Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

| By | | 448 Comments

Art For Under $50

Ok, not the whole world, but a good smattering of it. For those of you who watched our house tour video yesterday, you’ve seen a shot of these babies in action (and by these babies, I mean eight freshly framed prints that we hung in our hallway above the board & batten that we added). But here are some close ups with all the how-we-did-it deets.

It was a really easy project actually. First, we bought an awesome calendar at Anthropologie on sale after the new year for $13 (gotta love how calendars go half price the second that January begins) but we had zero intention of using it in the traditional sense since we make a quirky little homemade calendar each year.

We just loved the awesome illustrations of each city. And we knew they’d look nice in a collection of frames on the wall. Psst- It’s still for sale here, if you’re in the market for one.

At first we debated hanging all 12 of them in a grid in the guest room, but we’ve been craving something large (as opposed to a collection of smaller frames) for the big bare wall above the chairs in there.

Guest Vertical3

And then when we finished the board & batten hallway project (here’s a pic from before we painted the walls)…

BNB 24 Painted Side

… it dawned on us that they might look cute spaced out as you walk down the hall.

Hallway Frames

Turns out they do.

As for how we hung them all at the same height, we just shot our laser level down the hall, and marked two dots for each frame that were 5″ apart (there are 10″ of space between each frame).

City Prints3

Then we just hammered nails into those two dots for each frame.

City Prints4

Why two nails for each frame? Well, since the back of these Ikea ribba frames rest on a nail to stay up, two nails about 5″ apart are nice and sturdy – and you’ll never need to straighten the frame like you do when it hangs on one nail). Plus you can slide the frame a bit from the left or the right, so it helps make the spacing extra easy to control, even if you pre-measure it all with the laser level like we did.

City Prints5

Then when you pop a frame onto them, it looks like this:

Since the eight Ribba frames are from Ikea, they’re just $9 a pop (and we already had four, so we just had to buy four more to complete the collection). So that’s how we got an entire hallway full of art for $49 – which breaks down to $36 for frames and $13 for the calendar.

Not bad to go from here…

NotSeen HallwayRegister

… to here in about a month.

Frame Hallway Back

Especially since we walk up and down that hallway at least a dozen times a day. And although we’ve only been to one of the eight places: NY (do we get extra point for living there for a while?) John has already started calling this our travel bucket list. So here’s hoping we get to visit Rome, Paris, Istanbul, Sydney, London, Amsterdam, and Rio De Janeiro someday.

Odd confession of the day: I have three favorite spots in this house, and two of them aren’t rooms. They’re:

  • the frame hallway that leads to the living room, kitchen, and our bedroom
  • this hallway that leads to the other three bedrooms
  • Clara’s big girl room, just because I’m beyond thankful that it no longer looks like this…

Cleaning Playroom1

What are your favorite areas of your house? Are they unusual, like a closet or a bathroom or a specific nook (the wall o’ penny tile in the kitchen is up there for me too)? Or are your picks more traditional like the living room, the sunroom, or the bedroom?

Update: Wanna know where we got something in our house or what paint color we used? Just click on this button: 

ShopOurHouseBannerSHORT

Comments

  1. Tarnya Cook says

    They look great, simple and effective. And great to see Australia represented, I’m a Melbourne girl but Sydney is beautiful too. We’d be so happy to see you down under one day!!
    xx

    Reply

  2. Claire @ Claire K Creations says

    Yay you’ve got a little bit of Australia in your house now! Love the way they line the way to the frame wall/hall. It’s like a little welcome.
    My husband and I are going to New York (we’re from Bris Australia) and I can’t wait to go to all the shops you guys talk about like Anthropologie!

    Reply

  4. Stephanie says

    FYI- for anyone who read this post late like me and was devastated to find that the calendar appears to be sold out everywhere, I am pleased to announce that I was able to find some still in stock here:

    http://shopmindyweiss.com/

    It is more expensive but I still think it is worth it!

    Hope that saves someone the hour that I spent searching online! Haha.

    Reply

  6. Kristen says

    Love the light hanging in the hallway. We’ve been looking for something just like it. Can you let me know where/how yu got it? Thanks!

