Hang a Little Painting Where It Will Surprise and Delight

Earlier in the spring I shared this wee painting of one of my tablescapes. (View this little teascape in detail here: St. Patrick’s Day Tea.) The painting was a surprise painting done by a lovely artist and reader of BNOTP named, Fifi. After she let me know she had created the painting, I purchased it from her but never got around to having it framed.

Tea Party Painting

 

Life got in the way and I never got around to framing it until recently. This was the frame I purchased for it, a very simple, black 12″ x 12″ frame. (Frame is available here: Picture Frame.) I wasn’t totally sure how my little painting would look inside this frame, but I knew I could return it if it didn’t work out. The frame/mat turned out to be just right for the painting, but before I share how it looks I wanted to share a little about how I decided to hang the picture.Square Black Frame

I was pretty sure I wanted to hang the painting in my kitchen since that’s near the porch where I create so many table settings for Tablescape Thursday. If you’ve been reading BNOTP for a while, you may remember when I did a bit of rearranging in my guest room a few years back and ended up needing to find a new home for a couple of cute birdie pictures.

The birdie pictures contained a lot of the color blue since they depicted adorable bluebirds.

Blue Bird Drawing Painting

 

I ended up finding the perfect spot for them here in the upstairs family room.

 

I tucked each little watercolor painting inside a dormer window here in the upstairs family room.

 

I hung them down nice and low where they could be enjoyed on those rare occasions when someone sits here. This is the room my son and daughter-in-law love to stay when they are visiting. They prefer it over the guest room since the sofa makes into a q1ueen size bed that’s quite comfy.

Though these little window seats are too small for curling up with a book, I do occasionally sit here when I need a break from pulling out holiday decorations from the eave storage on either side of the dormers. (See that storage in this post: A Christmas Present For Your Future Self.)

Dormer Window with Windowseat, Upstairs Family Room-Bonus Room

 

Here’s where the other little birdie painting ended up, again hung nice and low so it can be appreciated by anyone who decides to sit and snuggle with a furry friend.

Dormer Window, Upstairs Family Room

 

My grandsons are two and four, I wonder if they are old enough now for me to give them their dad’s Teddy Ruxpin, along with all his books and tapes. I’ve been saving Teddy and Grubby for them. The last time I checked they both still worked, Teddy reading his storybooks out loud and Grubby singing along.

Where was I? Oh, yes. One of my favorite ways to hang art is to hang it down low in an unexpected spot, a little surprise delight for anyone who happens to notice it. I love to see a painting hung down low alongside a reading chair, especially one that’s tucked away inside a little nook like those that are sometimes found under a big staircase, or inside a large dormer space. Even though no one ever sits inside these wee dormers, I love seeing them decorated in their own special way.

Dormer Window, Stuffed Toys, Wall Lantern

 

Since my little tablescape painting is pretty small, I decided to try it in a special spot in the kitchen.

Tea Party Painting

 

I placed it here by the door to the porch where I’ll see it every day as I go outside for some porch time or to fill the bird feeders. You may remember the large platter from when I shared a few souvenirs brought back from a trip to Italy in 2015.

Art Hung Low for a Fun Surprise When Sitting

 

I hung the teascape painting nice and low so it could be enjoyed while sitting and working here at the desk in the kitchen. I was actually surprised how much I liked it here once it was up.

Just wanted to share this with you in case you find it helpful the next time you have a little painting or picture to hang. Maybe you’ll find the perfect spot in your home where your treasured piece will be a fun surprise for someone to discover. I love those kinds of surprises! 🙂

Hang Art Low on Wall To Appreciate When Sitting

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Comments

  1. Margaret says

    I like your little picture. It’s special because it was painted just for you. I have a little poem that was given to me . I keep looking for a special frame for it. You have given me the inspiration to find the frame. Thanks

    • Thanks, Margaret! I really think those pieces that are special to us are the most fun to hang. We so enjoy them each time they catch our eye. I love the idea of framing/hanging a special poem!

  2. Cynthia Moore says

    A friend’s cat has his own art gallery at his level. Every visit, I check to see if he has added to his collection. Small pieces that are cat oriented.
    Makes me laugh every time. I enjoy your blog. Keep up the good work.

    • Oh my gosh, I love that idea! How cute is that! Now that’s an owner who loves their kitty. 🙂 I would love to see photos of those hanging with the kitty nearby. 🙂

  3. Donna zoltanski says

    A special gift certainly deserves a special spot. Adorable painting.

  4. NEPA Gina says

    Beautiful! I just love that painting! I can see why your DIL & family love that room, it would be my first choice as well, especially seeing all light coming in! I also see you have some Baldwin Brass switch plate covers. My home is filled with them. Of course my daughters generation is NOT in love with all the brass! But you know what, I still like the look & most of my friends in my generation (I’m 63 now) all have homes with it & don’t care to change them now! So brass remains King at this house! #baldwinbrasslover

    • Good eye, Gina! I swapped out a lot of my covers for BB brass many years ago. I still enjoy them. I know, you can’t worry about that, though…just enjoy what you love. If I ever change the hardware on my kitchen cabinets to something else, I will probably change them then. I especially like how they look with judges paneling…the warm brass against the warm woods.
      I went with a brushed silver for the dining room since the lamps on the sideboard in that room are silverplate.

