Wall decoration guidelines?

[rglencheek]

I am doing ONE single wall in my reading room (the wife has the rest of the house) and I am going ot use a family heirloom shotgun, two maps, a painting print of the Alamo and a replica of the Musso Bowie knife.

My wife requested that I try to get some guidelines on how to do this with taste, and since the only taste I ahve is in my mouth I thought I might search for something on the internet.

ftger a few minutes I came to the conclusion that if such a site exists I wont find it any time soon.

So I ask, is there such a site? And is there any advice on what is considered tasteful for displaying such implements and peices of art?

 

[lucypevensie]

Will you have any furniture up against that wall?
Are there any windows or doors to contend with?
Are the maps the same size/style/color?
Is the print framed?

I'm thinking of a layout in my mind, but it would help to know a few more details. I don't know of any websites, BTW.

 

[rglencheek]

the prints will be framed, but havent been yet. Any suggestions on it?

The Wall has no windows, but the wall to its left does. It is painted a dark gray-blue and it has a white bumping-border for chairs at waist level, beneath which it is a sort of paisely pattern in shades of blue.

The maps are the same size, portrait in elongation, and will be framed without matting, I think.

The print will be matted and framed and is landscape oriented.

I was thinking of having the two maps at either edge of the wall, maybe 6 inches from the actual edge, with the Alamo print centered in the middle, Bowie Knife centered below it and the family shotgun above it, arching over from one map to the other.

Does that sound OK?

 

[rglencheek]

Lucy, have I shocked you into silence?

I seem to have that effect on cultured people.

 

[lucypevensie]

Sorry, I havn't been on much

I like that arrangement. That was one I thought of myself too, except that I thought of placing the knife right underneath the shotgun. It's smaller than the other items and might get lost all by itself on the bottom. Putting it more in the middle between the gun and picture might tie it in with everything better. Group the items together and don't leave a lot of wall space between the items. It's better to have blank wall around the whole grouping than a lot of blank wall in and among the items.

A good way to visualize this before you hang everything up is to lay it all out on an empty floor and move things around until you find an arrangement you like. When hanging the things take your time and use measuring tools like a bubble level and tape measure. It's important for a symetrical arrangement to be measured accurately or else everyone will see every innaccuracy.

For matting I like to pick a color that is in the picture that is a less prevalent color, making sure that it also compliments the room colors.

 

[rglencheek]

Thank you Lucy. Your advice regarding the symetry and laying it out on the floor first is readily recognisable for its good sense and taste.

The walls dark color is tied in with the variations of blue on the lower wall. This ties in with the Alamo picture well, but the historical maps are a hodge-podge of color, and I am not sure what to do about that, if anything. Could the colors of the map be something no one would expect to coordinate anyway? I dont know.

Lord, I wish I had more of a fashion sense like you and my wife, but alas.

Guess I just got lucky on this one.