    Reply

  7. Danny says

    The house tour video was great, well done. This calender idea of yours is just brilliant, I’m going to check online for a couple today. The before and after is a huge difference and you did a great job, it has a freshness to it now that’s awesome.

    Reply

  8. mp says

    Love it! I’ve long had a rule that I had to have visited a place to hang pictures of it on the wall, but this project is making me rethink that.

    Reply

  10. Kaesey says

    We have a long hall in need of a facelift – thanks for the inspiration! I think our toy room might be my favorite room in the house, despite the chaos usually in there. It gets nice light and has a comfy little couch and big shelving unit for all our stuff. The brown on the walls always seems to be just right – cozy in the winter, light in the summer. (A “keeper” color – miracle!) It’s right off the living room and visitors seem to gravitate to it. We’ll have a small party and find everyone sitting at the kids’ play table. ;)

    Reply

  11. jamie says

    Oh no! looks like the calendar is now sold out at the link you provided! Do you know if Anthro still has it? Bummer :( I was so inspired to use these prints in my nursery!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      If you scroll through the comments (maybe work from the back, since those are more recent) a few people have linked to spots that might still have it :)

      xo
      s

  12. Jenn R. says

    I got this same calendar as a gift and I love it! I think I actually have two years worth of them now, although one is old maps. We’re about to buy a house and I think s similar project is going to be on my list! Love the way yours turned out!

    Reply

  14. Stephanie says

    I went to buy the calendar and it was sold out!!! They should give y’all a shout out! I’m so sad because I have fallen in love!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Boo! I’m sorry it’s so hard to find Stephanie! A few folks have found some places that still had it (in the more recent comments) so hopefully those help :)

      xo
      s

  15. Katie C says

    Love this! So fun! I’m making a frame hallway in my house too! I’m hoping it’ll look just as awesome as yours!

    On a side note —- just saw you guys on Joss&Main!! LOVING IT!!! Congrats!

    Reply

  16. Barb says

    IT IS OFFICIAL……you guys are the blogging world equivalent to Oprah. This is the third time I have tried to buy something after you mentioned it here and came up with nada. You mention things and they sell out. Guess Congrads are in order ;)

    At least I can say I followed you since the beginning, you know, I knew you when……lol

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw man, I’m sorry it’s so hard to find Barb! A few folks have found some places that still had it (in the more recent comments) so hopefully those help :)

      xo
      s

  17. libby says

    I just did this a couple of weeks ago above my bed! Hoping to find a great blue paint color that matches the rivers for my bedroom. :) Love rifle paper co!

    Reply

  18. Emily says

    So glad you have a piece of Sydney in your home.
    Trivia: a person from Sydney is a Sydneysider.
    Enjoy!

    Reply

  19. Stephanie says

    HELP!!! I love those prints! I have been searching for the right kind of artwork for my living room for months and those prints would be PERFECT! The only problem is the calendar is sold out. Would anybody be interested in selling the prints that they don’t use to me? I would like 8, but I would settle with 6. If so, please contact me at http://[email protected] Thanks!

    Reply

  22. Molly says

    Ok, this is not related to actual house decorating, but when it comes to traveling through your bucket list hallway, I highly reccomend looking into Rick Steves travel and starting in a country that speaks mainly English (London or Sydney). That’s how my dad started taking us on travels when I was a freshman in high school, and we have been to 5 of your 8. (Istanbul, Sydney and Rio sound amazing, can’t wait to take my kiddos there!)

    Reply

  23. schöne Salzteelicht in der Schweiz says

    ohhhhhh :) what a great work you have done. Your rooms are looking a part of museum. Any way your effort is looking great and your idea is very unique. Don’t get me wrong, your picture frame walls are amazing but i love the clean and simple line of the frames going down the hall with that great new trim.

