Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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Picking Art For The Kitchen

The other day I was working away in the office and Sherry breezed in and stole some paper from the printer. I didn’t think much of it… until a few minutes later when I walked into the kitchen to find this. Well, this and Sherry grinning at me and batting her eyelashes.

SuccArt Templates

I soon learned that these large succulent photographs that she’d been eying for some time from West Elm had gone on sale (boo, but it looks like they’re back to full price now). It’s more than we typically spend on art, but they’re very large (almost 30″ wide and tall) and the price included the big glass frame – so Sherry took the 20% markdown as a sign from the succulent photography gods that two of these should come to live with us. I actually really liked them too, so I was easily convinced. We’ve been wanting to slowly amass more large-scale art over time (other than this yard sale painted canvas that Sherry DIYed and these bike prints I framed, we really don’t have much) so it’s nice to balance out some cheaper homemade stuff with some custom framed professional prints.

SuccArt West Elm Picture2

Fast forward a week or so, and that big empty wall in our kitchen is no longer empty.

SuccArt After

Here’s a much less glare-y view from the other side of our two new additions.

SuccArt After From Side

That’s the abridged version of the story. The complete version starts with a reminder that this is what the wall looked like to start with. As in, it had that big awesome non-working intercom in the way.

SuccArt Before

Although I had sort of grown to love this ugly non-functioning hunk of faux wood grain & dials… it was time to say goodbye. Luckily it only took a few loosened screws to detach it from the wall.

SuccArt 1 Unscrewing Radio

We hoped that we’d just find a tiny patchable hole with a couple of wires sticking out, but instead, we found this. For a few good seconds I was pretty certain it was a bomb and I’d be in trouble if I let this bus slow down.

SuccArt 2 Bomb

But since it was not actually explosive (and since I’m most definitely not Academy Award winning actress Sandra Bullock) it was pretty easy to defuse, er, detach. With the power off, I was able to unhook the two power cords (blue and white) and the mess of other connectors that I believe weave through our house to the other rooms with intercoms (again, none of which really work).

SuccArt 3 Wires

Seeing as this wall is on the demolition list down the line (for when we eventually open the kitchen up to the living room), we opted for a temporary solution for now. Translation: we didn’t call in an electrician just yet. The intercom only shares a breaker with the light in our wet bar, which we never use, so we opted to cap and tape the intercom power wires, flip off that breaker, and call it a day. The next time I’m at the hardware store I’m going to look for a big flat metal plate that I can screw in to cover things up. Obviously it’s not a permanent solution, but it’ll do for now.

SuccArt 4 Wires Away

But the radio wasn’t our only eyesore. We also had a phone jack nearby that wasn’t in use. I did lots of googling and found a range of theories/instructions on how to disconnect one of these. The general consensus was (1) you don’t have to worry about getting zapped by a phone wire unless the phone is actively ringing or in use and (2) you usually can just cut the wires and stuff them back into the wall.

I was a little wary of both, but I was able to disconnect the four pairs of wires from the jack with nary a shock. Rather than leave them totally lose and exposed, I capped them with wire nuts just to be thorough. I capped the matching colored wires together after looking behind another already-capped phone jack in our living room and seeing that someone before me had done the same thing on that one.

SuccArt 5 Phone Wires

With those wires capped, I pushed them back into the box and tested the phone (still worked!). Then I stepped back to admire those two gaping holes. Gorgeous, no?

SuccArt 6 Empty Holes

Well, they now look like this. Notice how I didn’t show any photos of drywall patching? It’s because we haven’t done any. Again, since this wall’s days are numbered we decided not to bother patching either hole (plus this leaves my temporary wiring fixes available for the electrician in the future if we want to get them handled by a pro). So for now, we just put a blank cover on the phone jack (and painted it to match the wall). And the big radio hole, well, it’s behind the green succulent. Sort of like hiding an old medicine cabinet hole behind a new mirror. But I’m hoping that big metal plate cover that I mentioned grabbing the next time we’re at Home Depot will make it a little more… temporarily legit?

SuccArt 7 Covered

I do have a bit of DIYer shame for not following through completely with those two holes, but at the same time I felt kind of silly paying for an electrician now (or carefully patching the drywall) just to tear it out later. So instead I’m just enjoying the new view.

Oh and from this shot you can see that we chose to center the art on the table and the chandelier, as opposed to centering it on the wall (we tried it both ways and it looked a little wonky when they didn’t line up with the table or the chandelier).

SuccArt After Straight On

Can you guess which one is Clara’s favorite?

SuccArt Detail No Door

Yup, that purple one on the left.

