it loose.

[B]

We love that combination Figure sketches. Just from having a retail store. One of the things that we buy over and over and over again and sell over and over and over again, everybody seems to be able to get along with it is figure sketches. It feels like you're taking art class or somebody in the 18th century took art class and they did all of these studies that are really loose and kind of scribbly and they make a human or they make a building, a beautiful classical building that's sort of scribbled and sketched in like a study. Everybody loves that. It feels, it feels old, it feels collected, it feels really smart. So that might be something. If you and your partner aren't agreeing on art, you might be able to agree on a figure sketch or, or a landscape or a, besides a landscape. A classical study of a building.

[C]

Yeah. Even like when I'm sketching for people, it's easier for them to see themselves in a space if it's loose.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Same thing with art. It's easier for you to identify when you can't see the color of the person judging you on the other side. Right.

[B]

Also, like, some of these figures don't have eyes and nose and mouse. It's just like a representation of, of their face or it's, you can tell that there's a head.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So maybe they're not even staring back at you. So it feels loose. Yeah. And the scribbly lines feel really nice in a really put together room.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah. Presented some like, it must have been like the subject was a human and like you could see their face or whatever. And the client was just like, he's judging me. Like, I, I, I'm a no, like, there's no way he's judging me. I can't, I can't sit with that. All right, okay. So figure sketches. Keep it loose. Another thing, three dimensional objects. We got this from one of our vendors and it was just like all these, like, women's warrior vests. Like, how dope is that? Anyway, so this, like, hanging behind what is your television is, was such a cool installation. So on the subject of three dimension, this is probably one of my favorite things that we've ever done.

[B]

I agree. And for those of you listening and you can't see this, it's, it's like it's installed on like a drapery rod. And then these vests are almost made out of bone or horn. And you can see the individual vests and they're strung through the rod. And it's an installation of five hanging down. And there's Something about a physical object as art, not stuck inside of a frame that you're like, whoa, let's try it on. You get so much credit. I remember I collected their vintage swimsuit art. They're like, it's so funny. In the old days, you guys, women and men wore swimsuits made out of wool. And so I have these little wool swimsuits with, like, little buttons, and they're. They're navy blue and white striped with red details. And they're, like, shrunken, if you can imagine. Because wool shrinks.

[A]

Absolutely.

[B]

Yeah. And then they just make for great artwork. They're kind of in a little bit of a shadow box. But if you go to a vintage store, too, like picking up vintage jewelry, you could frame that. Vintage scarves, you know, swimsuits, There's. I love hats. I'm a hat collector, so I think there's. There's objects like that that you're just obsessed with, and those are so easy to agree on because you both are like, objects as art. Amazing.

[C]

Yeah. Tom recently, he bought a matador hat in San Diego. But it's like this old matador hat. It's at Rhett's. It's getting ready to be framed, as it should.

[A]

Yeah. I think it's more, like, interesting, too, like, rather than, you know, just photography everywhere. Yeah. Just, like, mixing up the mediums, like you were saying. And honestly, these. You can find a way to hang anything.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

One of honest. One of the greatest gifts I've ever been given, Adam bought me. Him and I both grew up skateboarding. And there's a Japanese piece of art called the Great Wave off Kanagawa. I don't know how to pronounce it exactly, but it was a piece that we carried, like, in the Aurum store when I first started, so it reminded me of that. But so, yeah, it's. It's three different skate decks, and the art is on that, and the. It came with hardware that projects it off of the wall so, you know, it can hang and stuff. And, yeah, it's the favorite gift I've ever been given, and super cool. So, yeah, there's a way to hang anything. Yeah, I love that.

[C]

Totally. I love that. Okay. Okay. So we have our warrior vest, three dimensional objects along with that in her dining room. Her Hermes plate collection is, like, one of my favorite things. Things. This isn't, like, a new trick. We've seen it, like, in old English interiors forever and ever and ever. Hanging plates on walls. I just think it's so dynamic.

[B]

Totally. And There. There's this real on Instagram. I'm sure since you guys love interior design, you're served the same. The same reel, but it's a small, slow pan of a beautiful dark red powder bath. And from floorboard to ceiling is all different plates installed. And, like, they even collect oyster plates. Every type of plate. Little tiny saucers kind of tucked all in. And the whole wall is just three dimensional and projecting out. And you're like, that's rad. This is probably just off of a dining room or a kitchen. And what a great tiny little jewel box of a space to. To hang an entire collection.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, so don't forget to hang plates as. As art.

[C]

I love that. I love that along with photography, they love Thailand. And so when we got this picture from Conde Nast, they're just like, oh, my gosh, that reminds us of being over there in Thailand. So anyway, tells their story. Interesting. Especially in the same room. Okay, now we're at our Capitol Heights project, which this was really fun because the client, they voiced out that he. He really wanted an original Flemish painting. So we actually went on first dibs, sent him a bunch of different options, size wise. We liked with this, like, built in that we did in the red high lacquer. And it's hard to see here, but when you see it live and you see the anti crackling, there's magic in that room and, like, feeling the contrast of something as old as this Flemish painting next to this modern mirror sculpture above the fireplace. Again, when you get the tension of multiple mediums and subjects and interests, like, all together, like it has a pulse.

