Ever since we painted the brick wall in our sunroom, we’ve been eager to hang artwork. After a hectic travel stretch, we finally found time last Friday to get it done. It’s surprising how much more “lived-in” a space feels once art goes up. We often procrastinate on hanging things, but after nearly seven years of renovating, that one small step consistently makes a big difference.
For this sunroom we’re keeping costs low and using what we already own while we save for bigger projects: Clara’s soon-to-be-furnished big-girl room, a guest bathroom refresh, and a front porch and carport makeover. So it made sense to pull from the pile of art we’ve been hoarding in the spare room instead of buying new pieces.
That’s how this eclectic, asymmetrical arrangement came together: a casual grouping of frames and art-sized objects we already had. The composition sits well with the furniture and subtly follows the slope of the ceiling. We did add a wooden art piece to help counterbalance the wood side table on the right—right now the table reads a bit heavy, but we have plans to finesse that later.
To assemble the layout we essentially gathered several frames and objects, held them up, and moved them around until the grouping felt balanced. We were lucky to have pieces that tied into the pillow colors and a few darker works that provide visual weight. The goal was an eclectic look rather than anything too matchy-matchy or perfectly symmetrical.
We didn’t measure obsessively because we wanted a relaxed, organic feel. If you’re aiming for an exact grid, you’ll want precise measurements and layouts, but for a casual cluster you can often trust your eye. For anyone curious about the order, we made a simple animated GIF showing how each piece went up: hold it, step back, adjust, hang, and repeat.
The right side of the wall features two maps: a North America map salvaged from a calendar and an old map of Richmond that has traveled with us from house to house. Having both maps does read a little “map zone,” but the top map’s colors work really well with the room palette. We’re open to evolving this wall over time, so it won’t be a maps-only display forever.
The left side is a more unexpected mix. The large brown piece is a doily stretcher we picked up at a thrift store for $4. We loved its geometric shape, and it now helps counterbalance the wood table across the room. Next to it are two painterly pieces: a watercolor print and a painted wood canvas. One print was a thoughtful gift from a reader during a book tour; Clara especially loves the beard, the sharks, and the little boat in the illustration. Above those sits a delightful portrait of our dog Burger, painted by a reader’s husband—spot-on and full of personality.
We hung everything at night, so process photos are limited, but for hanging on brick we follow a consistent method that works well:
- Use a masonry bit to drill a hole in the brick or, when possible, into the mortar (which is easier).
- Tap a plastic anchor into that hole until it’s secure.
- Screw in a screw, leaving about half an inch protruding so a frame hook or the frame’s wire can hang on it.
This approach holds frames and even heavy mirrors reliably. If you want to remove anchors later, we’ve had good luck patching painted brick: pull the anchor with the hammer’s claw, fill the hole with paintable caulk, and touch up with paint. The textured surface of painted brick helps disguise minor repairs.
On a different wall we hung two prints we’ve admired for a while. They currently sit above a temporary table and chairs we own; eventually we’ll replace that with a storage piece that’s more functional for the space. The bicycle prints are temporarily taped up for placement testing, and I’m planning to build simple wood frames for them—unless you’re into the raw tape look (just kidding).
We expect some pieces will move around or be swapped out over time—especially the map cluster—but for now this is a big step in making the sunroom feel intentional. We didn’t buy any furniture for this refresh; everything is repurposed from other rooms, and the only purchase was paint. Seeing the room from the living room, through the big slider, now actually looks like a real, usable space instead of a storage zone.
We’re excited to have finally started on the sunroom after two years in the house. What rooms do you tackle first in your home? For us, the living room, dining room, bedrooms, and kitchen were priorities early on, while the guest bath, playroom-turned-storage, porch, and carport have lingered toward the bottom of the list. We’ll keep updating as things evolve.
Psst—We finally wrote about Sherry’s mom’s pre-Christmas visit over on Young House Life.