We like that they add a little more color, but aren’t too crazy or busy (especially since we’re hoping to add some window treatments which might have more color and pattern). And since this wall won’t always be here, we’re certain they could work in a ton of other rooms in the future (like the dining room over a buffet, the office over a desk, etc).

SuccArt Detail With Shelves

I think I may have to send Sherry to a Succulents Anonymous meeting soon though. The photo below doesn’t even include the terrarium she just made.

SuccArt After From Garage

Man that last picture makes me want to do something about those counters right this second (well, those and that trash compactor). We just want to make a bit more progress in the nursery before we give those Ardex concrete tutorials a shot. And those floors. We’re coming for you, floors. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Too bad we can’t just hide them behind a frame.

Comments

  2. Lindsay says

    Oh I LOVE these! I have a huge empty wall in our kitchen and couldn’t figure out what to do so this gave me some great ideas!

    Reply

  3. Barbara says

    Cool post, love these pretty prints. I’m with Clara on the purple one! Its such a nice accent to the other tones in the kitchen.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We stuck a line in the post about that but it’s easy to miss. We think they’d work well in the dining room over a buffet or in the office over a desk, so we’re glad they’re nice and flexible for other spaces too.

      xo
      s

  6. Debra Wooley says

    Go to IKEA and get the countertops! They are around $95 for an 8′ piece. I’ve had mine for 5 years now and they look just as great today as the day they were installed. Anytime I get a stain, I mix some dish detergent with a drop of bleach, rub it over the spot, rinse and it’s gone!!!
    http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80107672/
    It was in the budget for granite countertops but then found out I needed a new roof porch installed :( So bye bye granite, hello new roof and I LOVE MY KITCHEN!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks for the tip Debra! We’ll be replacing the cabinets/floor/counters down the line, so we’re trying to work with what we have for this phase (concrete is only around $20-50 to add over an existing top, so we think we’re leaning that way for this stage).

      xo
      s

  9. Shelly says

    Love the pictures! They are gorgeous. As far as covering holes in the wall, we recently did the same thing :) We had a light (which we assume was used for above a piano), in the middle of a wall, which we did not want anymore…soooo, we took down the light, and hung up a picture over the hole for now! Once we decide what we will be doing with that wall, we will come up with a permanent solution.

    Reply

  11. Kristin says

    I think centering on the table/chandelier is best. Corners need a bit of space to ‘breathe’ so it looks balanced to me. You know, how you leave a bit more mat(te?) on the bottom when you frame things to visually balance things? Same theory here. Ha ha!!!
    Love it!

    Reply

  14. Wendy (New Moms Talk) says

    The colors remind me a bunch of a photo myhub took at Letchworth State Park in New York. His mom loved it so much that she had it enlarged and printed. It’s now the dining room’s main art piece and it looks incredibly beautiful.

    Have you considered doing something similar with all of the beauty around you or is your focus toward non-J&s made art?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Ooh I love that! I think our focus is a nice mix. We like the idea of many pieces in the house being personal (photos we took, prints we made, etc) and other items being work by other artists that we admire (both small etsy vendors and bigger more well known photographers, like these prints).

      xo
      s

  15. Anya says

    Looks great! Random question: in the last photo, what is that old radio/dishwasher looking thing along the bar/bottom cabinet?

    Re-doing old homes means tearing out old equipment that doesnt work anymore. My parents’ house had a grill in the basement (inside) in a woodpaneled room when they moved in. Not a good idea! I’m glad my parents aren’t using it.

    Reply

  16. Theresa says

    I just have to thank you for the Speed reference. I’m going to be thinking about that movie all day now…one of the few dvds I own. It will be a classic some day.

    Reply

  17. Amber says

    We recently remodeled our entire kitchen (sent you pics a few weeks ago) and also had to deal with an old intercom box. We were also hoping for 1 small hole and ended up with a large square cut out like yours. Luckily, our new cabinets covered the entire area with the help from a little trim work. Out of sight, out of mind :)

    Reply

  18. GreenInOC says

    I’m so sad, I loved the intercom and was hoping you would use it!

    The prints are gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Clara isn’t the only one in love with the purple one!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw thanks GreenInOC! We definitely still aren’t certain we’ll phase out the entire intercom system – we’d just have to move that home base one anyway since this wall will come down. But because all the other bedrooms (and even the sunroom and the front porch) are wired with other intercom units we still think it would be awesome to convert the system into some sort of iPod playing whole-house stereo or something someday!

      xo
      s

    • CallieG says

      I agree I think an intercom system would be a great thing to have with two floors and two kids so you can call them without having to use your cell phone in the same house (which my mom had to resort to, because the other option is yelling through the house). But I also LOVE the idea of a music system to pipe songs through the house. That would be great for entertaining and pretty awesome for the rest of the time too. I wonder if there’s a system that works both as a surround-house speaker and an intercom?

