question for designers: how do you hang artwork on blank walls?

I have been busily sketching out a few of the rooms in the Cottage of Stone. I am old school that way - no software for me, I like the organic quality of putting pencil to paper. (This from the IT expert!) It is like rolling up your sleeves and putting your fingers in the soil while gardening. Bliss!

I am working on pulling the furniture away from the walls in the living room and maintaining the conversational feel of my furniture. And it looks super great! Except for one problem... how do you hang your art work?

OK, so I get if I have a table against the wall, it is easy to put a nice vase and some candlesticks on the table, and hang the artwork over the table. Or if you sofa is pushed up against the wall, hang "sofa paintings" over it. They make it easy for us huh? They even call them "sofa paintings."

But what do you do when you don't have furniture against your walls? Just hang the artwork as you wish and hope it doesn't look like it is hanging randomly like in a gallery? You don't have furniture to anchor it down anymore... so what do you do?

Seriously designers... chime in here. How do you hang artwork on big walls without furniture to tie it in??

Modern Cottage? Relaxed Cotswold? Not-So-Shabby Chic???

All this thinking about my living room sort of got me thinking about the "style" for my house. I said before that I love the Cotswold look on the exterior and the house should look very English out there. But what about inside? I love English interiors. I like keeping a somewhat "period" vibe in my house. (Meaning, no mini bluds... don't paint the woodwork... ) But, since the house was dramatically remodeled, I don't feel the need to be 100% authentic.

You know, I like looking at Cottage magazines. But I can say, that I don't like the craftsman look since it seems so dark and dreary sometimes. I do like the Rachel Ashwell look, but white walls and slipcovered furniture would never work with 4 little boys, 3 bigs dogs, 2 cats.... yeah.


Where do I fall? Well, here is a "defining moment" story. I went to the local fabric store with the full intention of buying something pretty, pastel and creamy, to make a closet curtain. Maybe something shabby chic-like. So I go through bolt after bolt of creamy pink florals when a bright rose print catches my eye... and I end up going home with 2 kinds of Amy Butler fabrics in a bright rose floral. (You can see them in my master bedroom blog thread.)


I totally love my mother-in-laws shabby chic living room. But yet, I like my Amy Butler prints too. I love English. (Man, do they do an AWESOME kitchen. I have to have an AGA.) I love cottage. I like airy, breezy and comfy and not too formal. I do like a nice neutral wall... but in MY idea of neutrals. Which, so far, consist of sage, khaki, pale blue, pale pink, and that sort of thing.


So, what can I call my style? I don't know. I haven't exactly put my finger on it. Maybe it is because my house projects are fairly new and I haven't had enough time to put my finger on it.


Anyone else have a groovy "catch phrase" to define my style?