[B]

Something in or something new. And then you get the textile of the scarf.

[C]

Just three dimensional.

[B]

Yep. And hanging in a really beautiful silver frame here with some white matte showing, which I think pretty, which I think.

[C]

Cleans it up too. And again, cooled it down. Cooled it down. That periwinkle, you wouldn't necessarily like, say, I'm gonna put this with the Flemish painting, but it works with the red, which is like the backdrop.

[B]

And these are the three main pieces in the same space.

[C]

Yes, I love that. Okay, now we're going to take you to Leverage Lane. Yep. I think this is so fun because this is one of our. Again, there's art on the wall. He loves New York. He loves graffiti. He had this, like, Yoda in the New York Yankees hat, like, and that was just like, Kingy. I think he, like, wanted off, like, a business auction or something. Wasn't even framed. And I walked in, I was like, this is amazing. This is so fun. He's like, I'm glad you like it. My wife eats it. It anyway, but we got it framed. And, like, it wasn't planned to, like, go there on this easel, but it, like, gives, like, a real representation, I think, of the client. Like, I think it has such an attitude.

[B]

Also.

[C]

He loves it.

[B]

Note to. To self, if. If your spouse hates something, it's a perfect place for them to put it in their office.

[C]

Right.

[B]

Because it's. It doesn't necessarily mean that Yoda has to be in the main living space or in the entry or the family room.

[C]

Bedroom.

[B]

It's. Yeah.

[C]

Or your bedroom. Perfect for sexiness.

[A]

Nothing sets the mood.

[B]

Yeah. So if there's something that you guys just can't agree on, then. Then that's your. That's your. Whatever you call it.

[C]

Put it in the garage.

[B]

Your white flag. You can hang it in your own personal space.

[C]

Yeah. But I think that the most darling thing there's, like. You can see there's a bunch of just, like, I will say, like, shelf art. That's another good spot for, like, little art. Candid pictures. All those things can go in built ins, which is so great. Don't. I don't want to discount that. But this, like, little. They met at an Ellie concert, and she. Remember, she kept it. Or if he kept it, kept the ticket. I think she. Anyway, he gave it to her as a gift. Vice versa. Anyway, it's their love story. It's now in a shadow box in his office. And every time somebody sits on that sofa, they can be like, what is this? And, like, it just. It rekindles, y'. All.

[A]

You 92 summer jam. Yeah. That's crazy.

[C]

So, so good. Anyway, so definitely. I remember we had a client, too. Not client, but just, like, one of the. One of you, our listeners that, like, sent us a picture, and she knew I loved, like, art and framing, and she sent me this thing, and she's like, I've had this mint wrapper from my, you know, my first or second date with my husband in my purse for 10 years, and you finally, like, gave me the courage to, like, frame it. And they framed this, like, little mint wrapper, and it's small and it's quaint, but it means so much. So again, to. To. Yeah. That love story. I think that there's, like, a lot of things that we could probably go through old boxes and be like, you know, I remember that. And, like, that's special, and I want to have that on my wall. I want that to speak.

[A]

I think our art needs to, like, tell a story of us, but also when people. Like, I love when people come over and comment on it, and then I get to tell the story behind it, you know, and that kind of helps them connect to it. And it's. It's. It's something to talk about, you know, it just. Yeah.

[B]

Makes you interesting as a person.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And the more you do it, it's addicting. You know, some people collect tattoos. You're gonna collect. These are tattoos for your home.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

This is the art on your walls. And I think that it will also tell your story and. And be long living. And your kids can tell the story, and your kids can walk down that hallway and they can see who grandma and grandpa were, or they can look at my old hairdos from the 80s. And that's fun. That's fun. After a certain point. Yeah, totally. I was gonna say there was another listener question that came in that. We've been answering this as we go, but this was Cindy Ricardo, and she said, I have a few blank wal kitchen and hallway, and was hoping for advice on what is recommended to fill up those spaces or can I leave them blank? And to that, Cindy, I think those hallways, like we talked about, those are key spaces to hang a lot of that little stuff or whatever you want to be admired. Close up Family photos is a perfect place for that. Or if you're collecting little tiny pieces of art, you can get those framed to be in a gallery, and they can be admired close up in those hallways. So that is a really great place for you to be able to use up a lot of that. Your kitchen, that's a great place to do the plate trick. Platters look really good hung or I don't know what's in your kitchen.

[C]

My kitchen. I have something that I need to hang. Tom got me, like, these old carved wooden spoons.

[B]

Oh, cute.

[C]

Anyway, and I'm gonna be hanging them just like I should get the right hardware. But I'm like, it's just like a gift, and it's something that I can keep collecting.