    • YoungHouseLove says

      That would be the best of both worlds! We hear there are systems that work like that, many are just really pricey and we’d need a lot of units (there are even some on the sunroom and front porch). Will have to see what we can find!

      xo
      s

  20. Lindsey says

    I bought the purple succulent picture to go next to our hutch in our dining room. I love it! Clara has great taste! :)

    Reply

  21. Elaissa says

    Love Love Love the Artichoke! My oldest cat is named Asparagus from “Cats” – Gus is the cat at the theater door…he name is Asparagus but that’s such a fuss to pronounce so we usually call him just Gus. 5years later, I named my next cat Artichoke after seeing a grocery store add for Asparagus and Artichokes!
    She goes by Arti or Chokie. I am a sucker for any art of Artichokes and Asparagus!
    Tell Burger, my Veggies say hi!

    Reply

  22. Kristin says

    They look great! It’s great having a nice camera too, bc I’ve done similar in our house. I love changing out botanical shots seasonally to keep things lively and relevant with the season. Having a rockin camera lets me capture beautiful botanicals and seasonal things without having to pay a Fortune for the change! (Especially bc I’m never really “done”)

    Reply

  24. Lisa | Winter Heights says

    No shame, John. The rest of us cover holes in our walls with no problem. (at least that’s what I tell myself) :)))

    Pictures look fantastic! For using this room as often as you guys probably do, I bet it’s nice to have such a prettier kitchen to look at.

    Reply

    • Ann says

      Hahah I was thinking the same thing… we have this ugly, ornate, faux-wood doorbell box that’s built into the wall (its probably a foot high), and right in my line of vision from my living room couch. So I put a canvas over it and problem solved :). I don’t plan on ever addressing it otherwise either haha

  25. Kathryn says

    Faux-brick better be shakin’ in its boots. Its days are numbered! (Is it weird how excited I am to see it bite the dust? It’s always seemed like the least Petersik-tastic thing in your whole house.)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      The funny thing is that our first house had the exact same flooring in the kitchen (we discovered it when we redid the floors in there and tore up the stuff on top of it). It’s a tradition, whether it’s a 50s house or a 70s house! That fake brick had staying power…

      xo
      s

  26. Emily says

    I love these pictures. The color on them is amazing. They are so vibrant but not too much color. It is a lot for art for me as well but I think we all splurge on things we have to have. And hey a 20% off anything, especially something you have been eyeing is a for sure sign they are meant for you. I love the simplicity of the space you have created

    Reply

  27. Rebecca says

    I’ve never commented before, but the mention of doing something about your trash compactor ended my lurking – I’m so excited to see what you do! Hubby and I are living in and renovating my late grandfather’s house (that he built in the early 70s). We have a grimy trash compactor in our (dark wood filled) kitchen that is waiting for the boot, but I’m not sure what to put there (or even how to take it out!). Can’t wait to see the change!

    Reply

  29. Lauren says

    Have you guys given any thought to how the waincotting treatment will work when you knock down the wall? Will you continue it into the adjacent room, or remove it from the kitchen? It’s such a nice feature but seems like it would be tricky to continue seamlessly.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      It’s actually in the living room too (which is the room behind that wall) so we’re hoping it’ll all look nice and cohesive! We got so lucky with that!

      xo
      s

  30. V says

    The Rustoleum countertop paint is a great medium term, inexpensive solution for the countertops until you are ready to replace them. I used it on mine five years ago, and it is only now that touchups are needed (and only in a few small spots).

    Reply

  31. Amy says

    “For a few good seconds I was pretty certain it was a bomb and I’d be in trouble if I let this bus slow down” LOL!

    Love all that you guys do, and love your humor even more!

    Reply

  32. Megan F says

    I love the art! I am a succelent lover too. Our wedding was green and white so the wedding favors were: little pots of succulents for each guest!

    But sadly at the moment, I only have a bamboo plant in my house, no succelents :( Gotta love low maintenance house plants!!

    Reply

  34. Kat says

    Framed succulents (which are gorgeous, btw) are about the only ones assured to have “life” in my house. I’m worse than Dexter when it comes to killing plants.
    As to drywall shame, if it helps, I bet you’ll get over it soon. I removed an ancient medicine cabinet from the downstairs bathroom and hung a huge mirror over the gaping hole. That wall’s days are number when the bones add up for a complete bathroom reno…so for now, the mantel is missing a mirror and I’ve completely forgotten about the bathroom hole. So take heart!

