Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

| By | | 348 Comments

Buying A Teil Duncan Painting For Our Anniversary

As of Monday, John and I have been married for seven years. Or a hand and two fingers, as Clara likes to joke (“what’s seven?… A HAND AND TWO FINGERS!” *maniacal laughter*).

As you can imagine, when you get married on 7/7/07, your seventh anniversary feels like a special one. The golden birthday of anniversaries, if you will. We went to Hawaii for our fifth anniversary, and have always thought we’d end up going somewhere awesome for our seventh (Australia is the ultimate dream – maybe for our tenth – but for lucky seven we were thinking about somewhere in the Caribbean). But as this summer approached we realized the last thing we wanted to do was load everyone up on an airplane. We’re definitely still adjusting to life with two kids, so we decided to save some of our trip money for next year when we’ll hopefully feel more settled/brave/wanderlusty, and we bought a painting with the rest of it.

Teil With Clara Looking

At $850 it was a HUGE splurge for us, but we figured getting a painting that we both loved (of the beach no less) as an anniversary gift to ourselves was sort of a nod to taking a vacation without loading up the pack & play and pacing the aisle of the plane waiting for someone to fall asleep. And we hope to have it forever. Heck, maybe it’ll hang on the walls of Clara’s house someday.

It’s a 30 x 30″ painting by Teil Duncan, whom we’ve been giant geeky fans of for a while. We resisted our initial instinct to get a smaller (less expensive) print, and decided that our first large original painting would be the best seventh anniversary present we could think of. And when it arrived, it was even more glorious in person than it was online. We had it up on the wall in about five minutes. Really, these photos can’t capture half the magic of an in-person stare-session.

Teil Straight On1

It looks great next to our blue front door, and it’s one of those scenes that you can look at for hours.

Teil From Dining Room

As for what wall color you see on the wall behind it, it’s our favorite neutral paint color: Edgecomb Gray by Benjamin Moore.

Every time I walk by our new painting I notice something else. We even caught Clara admiring it (“I like that pink chair! We need a pink beach chair!”) and Teddy’s eyes catch it over my shoulder when I carry him up the stairs sometimes. Burger hasn’t shown any interest yet, but there’s still time…

Teil Close Up

The funny thing about hanging it in our foyer is that we realized we have two other paintings in there too.

Teil From Bathroom

Remember these smaller ones by our friend Lesli? They all have those soft blues and bright whites that make them feel related, but not too matchy. And they’re all of things we love: the beach, John’s Granny’s house, and Burgdorf Goodman himself.

Teil Lesli Paintings

You might remember that we originally hung our Samantha French print in the hall next to the door, so we carried that into the office and held it up over the desk. We actually tried our anniversary painting there first, but ended up liking it better in the hall, so that switch was pretty simple to make. It’s nice to have some art on that wall of the office too.

Teil Samantha French

While hanging that over the desk, we realized we have a few more small paintings on the shelves in there (one of our last house, one of a pear that I found for $4 at an estate sale, one of two bees from Etsy). We always hoped to slowly amass some “real” art, so it’s nice to realize that over time you can inch up the ol’ collection, both with inexpensive finds and a splurge or two, and suddenly you have a hand and two fingers worth of it.

And of course we have all of Clara’s creations on the cork board over her desk. Priceless.

Cork 11 After Side

I think no matter how easy you know nail holes are to spackle (so easy! we’ve done it a thousand times!) there’s this instinct in a new house or a freshly painted room to hold off on hanging art for a while. I don’t know what that phenomenon is (Nail Hole Neurosis?) but we definitely aren’t immune. This is a very real issue people. Just kidding, but really, it took us TEN MONTHS to add some nail holes after painting our bedroom!

Master After Angled Pillows

It’s weird that we hold back on the whole art-hanging thing when we know how much it can take a room from house to home (our bedroom feels 100% more us than it did with blank walls). I’m certainly inspired to get some stuff hung in our upstairs hallway and a few other walls of our bedroom now. What the heck are we waiting for?

And to all of you other 7/7 anniversary peeps, hope it was a happy one!

Comments

  1. Stefanie says

    That work is beautiful! I checked her website and it looks like she has a cow painting “coming this fall”. I have been looking everywhere for an abstract cow painting (I LOVE cows!), and I hope I can get my hands on one of hers.
    Thanks for sharing. What a wonderful anniversary gift!

