This week’s reader request comes from Jessica: My husband and I have a ton of art. Not any fancy-pants stuff, but a lot of small and medium sized things, mostly framed, that we’ve picked up on our way through life. My problem is this: We have more than I want to hang at any given time, but I don’t want to just store the extras and forget about them. I really love the look of art leaned against walls, on shelves, etc. but I can’t convince him that it would look good without examples. Could you help me find inspiration photos of art, beautifully displayed, leaning against walls or on shelves? I love “leaning” art – it’s a great versatile solution for people like me who get visually bored very quickly and saves your walls (especially handy for renters!), plus I love the casual feel it gives. So here are some photos of art not hung on walls in the traditional, expected fashion.

rue magazine	Richard Powers
Lonny	Sköna hem
New York Social Diary	Ron Marvin
AT Casa	Lucas Allen
AT Casa	Marie Claire Italy
design*sponge	Jacob Termansen
design*sponge	Rinat Lavi

design*sponge

Glenn Gissler

Living Etc.

Shaver/Melahn

Todd Yoggy

Sköna hem

Lonny

Phoebe Howard

Lonny

Traditional Home

Or if you happen to have a spare, unused staircase…

Pieter Estersohn

I have a serious love for funky lighting. Of any kind. I think you could call it an obsession. It’s pretty bad considering how many light fixtures I have acquired in the last 4 months or so (there was this one, then these, then this one, then this one, then I made this one, then there was this one, and finally this beauty). But honestly, I could (maybe) give up all those if I could get my hands on a Jieldé. They are the coolest industrial-style lamps and I just love them to bits. Here is a bit of history on Jieldé lamps: They were created by Jean-Louis Domecq whose requirements were to create a simple and robust lamp that articulated in order to adapt to all working stations. They were first produced in France in the early 50’s and in 1953, Jean-Louis created a company dedicated to the marketing of the lamps whose name was formed from his initials : Ji eL Dé (pronounced in French). They continue to be produced today. I have scoured eBay on numerous occasions looking for a vintage version, but they are expensive. Sadly I have never seen them sold here in Ottawa. Alas, one day I will get my hands on one, preferably a 6-arm floor lamp, but I won’t be picky. I’d settle for a table lamp, wall lamp, whatever (but not a reproduction). Anyone else out there in love with Jieldé?

Lennart Weibull

Louise Rastall

Le Journal de la Maison

Ekenstam

Erin Martin

Rachael Smith

Yatzer

Le Journal de la Maison

Le Journal de la Maison

Andrew Grinton

Erin Martin

Per Magnus Persson

Le Journal de la Maison

Maison

design*sponge

NORM

David Kohn

Sköna hem

Architectural photographer Jim Stephenson (of clickclickjim) shared some photos with Jo and I the other day and they are FAB so I thought I’d share them with you all. They are a selection of the contemporary homes he has shot in the last year or so.The architects are Conran & Partners, Charles Meloy and Alan Phillips, and all the homes are in England. I’ve always loved photos where the photographer captures a person in motion – it makes the spaces feel REAL and Jim appears to be a fan (and a talent) of this technique. Thanks Jim!

The following email was sent to us from Jewel Weeks: I am a psychology grad-turned-interior designer (sort of) in Toronto who got this amazing opportunity last year to design someone’s loft carte blanche… a young bachelor with no possessions for his new loft aside from a mattress! The client’s basic requirements were that he wanted something fun and laid back with a retro-chic feeling- and no purple. Then he let me go to town with a blank slate in total faith. He was the most amazing client ever and let me work by intuition. Most of the stuff you see is all from craigslist or vintage shops with a few Ikea and Home Depot items thrown in. It’s not 100% to what kind of standard I’d like to achieve, but I was pretty happy with it for a first project- mostly because my client was so happy with the result. I love the finished product…superb hip retro vibe, fun colours, and HELLO, it was featured in the Sept 2010 issue of Style at Home magazine (with help from the beautiful photography of Aristea Rizakos). I think you’ve got something here Jewel!! (Check out her website in the future for more of her projects).

If you’d like to send us photos to include in next week’s “pets on furniture” post, please ensure your photos follow our basic rules: First, the pet must be on a piece of furniture. And said piece of furniture must be clearly visible in the photo, so it takes center stage rather than your pet. (Think of it more of a photo of a great piece of furniture that you want to show off…and your pet happens to be sitting on it). And second, the photo must be of decent quality. If it’s dark or fuzzy (from a camera phone) then it may not make the cut. Thanks! (Photos, your name, location and a brief description can be sent to desiretoinspirekim[@]hotmail[.]com and PLEASE don’t send me closeups of your pet!)

I have attached a cracker of my VERY over weight cat Horangi (he is on a diet of VERy expensive low cal food but it is impossible to break through his terrible deeply ingrained laziness!) on the coffee table my flatmate whipped up and a large poster by Debbie Carlos.
– Julia (Wanaka, New Zealand)

I’ve attached a couple photos of my girls. The first is of Heidi. She’s a humane society rescue who loves to stretch out on my antique table to watch the geese on the water and catch some rays. The second is Bailey, who is also a rescue. One of her favourite spots is my director’s chair. Usually she’s curled up in a ball sawing logs.
– Wendy

I bought this chair at a yard sale for $25!  It is huge, the leather is soft and worn, and it sucks you right in.  It has become the coveted seat in our living room, especially by my new kitten Mae who sleeps there most of the day.
– Hilary (Philadelphia PA)

This is Lucy. She is half beagle, half bull dog and has a talent for finding nice furniture to take naps on…nonchalantly, of course. The chair she is sitting/laying on was an antique find ($25) that I recently completely reupholstered and had restuffed with a bright, fuschia velvet complete with a high gloss black finish. Perfect for long nails…oy! In other words, she should not be up here.
– Johanna

This is Calvin our 6 year old domestic short hair. I was taking “before” pictures of 2 book shelves I am refinishing, and Calvin jumped right up there to pose. The second picture is Calvin exploring the innards of the dresser we picked up free on the side of the road.
– Mallory (Enid, Oklahoma)

This is Keeva my 6 month old female golden retriever. I call her Keeva the Decorating Diva because whenever I am moving things around my house she is right there beside me watching everything I do. Once she jumped up on a table and knocked over the object I had just put there – guess she thought it didn’t look right!
– Ali (Bradford, Ontario)

this is our cat Panini.. she sleeps in the strangest places 🙂
– Steve & Stephanie

These are actually my mom’s babies, Shiner (mini dapple dachshund), Spike (dachshund-brother of Jasper), Jasper (dachshund-brother of Spike) and front and center, as usual, Sparkle (French Bulldog…and the ONLY girl mind you). Obviously, it’s nap time on the couch!
– Kirsten