    Reply

  35. MB says

    I had one of those non-working, ancient intercom systems at my last house, but we knew where it actually plugged in to an outlet in the basement. So I spent a little time that first year pulling wires back through the basement ceiling after cutting them at each source (ranch living is awesome for that!). Either way, the patching wasn’t a big deal at all once I had a little system of blocks on the inside edge of each 2×4, cut a piece of scrap drywall about the size you need, mesh tape and spackle, sand, prime, paint. Don’t be daunted about the rest of the removals, it was really an easy one that made a HUGE difference.

    Reply

  36. Karen McCullough Lovell says

    Definitely good to see all the photos. Love almost anything from West Elm – go to the Nashville store every chance I get. I have one of those intercom systems – JUST LIKE YOURS! – in my kitchen. When I save enough dough to remodel my kitchen, it’s going along with the cheap wood paneling.

    Reply

  37. drew says

    Is the glass UV protective? As bright as your room appears you may have a fading problem. Keep a close watch on them for changes. Sunlight and flourescent light are prints biggest enemy.

    Reply

  39. Carol says

    My aunt and uncle INSTALLED an intercom into their home when remodeling because they were sick of yelling up the stairs for the kids. None of us had ever seen an intercom in a house before. So funny to see it (even non-functioning) in yours!
    p.s. They may secretly regret it, since their youngest loves scream-singing over it!

    Reply

  40. andee says

    How do you decide what height to hang your art at? This is an ongoing battle in our house. I think it is supposed to be eye-level and my husband tends to want it hung much higher. And we’re almost the same height, so that isn’t the issue!

    Reply

  41. Lindsey d. says

    Heh… I was just thinking about what the couple buying my house will think when they find the hole for the old medicine cabinet behind the new, much larger mirror that I hung over it. Surprise! (Not a bad surprise, I think… No one would have wanted to keep that tiny medicine cabinet or replace it with something the same, tiny size.)

    Reply

    • Stephanie says

      We hung a new, bigger mirror over an old medicine cabinet hole in our bathroom, too. We wrote a little note in the hole just in case someone ever takes the mirror down after we move out someday!

  42. Jackie says

    I like these a lot and I like the pair you chose. Also, I’m sort of the type to notice when things aren’t centered and be picky about how things are spaced on walls and I didn’t notice anything off at all with where you placed them. I think it looks right.

    Best,
    Jackie

    Reply

  45. Krissy says

    Glad to see it’s that easy to deal with phone wires…there are multiple phone outlets in every room of our house! And we don’t even have a landline…ps I typed in yhl and accidentally hit image search on Google today…yikes…a questionable photo not related to your site comes up…lol

    Reply

  47. Marci says

    Reminds me of Friends episode (The One with All the Rugby) when Monica cuts holes in the wall to find out where the wire on a non-working light switch goes. She covers up the holes with pieces of paper to fool Rachel. (Spoiler: she does not fool Rachel.)

    Remember that? Or am I the only one who watches reruns every night?

    Reply

  48. Stacy says

    I actually just did something similar in my home. My husband and I live in a townhouse that does not have a basement. Because of that our breaker box is on the first floor leading into the dining room. It’s an eyesore for sure. I just found a large canvas piece of art hanging around used it to cover it up. Since it’s light I just used some 3M Velcro strips to secure it so we can still get to the box if we need to. Now I don’t have to look at that ugly breaker box!

    Reply

  49. Isabel says

    Nice! I love botanical and wildlife prints and I agree with Clara, I like the purple one best, but then again, if it’s purple I will like it! I took a pic of my water lily in bloom and blew it up, framed it and hung it by my side of the bed in the master bedroom. It’s definitely not pro photographer quality, but the fact that is it one of my plants makes me smile every time. I don’t know if you guys have noticed, but in the very first shot, your real succulents look like a cute little army leaning towards the sun :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      So funny! They lean together like they’re all in a car on a racetrack. I spin it occasionally so they don’t grow super crooked. Clara likes on facing her when she eats though, so it gets spun back sometimes. Haha! And as for your water lily picture, that sounds awesome!

      xo
      s

    • Isabel says

      LOL! That racetrack reference cracked me up. I can picture their little bristles being pushed back as little cars zoom by. But they look so healthy and happy, I predict some greening of a so-called previously black thumb ;)

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I dunno, as soon as I posted that jovial “they’re all still alive two months later! and they love me!” post, one of them started looking a little finicky….

      xo
      s

  50. Brandi says

    1. Those prints are totally gorgeous. Like, for serious.
    2. As I was reading, my brain processed “The photo below doesn’t even include the terrarium she just made” as: “The photo below doesn’t even include the TANTRUM she just made” [emphasis mine]. Thankfully I thought that was odd enough to go back and read it again, but let me tell you the truth – I was kind of looking forward to a picture of Sherry pitching a fit on the floor. :o)
    Stay warm!

    Reply

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