2, 4, 6, 8, who do we appreciate? Planning. We learned the value of careful planning the hard way when we hung a grid of picture frames above our sectional.
Here’s what happened. We had long planned to fill the large empty space above Karl with a grid of oversized frames. The idea was to create an impact similar to a smaller frame grid we once had in another room, but scaled up to work with the taller wall and the larger sectional.
We chose IKEA Ribba frames sized about 20.5 x 20.5 inches—they’re affordable and already fit our aesthetic. After holding a couple of frames up to the wall and doing some quick calculations, we decided a six-frame grid (two rows of three) would look right centered on the wall, leaving breathing room on either side for table lamps and a future console table behind the sectional. We even moved a rug temporarily to make room and keep Clara’s play area soft while we waited to replace it with something larger.
We returned from IKEA with six new Ribba frames (we bought all new ones so the colors would match) and got ready to hang them. We planned to use the paper inserts from the frames to mock up the layout first—an easy and smart way to preview scale and spacing. I taped two sheets up to gauge height and liked the look, but when Sherry suggested taping up all six sheets to see the full arrangement, I brushed it off. I thought we could save time and just start drilling.
That was my mistake. I went ahead, measured, marked, and drilled. After about an hour I had five of the six frames on the wall. At that point Sherry pointed out that the layout felt too small; the frames floated and lacked the impact we wanted. She was right. The five (and even six) frames didn’t fill the space the way we’d imagined. The correct solution would be eight frames, not six.
I should have taped up every sheet to begin with and avoided all the extra work and embarrassment. Instead I had to take down the five frames I’d just hung, patch and fix the marks left behind, re-measure, and plan for a larger configuration. Removing the frames revealed ten screws and pencil marks; expanding to an eight-frame grid meant drilling and installing sixteen more screws. Fortunately we had two older Ribba frames that matched closely enough to complete the eight-frame set, so we didn’t need another trip to the store.
When we finished, the eight-frame arrangement was clearly the right choice. The wider grid balances the wall, centers beautifully over the sectional and ceiling beam, and leaves just the right amount of space on each side for lamps and the eventual console table I’ll build. The difference between the six-frame and eight-frame layouts was striking—what felt small and awkward before now reads as intentional and composed.
We’re still deciding what to put inside the frames—family photos, bold graphic prints, or a mix of both are all possibilities. For now we’re relieved the hanging portion is done, even if it came with a lesson in patience and humility. The mistake cost time and effort rather than money, which is something to be grateful for, though there are still holes to patch and pencil marks to erase. That cleanup will be Sherry’s department, and she’s already plotting the repair strategy.
If there’s a takeaway here, it’s this: take the time to mock up your layout fully before drilling. Tape up all the paper, step back, photograph the arrangement from different angles, and live with it a bit. That small extra step can save hours of rework and a fair bit of frustration. We learned that the hard way—don’t make the same mistake we did.
We’re sure we’re not the only ones who’ve skipped a step and paid for it later. If you’ve got a similar story about a project that would’ve gone better with a bit more forethought, we’d love to hear it. Bad planners unite.