Hey, ya’ll! This is a super exciting post for me, as it’s the first one that’s highlighting the design of my new apartment! That’s right, I’m in a new space. A new space that is right out of my dreams. One of the biggest selling points (aside from the amazing, large windows) is the beautiful crown molding ledge that wraps around my entire living room. As soon as I saw it, I knew it’d be perfect as a picture ledge.
I’m excited to make this space my own over the next few months, the first project – making use of the amazing ledge that wraps around my living room. It’s pretty awesome that I’m able to use this ledge, reorganize, and swap out photos as I please without damaging my walls.
Using free stock images, I set out to create a monochromatic layered gallery and I’m thrilled how it turned out.
Tip: Before jumping right in, start thinking about the look and feel you want to go for. Do you want black and white photos? Bright colors? Nature photography? Spend some time planning your aesthetic!
Free images
Unsplash is my go-to for chic stock images. I love the artistic look the photos on this platform have annnnnd they’re all free! Whether you have a look in mind or not, you’ll surely find inspiration browsing the photography on this platform.
I had a color scheme in mind – peach, rust, and green. With that in mind, I spent less than an hour browsing and adding the perfect set of images to my photo ledge album. You can see my collection here.
Tip: Some of the photos had more blue color than I was looking for, so I brought the images over to Lightroom to desaturate the blues.
Inexpensive images
In addition to the photography I used from Unsplash, I also purchased prints on Etsy. I love simple art so I set out to find some minimalist art on the platform. On Etsy, I found these plant line drawings and simple African inspired art. I love supporting independent artists and Etsy is a great way to do this.
Online printing
Once I finalized the right set of photos and prints, I used Snapfish to print all of my artwork. They always have a great deal or promotion available, so I ended up paying under $15 for all of my photos in size 8×10.
Cheap frames
None of the frames I used in this project cost more than $7. I purchased all my frames from Target and Ikea to create this look. I went with a few different styles and colors to create a mix-matched vibe.
All in all, creating this gallery cost me just under $75 (I already had a few frames) – which I think is a great bargain for this custom look that I can continue to refresh as I feel inspired!
Arranging my picture ledge
After receiving all of my materials, I played around with arrangements for a couple of days. Using the largest frames as anchors, I worked around, trying out a few different placements.
I love how it turned out – and excited to switch things up in a few months.
xoxo, jackie