Design Folder: Your Online Design and Decorating Resource

i saw design: pipho 5x

The Design Folder team just attended and very much enjoyed the opening of Pipho 5x, the 5th anniversary photo exhibit of the photo club, Pinoy Photography Organization. I can’t describe how amazing their landscape and travel photographs are — you have to see for yourself.

The exhibit runs until August 1, 2010 at the Eastwood Mall, Libis and might move to a different venue after (see their website for updates).

All the prints are for sale and would look great in any interior! And since they are printed using archival inks on acid free canvas by Gallery7, you’re sure the works are going to last a long time. Visit www.pinoyphotography.org for details on their annual photo exhibit and for more info on Philippine photography.

(Congratulations to all the featured photographers especially to our friend Ian Santos! Hoping to see more of your works on display! )

diy tips: decorating your walls

A df reader emailed us a question last week asking for tips on how to deal with her bare walls:

I am looking for inspiration on how to adorn our bare walls. Do I leave it as is or go ahead with putting up some photos?  I’m afraid it would look like your run of the mill photo showcase. We’re still recovering from the expenses of the construction and I’m hoping to work within a reasonable budget but attain a tasteful look.

A little help please…

As I mentioned in my reply, it’s ok to have some form of wall treatment on one or two surfaces. The trick is to balance your wall decor with the dimensions of the wall, the size of the room as well as the amount of furnishings and accessories in the space.

Here are five basic tips on how to decorate your walls:

1) IDENTIFY YOUR FOCAL POINT

You don’t need to treat every single wall. In a room with four or more wall, identifying your focal point helps you pinpoint the wall that has to be treated or decorated. The focal point is like your showcase corner or the best spot in the room. The idea is to draw the eye towards that corner upon entering the space and treating the wall of that area helps.

2) THINK BIG

The simplest way to decorate a wall is to fill the space with one large piece: a bold accent color, a different wall material or finish, a large framed mirror, a large wall clock, or a large painting.

3) CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN

Ok, a large painting or mirror is quite costly. For a budget friendly, fuss-free wall treatment, hang a set of framed photos, prints, swatches of vintage wallpaper and even fabric showing off a similar theme or color scheme. If you want a bold statement, hang two, three, or four large frames, depending on the size of the wall. If you want to introduce pattern and interest to your space, put up a set of six or nine smaller frames.

4) ADD A PERSONAL TOUCH

Instead of putting up paintings and framed prints, why not display your own photos? Look through your picture files for interesting or sentimental photos. You can also set a time with your family for a diy photo shoot. To make the pictures appear more dramatic and artsy, have them in black & white or sepia. Another inexpensive trick is to print them in a 5 x 7 size and mount them in large frames with matte board (available in all your leading department stores like SM Homeworld, Market! Market!, and Landmark). (Photo above via Baker)

5) THINK OUT OF THE BOX

Do not limit yourself to paintings, wall frames, and mirrors. You can also use unconventional items to decorate your walls such as carved antique wood panels, tapestry, decorative plates, stretched fabric (see Practical Princess’s tutorial HERE), and wall-mounted flower vases. (Photo above by William Ong via MyHome 2007  issue)

I hope these are helpful.