    Reply

  25. Grete says

    I love all your framing ideas and tutorials! I was curious – do you have many framed photos of family members in your home? I know there are a couple in Clara’s “nursery”, but if you have them elsewhere, what are your tips for making them a part of the decor? (My current feeling is unless they’re black & white, you have some of the photo’s color scheme to try to blend with the rest of the home’s design…) Would love to hear your ideas!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, there are a bunch in the frame hallway and some in our laundry room (right next to the door we go in and out of all the time). Oh and we have a bunch in our bedroom (right next to the sink) too! Oh and 8 of them above the sofa in the living room too (those are instagram pics). I just work them right in there and pick photos we love (not stiff staged ones, fun spur of the moment ones)!

      xo
      s

    • Grete says

      Thanks for your response! Clearly I needed to go on your recent house tour to remember where you might’ve had other photos. :)
      From how you’ve included photos then, it seems like the colors in the photos aren’t as relevant as the mat/frame to blending in with the rest of the home’s decor… Thank you again!

  26. Sukii says

    Wow, this is really brilliant. I will consider this for my new house. May change some pictures, should buy some photo frame set now. Thanks!

    Reply

  27. Amy says

    So bummed, I ordered right after seeing the post and just got an email today from Rifle saying the couldn’t fulfill my order. Guess the YHL contingent overwhelmed them!

    Reply

  29. Nikki says

    This is SO crazy! I saw a few other people comment that they have this calendar too, and I’m one of them! I legitimately bought this calendar from Paper Source (on sale too!) for the purpose of using as art in our house! In the same Ikea Ribba frames, no less! Crazy coincidence!

    Reply

  30. Valerie says

    I work at rifle paper co and its been really interesting seeing all those calendars disappear so quickly! All our hard work pays off :) good thing I grabbed one in time

    Reply

  33. Anna K says

    well there is currently one for sale on ebay but it’s now going for over $100! I guess it’s worth it if you don’t want to pay the $40 a pop for a print when they are released. I would say you guys have generated a huge demand for these prints! The project looks fantastic-wish I could have scored them when they were $13!!

    Reply

  34. Sassafras says

    So bummed that Rifle Paper has sold out of those calendars!!! They look awesome and your hallway is spiffin’ sporting those!! Color me pea green. Which leads me to my favorite area at my new house…for now – tis the front porch upon which we just had a new clear glass storm door installed and I just painted the front door a lovely lime green (that old almond color door did nothing for the house!). The new chair pads (red, lime & turquoise stripes) on the chairs out there call me and my cuppa joe each morning for an outside sit to watch the sunrise and listen and watch the birds!

    Reply

  36. jacqueline says

    Oh, I just LOVE this! …and everything you guys do. I’m a little late on this one and now Rifle Papers is selling each print for $40 – $60 a pop. Wowzers! I think they caught on to how crafty you were with this and now I have my eye out for next year’s calendar ;) All the best!

    Reply

  37. Katie Ledford says

    I absolutely love this calendar!! I have been trying to find it. It’s sold out everywhere. Do you have any idea where I might be able to find it??? THANKS SO MUCH!

    Reply

  38. Tara S says

    Just saw that Rifle Paper Co is now selling the city artwork as prints….FOR $40 for an 11×14!! I guess if someone has their heart set on just a few cities they would be happy to know that. You hit the jackpot with the whole calendar. Do you think you will hang them in the new house? Good luck with the move this weekend.

    http://riflepaperco.com/category/Prints/c2

    Reply

  39. katie ledford says

    I am dying to get this calendar. It seems that it is going to be impossible! I’ve looked online everywhere!! If you ever decide not to use them I would take them off your hands! I’ve entered the $500 giveaway maybe I can win and get the prints instead! thanks

    Reply

  40. Thais says

    Can you please tell me what is the name of the gray paint on the wall? I have been struggling to find a light gray that doesn’t look blue on the wall, and this one seems perfect! Thanks!

    Reply

  41. Kate says

    Hi! I just want to say that the 2014 calendars came in at my local Paper Source and I picked up the America calendar because I am totally copying your idea…don’t hate me! Loved that it had Chicago on it (as that is where we live!). Thanks for sharing your time and talents! Kate

    Reply

  42. Mary beth says

    Do you use the wire thing on the back of the Riba frames or add some other kind of picture hanging hardware?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh man, we no longer live there for me to measure them, but we like eye-height as a rule, so if your eyes are X” from the ground, try putting the center of the pictures at that height.

      xo
      s

  46. Laura says

    This is such a great idea! Did you use the 11×14 wall calendar for these? Or were different dimensions offered back then? Thanks and keep up the great work!

    Reply

Stuff We Love

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *