The Evolution of My Kitchen Gallery Wall

August 06, 2015

The Evolution of My Kitchen Gallery Wall

I shared my completed gallery wall (above) last night on Instagram and I decided it would be fun to look back at the journey we took to get here!

So back when I first painted our kitchen a few years ago I was all on the chalkboard paint bandwagon and put in this fun little chalkboard. It was narrow and tall and the first thing I decided to do was whip up a little bird and a Dave Matthews quote. How cliché, I know. Well...as punishment, perhaps, the chalk pen ink wouldn't come out and I was stuck with a mess!!! I painted over it, and it wasn't long until I found an indoor/outdoor galvanized clock at Pottery Barn and called it a day.

This is how the kitchen has looked for the last couple years. Just a clock. Please don't judge me for my bisque dishwasher. I love it for its effective dishwashing abilities and eventually plan on this little number (and hopefully the matching stove.)

The clock has made several appearances on Instagram over the past few years. I was quite fine with it the way it was, no lie.

Then I found this little landscape last year that just captured my heart. It is conveniently near the front door, for if there was a fire it is literally on my list of things I'd grab on my way out. (If I have time. Family, dogs, cat, painting.) I remember vividly seeing it at one of our favorite antique shows and just staring at it. It was marked $45. My mom was looking at something else nearby and the guy came over and said "I'll take $35." and I said "Do you take checks?" Sold. My mom was shocked. I hadn't bought anything all day and she thought I would never buy a painting I was so happy. And it turned out that it is signed and dated C.H. Dow 1902!!! I wish I knew where this place was. I googled the name and the only thing I could find was the guy how started the stock exchange. Charles Dow. He died in 1902 at 51. If it is him, I imagine he fell ill and took a trip to the Catskills to heal and took up painting to help him heal. Likely theory, right? ANYWAYS...since the purchase of this painting I've been slightly obsessed.

So this little one called "The Bluebells of Texas" got me started on growing my kitchen gallery! It was $4 and I love that the frame is a little imperfect. Good patina. "What are you going to do with it?" asks husband. Lean it over here until I figure it out! (I do that a lot)

Then along came this little beach scene for $5! I love looking at these landscapes because there these spots that make me want to jump right in!

So the gallery wall began, and the clock made friends!!!

Then the clock got a little upgrade to this oversize galvanized one that tells you temperature and humidity. (So over the humidity this summer...when it's 95% in your kitchen shouldn't it be raining? Kind of don't want to know the humidity some days!) The other clock is out on our deck. (I never knew how handy it would be to have a clock in the backyard!)

My sweet friend Christine started selling her artwork and jewelry on Etsy (ColorMeZenStudio) recently and I fell in love with this little beauty. She takes so much care in wrapping your purchase. I really didn't want to open it. You all know my deep love of Kraft paper and baker's twine. Christine is kind of my style soul sister and our mutual love of all things blue started off our friendship.

And here is where I leaned it until I figured things out!

Then another brown paper packaged came my way!!!

Love love the bracelet! Nice addition to the stack.

It took a few days to decide what I was going to do...I also picked up these little cross-stitches (stitch's? What's the plural of cross-stitch?) and thought the round frames went perfectly with the frame of the beach scene, and adding the round element might help make things more cohesive with the clock.