[B]

And what a pretty rhythm.

[C]

It's a rhythm, and it makes sense, like in a space like that. Right. Like, so I kind of tell, like, what the space does and tell it in an interesting way.

[B]

Another thing that sue has in her house that's just behind her kitchen is her stairwell, and she has a huge Moroccan rug that's hung on the stairwell. And I think rugs as art in stairwells are great because that's the one place in your house that travels two stories, whether it's going up the stairs two stories from the main floor up or going down, like to yours. So don't be afraid to get a rug. You had a casing sewn on the back so you could install it on a drapery rod sleeve, Will. Yeah, a sleeve.

[C]

Just nail it in though.

[B]

You can just nail it right to the sheet.

[C]

Extra of me. I don't know.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, totally. So definitely use. Fill up those spaces, Cindy. You'll be so happy that you did.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

I would say don't leave them blank, but like Corey said, it's a marathon, it's not a sprint. So you're looking for just the thing to help tell your story.

[C]

Yep. All right, kind of. We've talked to you guys about framing, defining your style, the scale of what you should be looking for. Now let's just talk about the hanging of it. Kind of a general rule that you should like stick to is I think the average, I think it's 60 inches from the floor to the middle of the piece. So that means when you, when you're working with your husband, right, Jenna. When you're working with your husband, Jenna, you're going to tell him those rules and he's going to be so happy.

[B]

And impressive because he loves exactness.

[C]

He loves a number. So if you're shorter. I'm a 58 enter. I like things 58 from the finished floor average is 60. So finished floor to the middle of Your piece is 60 inches on the height.

[B]

To give you an idea, Suzanne is 5 4. That's why she likes 58 inches shorty.

[C]

And my husband's 5 7, so we're just like Littles. And we have an eight foot ceiling, so.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

Yep, yep.

[A]

Yeah, I'm, I'm 510 and a half. So. Yeah, I like 58 too. To me, I. I'd maybe rather like pull it down than have it be like so up.

[B]

And that is the great argument is that I think everybody that doesn't know what to do, they hang their art too high. So hanging it low in the pocket feels a lot cooler.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. It's not like, hey, what's that thing up there?

[C]

You know, the husband freestyle. Then they're taller and they're just like, well, this looks good, you know, Looks good to him. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

The void above it is not nearly as offensive as, as avoidable. And also you're gonna have something, you know, you can have like a console below it or. Yeah, you're not exactly putting a console above it, that's for damn sure.

[C]

Exactly.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

For damn sure. Okay, awesome. So that is your rule for hanging art. Obviously, if you are above, like, a console or above your sofa, it's about 6 inches. Usually. I always like the bottom of the piece. If it's the right scale, six inches above that is where you're going to start that and then see all the equations you're going to give your husband. Jenna, you're so ready.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

You're so, so ready. And you're going to be so confident in your curations.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

That you're gonna both love the process. Yep. Or you can hire a third party that saves marriages, too, so. Totally.

[B]

So to give you a really quick recap, you're going to start by defining what type of art that you like. And then you're also going to go to galleries to help really seal the information in there. You're also going to travel because that's going to give you a really nice space to be open mindset in and to collectively find things on those vacations that you both love together that remind you of your love story. That space that you visited. It's a great time to buy art. So curating it and then you're going to go for free. Framing it. You're framing it for the piece. Also, if you get a little piece. Sue, show that little 8 by 10 that you have at your house.

[C]

I have a couple.

[B]

Has a really cool thing that she does with matting. This is a great example. Above her sofa, you can see that little eight by ten, sort of like parchment colored paper. That's a little tiny sketch. She made this into a large piece by by weighting the mat at the top and doing a ton of matte. This is a more modern installation of a figure sketch. And then did an awesome silver frame here. So you can make small pieces big if you have a great framer and it adds importance.

[C]

People like. I can't tell you the amount of times people go up to that and be like, gosh, this must be important. Or just like, it has visual importance because of how I framed it. That they're just like, where did you get this? And it's like famous artists and it's a study, and I love it so much. But on both of those things, they both have stories that are important to me. So even if it's like a small piece of it still has a place in main areas in your home. You just have to grow it. And this is how you grow it.

[B]

Yeah. So you can frame it great. And then the last thing is you're going to hang it whether that be in galleries or on its own. You want that subject right around that 60 inch mark. So hopefully this helps save marriages for you, Jenna and Cindy, you're going to start collecting and filling up those living rooms, kitchens and hallways. I hope this has been helpful for you guys. Thank you so much. And if you don't mind give us a comment. We love to be able to read those and give us a review. Every little bit helps grow the show. And don't forget to check us out on Instagram at Alice Lane Interiors in Alice Lane Home and we will catch you guys next time. Hey thanks for listening. If you like our show please leave a five star rating bundle and safe.

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Row we were made to quietly save you. More Expedia made to travel savings vary.

[B]

And subject to availability. Flight inclusive packages are at all protected.