This project was so simple that I wasn't even going to post about it, but then I figured it was so quick and easy and ended up being so effective (I think anyway) that it was worth sharing!
When we finished the dining room storage (post on that coming soon, I promise!) and I had it all styled up I was left with two blank spaces either side of the shelves that were crying out for some decorating.
I had originally planned on adding a display of old silver plates that I had collected from charity shops, but with the items on the shelves, plus the dark wood and gold brackets, I was afraid the whole thing might end up looking a bit too....old-fashioned? and while there are elements of retro/antique style that I love (obviously!) I want them to look intentional, not just like I inherited a house load of stuff from an elderly relative!
So, I thought about it, and I decided that what it needed was something ultra modern and graphic
as in lines and strong shapes, mind out of the gutter please
I wanted it to be very simple, just black and white, to completely counteract the storage and tie in with the combination of the very classic style table and retro/modern white Eames style chairs in the dining room.
I had a set of three long, thin canvases in my supplies which I though would be perfect, so I dug them out, grabbed a black sharpie marker and a ruler, and just.....started drawing lines.
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| ugh...I can only apologise, when I'm in the middle of doing something my photography skills leave a lot to be desired. |
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| Finished products side by side |
Now, this is the point where the I'm going to impart the really valuable information, namely, how to get a very nosy toddler to leave you alone long enough to get this project done.
These steps may not work for a longer project, but for the thirty minutes I needed to get this done these were the steps I followed....
1. Take out all your supplies and set them out where you want to work.
2. Wait for nosy toddler to come and ask you what you are doing. (this will take approximately 2.5 seconds, and will be timed to coincide with you just being about to get started, they can smell when you are getting ready to do something that they can potentially ruin)
3. Get out toddlers art supplies so that they can work alongside you.
4. Give the toddler paper to draw/paint on, commence your own artwork.....but, and here's the clever bit, this must be a DECOY piece of art. This first attempt must be one you are resigned to losing, so arm yourself with extra materials before even attempting this!
5. Continue with your art, fending off attempts from toddler to "help" until you "give in" and let her have it
~ it is essential that you really sell it at this point, they can smell insincerity a mile away!
6. Quietly start your own real project while the toddler terror is distracted with her destruction of the decoy.
7. Complete project in record time and put out of her reach as soon as possible.
And in my case....
8. Tell yourself that this was the plan all along, and that you didn't just lose another fight to a two year old! Luckily you had an extra canvas.....
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| My lovely assistant |
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| Her effort - to be honest I've seen worse! fyi I was thinking of filling in random triangles with color before I settled on the black and white. I think this would look good too but it just wasn't right for what I wanted this time. |
So, how I actually went about drawing these was to basically draw a lot of random triangles that overlapped. There was no plan! I didn't try to make them both the same or anything.
I also just stuck them up with blu-tac cos they're so light and I didn't want to waste command strips, those things are expensive!
It was a super quick little art project that I think turned out really well, and they fit in the space exactly how I wanted them to, standing out against the more traditional style of the storage and shelving.
So there you have it, ten minutes and €3 (canvases were €1.50 each) later and I have exactly what I wanted for my dining room.
What do you think?
Linda xx
