I was compensated for this post. All opinions are 100% mine.
I seem to have a penchant for unfinished projects. Such is the case with our great room makeover. The last time I wrote about the progress we’ve made in this space, we were about 90% finished with the room redesign. I shared a punch list of mini-projects that we still needed to complete, including a do-over of this sad-looking gallery wall:
This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission, but it won’t cost you a penny more)! Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
Well my friends, I’m excited to report that we can cross the gallery wall project off our punch list!
When my friends at Minted reached out and invited me to collaborate on a home decorating project, I knew that this would be a golden opportunity to create something truly beautiful and unique on that large expanse of wall above our sofa. If you’ve never explored Minted art, you’re in for a real treat. Minted works with the best independent artists who create stunning one-of-a-kind designs.
While browsing through the site, I stumbled upon these gorgeous painted art prints by Denise Wong and was instantly smitten by the colors and the subtlety of the design. She’s created a series of painted art prints representing various states:
“Virginia in Paint” & “North Carolina in Paint”
Once I spotted these art pieces, inspiration struck. I set out to create a gallery wall that serves as an homage to our family’s roots…to all the places that we have called Home over the years. And as you’ll learn in this post, there have been many!
I called Virginia home for five years while I attended graduate school at University of Virginia (go Wahoos!). As for North Carolina, Brian and I started out our life together there as newlyweds and young parents, where we lived for eight years before eventually moving to our current home state of Ohio.
As I continued looking for additional pieces of Minted art that fit with my gallery theme, I struck GOLD (literally)! My heart went pitter-patter when I discovered these gold foil-filled state maps of Pennsylvania and South Carolina by GeekInk Design:
I was born and raised in Erie Pennsylvania. Although Brian was born and raised in Ohio, both of his parents are PA natives. And Pennsylvania holds a sacred place in Bri’s heart because it’s the home of his beloved alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh (Hail to Pitt!).
After graduating from University of Virginia, I moved to Charleston South Carolina for a year to complete an internship. Although my time in Charleston was short and sweet, that area holds some very special memories for Brian and I (and it’s where I developed a great fondness for She-Crab soup!)
Four states down, and one to go!
So that leaves Ohio. Our home state for the last 12 years. The place that my kiddos have always called home. This state called for something extra special, like this Ohio Love Location premium custom print:
After a little online experimentation, I created this custom black and white version:
Together, these five art prints served as the anchor pieces for our new gallery wall. To complete the gallery, I gathered a few other images from my personal photo collection that fit with the theme, as well as a new printable quote to serve as a finishing touch.
Drumroll please…
Wowza. What an improvement from where we started!
So allow me to zoom in on the additional pieces that serve a supporting role.
First up are these photos of iconic Virginia architecture — the UVA Rotunda and Monticello (Thomas Jefferson’s home):
I couldn’t resist including this super cool image of Thomas Jefferson’s family cemetery, located on the grounds of Monticello (one of my all-time fave places):
At the top of the gallery, you’ll find a picture of a famous historic Charleston SC bed and breakfast – Two Meeting Street Inn:
Moving down a bit on the wall, you’ll come across the most precious photo of my kiddos from a few years back enjoying a stroll in the Stan Hywet gardens (a well-known country estate here in northeast Ohio):
Once I gathered all of the art prints and photos, I searched for a printable quote that really tied the gallery wall theme together:
Here’s the completed gallery wall once again in all it’s glory:
I was so inspired by the beautiful colors in the North Carolina and Virginia prints that I went on the hunt for some new coordinating pillows.
I couldn’t be more thrilled with how this gallery wall turned out. And I’m so thankful to have found these fabulous Minted art pieces that served as my inspiration.
Not only does this wall serve up a huge dose of “pretty”, serves as a reminder of all the awesome places that we’ve called Home. It puts a huge smile on my face every time I walk in the room!
And I can’t say enough about Minted art. The quality and variety of art is really unmatched, and the selection of framing options is really impressive.
I hope I’ve inspired you to go and create a gallery wall in your home on one of those bare walls that are crying out for some love!
Ready to get epically organized?
Get access to 100+ printable pages to help you organize your home and life!
Dgcanvas says
Greetings! Very useful advice in this particular post! It’s the little changes that will make the largest changes. Many thanks for sharing!