    Reply

  4. Joanna @ TheNestbook says

    Oh man, I’ve been gazing longingly at Teil Duncan’s work for awhile now! Amazing choice! And SO much better than trying to squeeze in a trip this year just for the sake of it. And bonus–you can enjoy this piece forever!

    Reply

  5. Heather says

    Congratulations on your wedding anniversary! I am new to your blog (and most blogs in general) but I enjoy your use of color! As an artist, it does my heart good to know that y’all celebrated your relationship milestone by purchasing art. BRAVO!!! Look forward to reading more posts!
    Cheers,
    Heather

    Reply

  6. Darcy says

    Can I just tell you — Australia is my dream vacation as well!!! Would you just DIE to snuggle a Koala Bear, like me?!?!
    The Hubs and I are coming up on 13 yrs married (9/29) – so maybe for our 15th (although the vacation fund is not looking good so far) or maybe 20 – LOL!!!!

    Anywho — back to the post at hand…Gorgeous picture! I just looked at her site — I totally want to buy one!! Living in Colorado now, I definitely need to bring some beachiness to our home!!

    Reply

  7. Julie says

    A few years ago, my mom sent me the link to your kitchen update where you discussed your new Samantha French swimmer art. I’m a retired collegiate swimmer and I fell in love with that print. My mom got it for me for my birthday. It was my first piece of art. It hung over my bed in my first apartment for two years and I’ve been following your blog ever since. Thanks for this inspiration, happy 7th anniversary!

    Reply

  8. Emily, our house now a home says

    Happy anniversary. I also got married on 7/7/07. we had no idea it was going to be such a huge wedding date when we planned it. It is a nice date. No one in our life forgets when our anniversary is coming up, no one can forget it. When we celebrated at our house my kids thought it meant we were going to have another wedding. They were disappointed that we just went out to dinner. Congrats on 7 years. It feels like a solid, not newlywed number. :)

    Reply

  9. Jenna says

    Happy “hand-and-two-fingers” anniversary!
    I LOVE your gorgeous new painting. I think I need to check out other works from this talented artist :)
    One more thing…y’all need to properly frame your new investment – a slim white one would be lovely!

    Reply

  10. Lauren Nicole says

    Teddy must have you guys sleep-deprived! I can’t believe you missed the opportunity to name this post “Happy ARTiversary!”

    Reply

  11. John says

    I totally thought you would post several photos zooming closer and closer into that painting ala Cameron staring at the Picnic in the Park painting in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

    Reply

  12. Stephanie says

    Beautiful! It has taken us more than 20 years to go from prints to mostly original art with some good art prints in the mix. We’ve splurged from time to time for anniversaries or Christmas, as you did, for some larger pieces. And I’ve started a tradition of buying a small piece for my birthday and would like to do the same for my husband. Keep plugging away and you’ll have a great collection someday.

    Reply

  13. Kelsey Jones says

    I love it! My aunt just showed me her original Dr. Seuss painting she has (who knew he painted as well?) and I stood in front of it for a loooong time, taking everything in. It looks like your anniversary painting could do the same.

    Happy 7 years!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yes! We are getting it printed today so I can frame it and hang it up with the previous ones (they’re predictably all in a pile waiting to be hung).

      xo
      s

  15. Danielle Purtle says

    Congrats on seven years!

    The painting is gorgeous! Can I come twirl around in your foyer singing the “Aaahh Ahhh” Little Mermaid song?! The heart wants what the heart wants!!

    Reply

  16. Christine says

    Just wanted to wish you guys a Happy Anniversary! And while I was reading this, I thought back to all the giveaways you’ve hosted that involved art and I was impressed at how you even managed to pass those along to your readers instead of keeping them for yourselves. It’s clear you really treasure art pieces and stuff, so it’s impressive. I like to think I could show the same restraint, but I’m not so sure! :)

    Reply

  17. Mamaw says

    Love your whole foyer look and am in love with your painting. It’s gorgeous!
    Happy Anniversary, you lovebirds!

    Reply

  18. Maureen says

    The piece is beautiful! And it seems as if it was meant for that place on the wall. It’s a good reminder to build art collections up over time. I need to get to work on that!

