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.
And then when we finished the board & batten hallway project (here’s a pic from before we painted the walls)…
… it dawned on us that they might look cute spaced out as you walk down the hall.
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).
Then we just hammered nails into those two dots for each frame.
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.
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…
… to here in about a month.
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…
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:
Diane says
We got the same calendar to hang the prints going up our stairway!
YoungHouseLove says
So cool!
xo
s
Kate says
Same!! I did the same thing a few months ago!
http://www.readmakedo.com/picture-perfect/
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I love it! They’re so charming all framed up :)
xo
s
Chelsea @ Riding Escalators says
My favorite spot is actually our garage where I do all of my projects! I just love all my tools and having such a huge space to work on stuff after sharing apartments through college for far too long!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s awesome! Oh how I miss having a garage…
xo
s
Lu says
Looks great! I wish I had your knack for finding fab art!
Clare R says
We have that 2013 calendar too (and are actually using it as a calendar) – I love the art as well! This looks great – very inspiring. And I love the grid idea – maybe we’ll use these prints (or others) in a grid over our bed. Thanks for sharing!
MollyS says
I’ve been looking for something fun to do down a hallway, and my first efforts at a gallery wall failed. This is great! What size Ribba frames did you get? Also, are those standard mats (and, if so, what size), or did you custom cut them to fit? (First time poster, and it feels so exciting!)
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, they’re the mats that came with our Ribba frames and the mat opening is 7.5 x 9.5 (I think the entire frame opening is 12 x 16″).
xo
s
ashley says
Well kooky who just bought themselves some new art, aka calandar… me! BAM! Thanks for the link! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, so glad!
xo
s
Katie says
Love it – the calendar is on it’s way to me! I’ve been passively searching for art for the big wall in our powder room for two years, and this is perfect. I originally wanted a big world map, but then we got a giant world map (from ikea) for Christmas a couple years ago that makes a huge statement in our living room. Now I just need more ribba frames. My ikea list is getting much longer (and expensive) and the 3.5 drive (one way) is looking more necessary. :)
Scully says
I love the RIBBA frames. They’re modern and cheap and I love that they come with a mat. However, for a project like this, when maybe you’re framing something that isn’t exactly 4×6 or 5×7, etc, how do you deal with the mat? Do you own a matting cutter? I once had to get custom mats from Hobby Lobby and they ended up being more costly than the frame itself. Yikes!
YoungHouseLove says
Thankfully the mat just worked with the calendar prints! I think if it hadn’t I would have cut the prints to the desired size and just used a piece of cardstock or matboard behind them with them centered on that to create a border without actually having to cut a hole and put the board in front :)
xo
s
Melissa Breau (@MelissaBreau) says
So I wanted to drop in and say that cutting good looking mats isn’t NEARLY as difficult as everyone thinks it is. Obviously it’s complicated if you want beveled fancy edges, but in college our photography professor taught us all how to cut them from matting board using just one of those metal T ruler things and a exacto blade.
The key is just to measure carefully and mark with pencil lightly; then hold the Tsquare in place and run the exacto lightly a few times until it cuts through the mat. It looks so professional and clean, and it takes less than 10 mins (and is WAY cheaper than paying someone to do it professionally)!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, I used to make them in art class in high school but I was so bad at it! Haha! I cut the side of my pointer finger off twice…
xo
s
hjc says
I cut the tip of my pinky finger off with an exacto knife in the middle of the night while working on a final semester art school project. I just stuck and bandaid on it and kept working – luckily I didn’t bleed on my project – that would have been a real tragedy!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, it happens at the worst times!
xo
s
Rebecca @This Nest is Best says
I LOVE this! Our Pinterest challenge map finally got on the walls this week and I’ve been bursting at the seams to share it on the blog – hopefully Monday! We went a sneaky route and used velcro to hang them on the walls :)
Danielle says
What an awesome idea! :) That hallway looks so clean and polished now… love it!
Jess @ Little House. Big Heart. says
Oh my goodness. I love this! The hubs and I travel a ton and I’d love to weave our travels into our decor! This is such a fun way to do it!
Annelies says
I love this so much ! Especially since I’m an avid traveler and only still need to visit 4 of the place to complete the list. I would love this in my hallway.
