I’m still a big fan of the gallery wall. It’s a fun way to display a large collection of art. If you have a few smaller pieces, once they are grouped together they create one larger statement piece.  I’ve partnered with Mixbook for another fun post. I’ve got how-to’s and free downloadable art, what more could you ask for in life?

I’ve come up with 5 easy-to-install gallery wall layouts for you.

As promised, I’ve got lots of fun FREE downloadable art for you. I printed some of these as inexpensive Poster Prints and also a had a couple made into Framed Canvas Art at Mixbook. The plumeria flower floating on the water is a mounted poster print. I actually really love it. It’s so much cheaper then getting something that size framed, but It’s also a little more formal look then just hanging a poster (which is cool too). I’ve ordered a lot of art from Mixbook now, and every time I am totally impresses with the quality.

• Jungle
• Cactus on White
• Pink Wall
• Stockholm Subway Tile
• California Wildflowers
• Doodle Art

And if you want The Plumeria on the Water image, I’m going to give that one as a free downlaod to all my newsletter friends in a couple days. So, if you’ve got your eye on that one, simply fill out the form in the right hand side of my blog and I’ll send you this exclusive download right to your inbox.

Now let’s talk through these layouts and find one that’s right for your art and your home.

WALK THE LINE

This layout takes frames of all shapes and sizes and brings some order to them with a center line. I taped off a line in the middle of my wall and then hung frames exactly 2 inches above and below the line. If you are a fan of symmetry and order, this lay might help you feel better about the mismatched frame colors and sizes.

STUCK LIKE GLUE

This layout takes all your pieces and creates one big assymetrical shape. Start by hanging the center piece first. Often this is the biggest frame. I hung the plumeria as my anchor frame. From there you can start hanging pieces on all the sides of the anchor piece.

THINK INSIDE THE BOX

This is probably my most used layout. I’ve hung a gallery wall using this method. Start again with your tallest piece and anchor it on either the left or right side. Then, like fitting a puzzle together, pair smaller pieces together keeping them all inside an imaginary box or rectangle.

LOPSIDED

If I was to choose a favorite, it would definitely be this lopsided version. This feels the most organic, light and breezy to me. For this layout there are really no rules expect that you should space the frames about equal distance from each other. It doesn’t have to be exact, but a little breathing room around each piece will feel nice. And ya, make it lopsided, hang more pictures on one side than the other and don’t be afraid to let them trail down the side of the wall as well.

THE LAZY LEAN

I know this is a no brainer, but I thought it should be included. If you are afraid to put holes in your walls, then The Lazy Lean is for you. This option also gives you the opportunity to change your art often. It’s a casual, no commitment kind of relationship with your art.

I hope you guys find this helpful. I give you permission to make lots and lots of holes in your walls. But, if you want to get it right the first time, definitely do the butcher paper cutouts first. It takes all the guesswork out of hanging art.

This post is sponsored by Mixbook. Thank you for supporting the awesome companies that help make this blog possible.

Well, my little office space is coming along. I’m excited to share it with you very soon. But, since I’ve done so much sourcing and researching for products, I thought I’d share with you what I’ve found. I’ve already shared some great wall-mounted desk options, now let’s look at a few stylish chair options as well. 

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I end up spending way more time then I want to at my computer, so I’m ready for a “real” chair. my back and hips are tired of countless hours in a kitchen chair. But, it turns out finding a stylish and comfortable desk chair is not easy. Well, it’s easy if you want to spend lots and lots of money. But, I was in the market for one somewhere way less then $400. And while comfort is king, my little desk is in a main traffic area of our house, so I wanted to make sure it had a little style.

I really can’t tell you for sure for sure, if these are all comfortable, because I haven’t sat in all of them. But, I did read lots of reviews and tried to source ones that could be easily returned if they didn’t work out. But, I do think I found some handsome options that won’t break the bank. Spoiler Alert!!! I picked number 8. When I polled folks on IG stories, a few people said that they had this exact chair and then it was sooooo comfortable. And then the very next day, West Elm had a flash sale and I paid only $229 for it!!!!!!! Yep, I’m pumped. It won’t be here for another couple of weeks. But, my next choice would probable by number 2. It feels 100% Scandinavian.

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Do you have a favorite? In true Oleander + Palm fashion, I looked long and hard for an awesome dark green option and a found a few. I feel like leather is a good idea, it should wear well and just look better over time. I’ll keep you posted, but I’m excited for you to see my tiny little hallway office. Stay tuned.

And happy long weekend friends!

Ok, the time has come. I’m ready for a desk space in my home. I’ve been blogging for over 6 years now from a laptop at the kitchen table, on the sofa, or even in bed. Sometimes that flexibility is nice, but lately my back has been telling me that a proper desk and chair might be a good idea. Yes, I do have a studio, but honestly most of my computer screen time is in the evenings once the kids are in bed. So, I really don’t want to pack up and head back to the studio.

While our house is not small, there isn’t an extra room for home office. So, My place is to find a wall mounted desk for our hallway. It’s actually a pretty good sized area and the wall is about 48 inches wide, so I can get a pretty good sized desk in there. The only issue is that the intake vent for the AC and heater is in the floor right under where I’d like to put a desk. So, take the furniture off the floor and mounting it on the wall seems like the best idea. The end of my laptop’s life is pretty somewhere in the near future, so I’m hoping to make the move to a desktop. I’m ready for a bigger monitor, especially when I’m editing pictures.

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Because I just don’t have the motivation right now to build something custom for myself, I’m on the hunt for a great wall mounted desk I can just buy. I’ve rounded up 8 pretty great options. Number 2 is definitely out of my budget, but it’s pretty dang gorgeous in person. Number 4 feels the most like me, but I think I might need a little more storage. Number 5 is really interesting, but it’s just a little too wide for my space, but I included it because I thought it might work for one of you. Number 7 might be the winner, it’s priced right and the scale of this piece works really well for our hallway.

Is there one that stands out to you?

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And if you are just looking for a desk and don’t need to have a computer on it, this one is gorgeous. And actually there are a lot of great pull down options out there. They just can’t hold a desktop computer and that’s what I need at this point.

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Anyone else looking to create a little home office without a bedroom to spare?

Next up, I’m on the hunt for a comfortable, stylish office chair. Does that exist? I mean it does, but really I can’t spend $3000. I’m on the hunt for one somewhere way below $400.