    Reply

  19. Lizzie says

    Do you guys use a stud finder to tell whether you’re nailing into drywall? I can never tell whether I’m hammering into a beam until the nail only goes in halfway and then I’m all “D’OH. Hole for nothing.” Clearly I’m a rookie at this art-hanging stuff.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Ooh, if you hit a stud keep going! That’ll hold really well without needing an anchor! You can grab a stud-finder to help you figure out if it’s drywall or a beam beforehand too. We have one from Home Depot by a brand called Zapcon or something.

      xo
      s

  22. Laura says

    It’s beautiful and Happy Anniversary. Would you share what paint color you have on the walls in your foyer?

    Reply

  23. Leslie says

    Happy anniversary. That painting is beautiful. I seriously teared up looking at it because it reminds me of my grandfather who lived in Virginia Beach. I grew up going there to visit in the summers. My family loves the beach. We go to the Outer Banks now and I have family in Richmond too!

    Reply

  24. Shannon says

    Congratulations John and Sherry! I know I just read about your lives when I can and don’t know you two personally, but y’all seem to have a marriage that I look up too!

    On another note, I’m moving in a week into my boyfriends house and we’re combining lives. I will have zero problems punching holes in his walls with my paintings and prints! */Dreamy sigh/* Can’t wait!

    Congratulations again!

    Reply

  26. Mollee says

    Hahaha, Nail Hole Neurosis! We totally have that too. Happy anniversary, you guys! Love the new art. It’s always summertime in your foyer now!

    Reply

  28. Pam Fisher says

    John and Sherry

    Happy Anniversary!! Seven is a special number. Here’s to seven times seven more years together.

    Just writing to encourage you to definitely follow your plan of visiting Australia some day!! AMy son moved there (in the Melbourne area) several years ago and we have had the priveledge of going there multiple times.
    It is such a unique great place. The people are warm and hospitable. It is so fascinating to learn their way of speaking English. The scenery is breathtaking, the coffee the best in the world-hands down.
    When you are ready to go contact us. We can hook you up with some Aussies, give a list of must sees…

    Best regards
    Pam

    Reply

  29. Suzy says

    Such a lovely and fun painting.

    My husband and I were thinking about starting a tradition of buying an original piece of art for each anniversary. Sadly, we only did it one year, but maybe we should start up again!

    Reply

  30. Lesli DeVito says

    Happy Anniversary!!!

    Okay so you know our funny connection with Katie Ukrops house, the pink living room…Domino..your post, my obsessions and the whole full circle thing…well, I am completely a HUGE FAN of TEIL DUNCAN!!! Her work serves as such inspiration for me and our color plate is much the same…I follow her like I follow you guys and NOW TEIL and I are together…in your Foyer…I mean that makes us nearly best friends and I am so honored to be mentioned in a post that mentions her!!!
    Enjoy lucky number 7…and blessings to all of you!!! xoxo

    Reply

  31. Mary Beth says

    LOVE that gorgeous print… what’s funny/ironic is that Teil Duncan is dear friends with a good friend of mine, and Lesli DiVito was a customer of mine years ago when I worked in Charlottesville at a little children’s clothing store! Small world.

    I think beautiful, thoughtful art pieces make a perfect gift that you’ll enjoy for many anniversaries to come! Happy Anniversary, y’all!

    Reply

  32. Trisha says

    Have you guys considered using the Command Strips to hang your art? We switched over to them a couple of years ago, and they are awesome. Since there’s no mark, there’s no fear of commitment, and hanging things is so much faster when all you have to worry about is spacing and levelness, rather than the distance between the nail and the nail hook, or two nails, etc. Plus, they keep the art straight all the time, which was an issue for us when pictures would shift from other movement in the house. http://www.command.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/NACommand/Command/Products/Catalog/?N=5584766+5924736+3294529207&rt=r3

    Reply

  33. Betsy says

    Love, love, love the new painting. I need to start saving my pennies for a few large original paintings. I call it “grown up” art. Have some smaller originals, but nothing large.

    I’m laughing about Nail Hole Neurosis. I suffer from this affliction. I had my interior painted 3 years ago while on vacation. The only thing hung in my family room 3 years later is a mirror. I’m looking for new art for the walls, and don’t want to patch any holes from existing art. Good thing I have a built in bookshelf that I can play with. Otherwise, it would be a really sad looking room. Hope I find some art before it’s time to paint again!