On the Easter rundown there is also an addition above the tv… look forward to hear more about that too :-)
Have a great weekend !
Nicole says
Do you guys have plaster walls? My bf is such a stickler about hanging things on our walls because they’re plaster. Does it really crumble if you remove a nail?
YoungHouseLove says
We have plaster in some parts of the house and drywall in others. If you remove an anchor in plaster it crumbles, but we’ve had an ok time removing small nails with only a small hole to caulk, which happens with drywall too :)
xo
s
Amanda C says
Nicole,
I would use any of the Command 3M products if you dont want to put holes in your walls. They are so easy to use, hold heavy frames and come off clean. I use them all the time, especially back when we were renting. I like the “velcro” poster styles the best, that way everythig lays flush on the wall.
Nicole says
Sweet! Thanks for the tip
Shelly says
That looks great! About how wide is that hallway? We have a narrow hallway leading back to our bedrooms in our 1970’s ranch and I’d love to add board & batten to but worry that it might be a bit overkill in a narrow space.
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s 41″ wide :)
xo
s
Tyra says
What’s gonna happen To the last 4 prints? Another room?
YoungHouseLove says
We’re saving them for another spot (I have a big tupperware bin of potential to-be-hung art that I raid from time to time).
xo
s
Erin says
Ha! Funny. Was wondering that myself. :)
Liz says
Now I don’t feel so bad about my Rubbermaid bin of to-be-hung art! They are pieces I love that don’t quite have a place (yet), but I had no other way to store them.
Sam @ The Junk House says
I love this idea! I just ordered a calendar for myself, so I could hang a few of the prints in my house too. I’ve been to Tokyo and we are going to London/Paris in September.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so cool!
xo
s
Sarah says
The frames look great! We’ve been slowly cosmetically updating our rental and have painted every room. My two favorite spots are:
Standing in front of our bathroom vanity: we replaced the mirror, light, switches/outlets, painted and have personalized art and family heirloom accessories.
Waking up in our guest room (courtesy of a snoring husband!) and staring at the buttery golden walls in the light sun. It’s such a warm, happy, inviting color. It’s mine and my husband’s favorite color in our house!
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds so sweet!
xo
s
Julia [Chris Loves Julia] says
It is such a nice segway into the “frame hallway!” My favorite room is probably my studio and Greta’s big girl room, but we could lounge all day (wishful thinking) in the family room. All of which only became their true selves this past year.
http://www.chrislovesjulia.com/2013/04/two-year-houseiversary.html?m=1
Amber says
I’m curious to know exactly how many frames are actually hanging on all your walls! I’ve tried counting but always seem to loose track. Maybe it would make for a fun survey on your blog! Like “How many jelly beans in the jar?” except it would be “How many frames are hanging on our walls?”
YoungHouseLove says
Someone said that for the video tour! It would be hilarious to have a how-many-frames guess. Although I’m scared it’ll be some crazy number! Haha!
xo
s
Kate says
I did a rough count while watching the video tour and got 125! I think that’s about 90 more than I have in my house! haha
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, no way! I would have guessed 100 just in the frame hallway, so that’s actually less than I thought!
xo
s
Kate says
I <3 anything Rifle Paper Co. They're coming out with iphone cases soon, and I'm going to be all over that.
We have a long hallway that we also added board and batten to recently. I did a gallery wall above it with all the maps we've collected from places we've traveled to over the years. I love the reminder of the places we've been, and people gravitate to it when we have visitors.
LauraC says
Wow, I really, really love it! Simple, classy, and uncluttered. I think it’s my favorite thing in your house.
Debi says
I just clicked over and bought the calandar. My daughter who is 11 yrs. saw the Paris Print and declared it was hers!!! So this one won’t be hanging in our grouping. Her whole room is Paris you would think she would let me just have one. Good thing there are others that I love as well. Thanks Guys love so many of your ideas!!! Have the book and it is filled with some many post its to make the project I can’t wait to try that my husband took a look at it and said wheres the book. lol
YoungHouseLove says
Aw that’s so sweet. I hope your daughter loves the print, and I’m so glad you’re enjoying our book!
xo
s
Deb says
Love the prints, and the hallway looks awesome! I’ve been to all those cities except Rio de Janiero (which will happen soon), and they are all wonderful cities – a great travel bucket list! I’m also planning to do board-and-batten in one of our bedrooms soon, so your tutorial was very timely. Thanks!