      I got my hopes up a few years back. I wrote a post about how brass was making a bit of a comeback and someone from Virginia Metalcrafters left a comment on that post saying they were going to be starting back up. But it doesn’t appear that it ever happened.

      I’m still a big fan of brass, too…both the polished and the antique kind. Wish I could put an emoji right here giving you a high five! 🙂 We are not alone, there are still some brass lovers out there.

      Here’s that previous post if you would like to check it out. Check out the comments and you’ll see the one from the guy with Virginia Metalcrafters.
      https://betweennapsontheporch.net/brass-is-back-baby/

      • I still love all my brass. Things like HGTV have made everyone obsess over resale and want to keep everything bland and boring. I say it’s my house, I pay the bills, and I’m going out I go to enjoy it! I’m high fiving Gina too!!

  5. SO DO I!! It’s perfect…and, then, it can always be perfect somewhere else as well!! Isn’t it fun!! Xxx. franki

  6. Shirley Ore says

    Love the little painting..kitchen is perfect for it. Enjoy all your post, keep it going…

  7. I love paintings hung this way as a surprise for the eye! I also put small paintings on easels and hang pictures behind my powder room doors, etc. so when the door is closed there is not a big blank spot. People tend to hang things way too high…low is the way to go. All your little spots are so charming!

    • I so agree! Sometimes I think I may go too low in my attempt to not be too high. lol I’m short though so I like art hung down lower where I can really see it. Thanks so much, Roxanne! ♥

  8. What special artwork to own, and done by a reader. Sweet. I’ve hung a couple small things in my closet, on a bit of empty wall space.

    • Love that, Mia! When we think about how often we go in our closet, what a great way to make it feel like a special place, too. I have a little picture hanging inside my office closet…thought I was the only one who did stuff like that. 🙂

  9. You bring such smiles to my heart. Your framed inspiring piece has a new home- no doubt bringing smiles to your heart too

  10. Is the bird picture Carolyn Shores Wright? I have one too. Love her art. The newly framed picture looks great in that spot.

    • I had to go check and it is! I think I purchased the those in A Classy Flea which is sadly closing in just a few days. Thanks, Karol!

      • WHAT!!!! Closing? So sad, what happened? Any time for a last field trip?

        • The owners are retiring, I think. I’ve stopped in a couple of times since they made the announcement, but I didn’t see the owners so I’m not sure. I need to call and find out where all the dealers are moving to, I know many are moving to other local antique shops/malls. It is definitely the end of an era. I had always hoped if I moved and bought a cottage one day, I could shop at the Flea to furnish it. I will so miss that place. 🙁

        • Oh, and yeah, I think it’s too late for another field trip. Last time I stopped in, it was looking pretty empty. I guess my field trips will have to be to other places now.

  11. I have little small pictures/mirrors in every room in my home. Over the soap dish, Over the light switches just little details and each is special to me.

    • Oh, I love that idea, Carroll–hanging them over light switches! I’m going to start looking for little pictures when I’m out shopping. Would love to start hanging more of those around my home.

  12. What a fun surprise about the painting. I use to read Fifi blog posts and loved how she dressed and traveled around with her man photographer.

  13. Elizabeth Roderick says

    I love little pictures on tiny walls. Mom had pennies, with the year her kids were born, mounted on velvet and framed. Later she added two more with her grands and great grandchild’s pennies. She put them on a small wall between two doors. My brother brought me a runt pig to care for. She was not a welcomed addition to our restricted neighborhood but our neighbors were cool. I had a small picture of her, the size of a school picture, which I framed and mixed it in with our family gallery. It was fun to see people’s faces when they discovered it.

  14. Dear Susan,
    What a charming little nook for your grandsons!
    Yes, I do think they are old enough to appreciate your son’s toys!
    Ann

  15. Ann Pauley says

    Dear Susan,
    What a charming little nook for your grandsons!
    Yes, I do think they are old enough to appreciate your son’s toys!
    Ann

  16. Cyndi Raines says

    Lovely picture and you found the best spot for it! I, too have a favorite picture in my closet right by my chair where I sit to put on my shoes or boots! Great minds think alike! Hehe. So sorry to hear that a Classy Flea is closing!☹ Always really enjoyed those posts when you visited the store and included us!

  17. Tina Reynolds says

    You have such wonderful taste and your home is a feast for the eyes! this has given me a needed drink of inspiration—we’re changing things up a bit in our old house.

  18. When I have pics I love I do the same…find a new spot when the old no longer works; and wow!…Teddy Ruxpin & Grubby…now that was a walk down memory lane. When I taught K & 1st graders I used them in my classroom. The children loved using them. Later I gifted them to my god-daughter to enjoy and again they were a hit. Your grandsons are going to love them!

  19. Great idea! I have little cards a friend has painted and this would be wonderful to do

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