    Reply

  34. Lesley | Artsy Forager says

    Happy anniversary, you guys!! I can’t imagine a better gift to each other than an original work by Teil Duncan– she paints in such happy tones, her work is perfect in your home. There is something about original work, it just *feels* different on the wall. Congrats!

    Reply

  36. Emily @ Life on Food says

    I love the idea of getting a painting for your gift. It looks great. Real art is 100% better than prints, although I have plenty of those as well. I am with Clara a pink beach chair is a must.

    Reply

  37. Erin J. says

    Happy Golden Anniversary!!! I’m happy you guys purchased that amazing painting – It’ll always be extra special since it was your anniversary gift to each other. My husband and I decided to forgo a honeymoon in favor of a week of peace and quiet at home…and the purchase of a super cozy La-Z-Boy chair and half! People thought we were weird for buying a chair instead of a honeymoon, but we were happy with our little splurge and the extra money we saved by not going on a trip right away (we were pretty much drained from the wedding). Plus we’re finally going on our original honeymoon trip to California this year for our 2nd anniversary – YAY!!

    Reply

  40. Raquel says

    Congratulations on the 7th–well done! You’ve packed in a lifetime into these seven. Love the painting in the foyer–really so beautiful. But my first paranoid mom thought: It might get damaged in a high traffic area like that!

    Reply

  41. Stacey says

    Happy Anniversary!

    Art splurges are fun! When my husband and I snuck off to Las Vegas to get married, we killed time before our designated chapel time wandering the hotels. The Bellagio was first on our list as we’re both big fans of glass artist Dale Chihuly. While wandering through the gallery, we fell in love with a painting. After staring at it for 20 minutes or so, we decided “you only get married the second time once!!” and purchased the painting for a whopping $2500!!!! Seriously, this one painting costs more than any other single item in the entire household!!!! I didn’t even have a diamond ring because we thought it was a waste of money. I can’t believe we did it, but I’m so glad we did. The painting has been a the central focal point in both our previous home and now this one. Every time we look at the painting we’re so happy and it reminds us of the wedding (which is good, because all the Elvis photos came out horribly!). So this was an obnoxiously long story, but yay for painting splurges!

    Reply

  42. Lisa E says

    Yes, that date was very popular. We have friends who married on that date and I remember it being on the news (the marriages on that date.) Love the new art and it looks fabulous in your hallway. Meant to be! I definitely do not suffer from what appears to be pretty common, NHN. I slap stuff on the walls as quickly as I can because I love the homey feeling it brings. Love the idea of buying art each anniversary. Happy anniversary you two love birds and many, many more.

    Reply

  44. Jane in NV says

    Oh, that is so perfect in the location you chose. Beautiful and a good anniversary choice.

    I am missing Teddy’s 12 week photo. He is so adorable and in the little videos you have shared one can certainly tell he is a happy and healthy big boy. That big sister Clara is so loving to him as is Burger. :) What fun you must be having!

    Reply

  45. Lizzy says

    It’s been seven years since the last Harry Potter book came out too. *sniff*
    I’m reading the last book to my last child right now. *double sniff*

    Reply

  46. Becca says

    Wednesday was our 7 year “dating-anniversary” and it was the first year I forgot about it! We’ll be married for two years on the 27th and have lived in five different apartments in the last 7 years. (I actually found your blog about a year after we started dating looking for wedding ideas!) We’re slowly accumulating real art as well..and sometimes it even makes it up onto the walls!

    Reply

  47. Kala M. says

    Happy Anniversary! What a great piece of art. My parents’ anniversary is also on the 7/7. This year was their 30th!!! We are planning on taking out to dinner this weekend.

    We have a different issue when it comes to hanging things – Plaster Walls. It is hard to hang heavy stuff on those old walls. Sometimes even the lighter items have problems.

    Reply

  48. Erin says

    We need to have a talk, command strips are where it’s at! No more nail holes, and securing things to the wall is a breeze! I highly recommend them. We have hung everything from hooks for wreaths, to expensive pieces of art with no damage to the art or walls, win win! Congrats on 7 wonderful years!

    Reply

Stuff We Love

Leave a Reply

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