Wendy @ New Moms Talk says
My favorite spot is the glider in Susanna’s room that we found at a thrift store for $10. It’s under a loft bed that is used by her brother when he’s in town. Next to it is a freebie old wooden dresser and a storage ottoman.
All that translates into having a “covered” and kind of “secret” or special place to rock our daughter with tons of storage and surfaces within arm’s reach!
Plus, we sometimes hang toys from the loft bed for her so she can play and learn!
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds awesome!
xo
s
Marielle says
Looks awesome!
What’s the name of that level? My husband’s birthday is on May 8th and I want to buy him an easy laser level and a nail gun. I’ve seen you mention the type of nail gun so I assume you’ve mentioned tons of other tools but I’m not sure how to find those posts. It would be so awesome to have a Tool category or a post dedicated to all of your favorite tools…does this already exist??!
Thanks, again for the inspiration you provide through these posts! I always look forward to all of them!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s just a cheap level by Black & Decker from Home Depot. So sorry we’re not sure of the actual name of it. As for a tool category, we don’t have one but we have many mentions of tools in our archives, so I think the best way to find them would be to enter things like “new nail gun” into our site’s search box (we usually give details about a product when it’s new, so using that adjective and putting it all in quotes will hopefully locate the post with the info). Hope it helps!
xo
s
Go O's! says
I work for Black & Decker! That particular model has been discontinued but check out the BDL100AV – it has a suction cup that leaves your walls mark free. There’s also the BDL220S and BDL170. All three are available on Amazon!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip!
xo
s
Shelly says
The hall looks amazing! I did something similar in our hall. A grouping of photographs all framed almost just like this. I hung them on both sides, but after about a month of feeling like something was just not right I took down the artwork on one side and now it’s so much better. I think it felt like the hall was closing in and a bit cluttered. My walls are a darker grey too, so that may have something to do with it. I love all the new things you’re doing…the kitchen, fireplace, and now this. It seems like you guysd really have a clear direction of where you are taking your style. Sometimes you have to really live in a house before the vision is clear…I’m still waiting for the fog to lift on ours! ;-) I would love to read a post about how your ideas have changed or evolved from when you first moved in. Are there other things you’ve done that want to change (like painting the kitchen)? Or are you happy with everything?
YoungHouseLove says
That would be a really fun post!
xo
s
Linda says
I’ be thought about this too. Sue the Napkin seems to be a thing of the past, but I really like your current color scheme just as well. It seems to be softer somehow.
Alicia says
This is such a great idea! I don’t know if you’re doing this on purpose or if it’s just such a way of life for you that you don’t consciously think of it but I think you’re setting up Clara to be a very smart little girl. Surrounding her with geographical prints, graphic colored drawings, etc will always stick with her. I love it!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw that’s so sweet! I never even thought about that, so it’s definitely an accident. Haha!
xo,
s
Lauren @momhomeguide says
I love the board and batten in your hallway. It looks so pretty!
Megan @ Rappsody in Rooms says
OMG! I am so in love with all of this. I love framing calendars, especially ones around the world. This is absolutely fantastic; I might have to do it in our house!
erin says
i’m semi jealous. you have a hallway to put stuff up on! it looks really fantastic!
Rene @thedomesticlady says
My favorite spot is our guest bedroom. Weird I know. But it always looks neat:) And I love the yellow/navy combo in that room.
http://thedomesticlady.com/2013/04/05/retail-therapy-for-friday-jonathan-adler-jcp/
Val says
I have this calendar hanging on my wall here at work! And this is exactly what I planned to do with the prints at the end of the year. Great minds!
But can you please tell me what level you guys are using?
YoungHouseLove says
It’s a cheap Black & Decker one from Home Depot. I’m not sure that it has a “name” other than that. Hope it helps!
xo
s
Gina says
Thanks for feeding my calendar (and travel) obsession. I went and bought the calendar before I even finished reading the post! I have SO MANY 2013 calendar hung up all over my house and office — that’s why the first day of every month is my favorite! The calendar obsession means I have epic numbers of past year calendars in a stack, just waiting for some awesome art project…
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I love it!
xo
s
Clare says
I think Australia would be a great first place to cross off your hallway bucket list ;)
I would travel the 5 hours by plane to Sydney to get my little YHL signed! ha! #fangrrrl #awkward
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, that would be amazing!
xo
s
caroline says
What is the color and make of the hallway paint? I love it!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s Moonshine by Benjamin Moore.
xo
s
maria says
haha i just had to comment, as i did the EXACT same thing. but i loved that calendar so much (and i love rifle paper company in general) that i bought it full price months ago. I justified it by getting all this free artwork! i put 4 above my computer desk and did not frame them. check it out if you’d like :)
http://instagram.com/p/TWvmsjuzyi/
YoungHouseLove says
Looks so sweet!
xo
s
Kristi says
Ok, so if you do make it all the way to Sydney one day, be sure to fly the extra few hours to Perth (west coast) too. The beaches are better over here!
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds amazing!
xo
s
Harmony G says
I have to say i love it. Dont 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. I think this is an A+ design, and i love the art. I just wish i was better at getting a level line. (I still have an issue with shelves. lol)
Anja says
Love them! What an inexpensive way of decorating the wall =)
I am just in the process of deciding on arts and photos to put on my gallery wall in my office. It seems like this is taking me forever ;-)
Alice says
I love them!
I’m a London girl who is going to Paris, Rome, Amsterdam and Istanbul this summer!
And I’ve been to NY.
6/8. Boom.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, you win!
xo
s
Melinda says
Looks lovely! What a great idea and the paint looks so clean and fresh… What is the light fisxture? LOVE IT~
YoungHouseLove says
Isn’t that fun? We chatted about it here: https://www.younghouselove.com/ding-dong-the-eyesores-are-dead/
xo
s
Nell says
Before I got to the bottom of this post, I was wondering whether you walk up and down that hallway admiring it. I don’t have favorite rooms either, just two walls and the fireplace. I’ve been jealous for two years of your TWO hallways. It’s also a great hallway for a runner!
samma says
I am absolutely in love with this project!! The hallway is looking so good (I don’t think that’s something I’ve ever said before!). I have the calender in my shopping cart right now. I am swooning!
jennM says
I’ve been searching for illustrated cities to hang on my bare walls. Thanks a mil for doing the work for me :)
Just ordered it online and can’t wait to put ’em up!
THANKS!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, so glad! Hope you love them :)
xo
s
Elaissa says
Looks great!
Crystal @ 29 Rue House says
I know it took a month or so but really, you guys get things done! What a huge difference and quite the impact your new hallway makes. I love it and the calendar prints.
Meg Sylvia says
Well this is basically genius! I love seeing ideas for turning everyday items into framed artwork.
Demi says
Yaaaaay Amsterdam! We’d love to welcome you guys over here one day!
Kami says
I have that calendar and this is an awesome idea! I will tweak it a bit by getting the Ikea shadow frames to put my keepsakes from the places I’ve been! (NY, London, Paris and Tokyo in 2006)
YoungHouseLove says
SO cool!
xo
s
RachD says
What a great idea! Wow, people here are really upping their game :)
Ashley@AttemptsAtDomestication says
Love those prints from the calendar! They are perfect for that hallway! We have plans to do some traveling in the fall and I can’t wait to take pictures and display them in our house! :)
Christina @ Homemade Ocean says
It’s so funny because whilst (ohhh I just love the word whilst) watching your video I was all, “wait turn around, what are thoooooose” and I was hoping that you would show them off. So thanks for this post.
And please can you call Mr. Ikea and tell him St. Louis is DESPERATE for some Ribba.
YoungHouseLove says
Hahaha, we need one in Richmond too (we drive 4 hours round trip to ours – thank goodness we have friends and family who live nearby so we can see them too).
xo
s
Hollyanne says
Ikea is coming to Kansas City next year, Christina, so that should help :) Totally feel your pain (I’m in Omaha).