Picture Ledge Refresh

October 14, 2015

Picture Wall

I have wanted to get some IKEA picture ledges for so long and this summer we had rearranged our living room slightly so we revealed a gloriously blank, beige wall and I realised we could fit some in. My husband painstakingly put them up and spent ages making sure they were straight but fast forward a few months and I still haven’t had chance to get them exactly how I want them. We basically grabbed all the framed photographs we had hanging on the walls or around the house and added them to the ledge any which way, not the most creative way to style them. My friend Vicki from Let’s Talk Beauty very kindly framed a couple of prints for me (one of them is this free printable from fabulous The Twinkle Diaries!) which I love and makes me realise I want some more to add to the shelves. I also need to update the photographs as most of them are years old now, there isn’t even a recent one of the boys up there so I need to fix that right away.

Prints on Picture Ledge

Spending far too many hours trawling on Pinterest I think I have finally motivated myself to make a start on refreshing the shelves. They are such a cute way to add colour and photos to a room and I am definitely not making the most of ours. I have ordered this Wuthering Heights print from Etsy after seeing a similar one on the wonderful Rainbeaubelle and falling in love with it. There are so many prints I could buy on Etsy that it gets a little overwhelming so for now I think I’m going to try framing some funky wrapping paper and postcards just to add some more colour up there, maybe even some children’s artwork! In my bedside table I have a pile of cards and notes that I’ve been hoarding since the age of 16 just for this very thing. Now is the time to finally do something with them. They will be easy to change if I fancy updating it for each season and maybe adding a few little Christmassy colours up there when the time is upon us.

Trying to decide on photographs is a little more of a challenge, I take so many and yet I am constantly trying to get the perfect one of the three boys together. Here are some my my most recent favourites of the boys and I’ll keep a few of the old baby photos up there, I’m not quite ready to take them down yet. Me and my husband are going to a wedding together in a couple of weeks so it would be nice to get a recent one of us seen as the last ones are from our wedding day five years ago.

 

Siblings August

Park Boo

Lucas Jump

Living Arrows 34

Living Arrows 39

Bear Beach

I’ve been thinking a little plant, candle or lights would be nice to add something different and I have a few more ideas to make it more a reflection of us rather than just a generic picture ledge. I’m still not sure whether to keep a mix of frames or to try and go for just white or black, I’ll have to see what it looks like when I have different prints and photos up there. I’m looking forward to sharing the finished wall with you. Ideally it will be a work in progress and something I can refresh when the mood takes me. Have a peek at my Pinterest board for beautiful shelves, some people are so creative with theirs and I love how it really reflects their family and interests. Check back in a few weeks when hopefully I will have updated ours! If you have picture ledges in your home I would love to see what you’ve done with yours.

You can now see the updated Ikea picture ledges in my post Picture Ledge Styling.

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39 Comments

  • Vicki

    LOved this post – your photos are beautiful & I really like your Picture Ledge it makes your living room feel so homely x

    October 14, 2015 at 4:36 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      Thanks Vicki, I like it too just could do so much more with it! xx

      October 15, 2015 at 9:05 am Reply
  • Stephanie

    They look great – and I hadn’t realised that Ikea did these ledges. Good luck getting them how you want them 🙂 #homeetc

    October 14, 2015 at 8:19 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      They are very versatile, as pinterest has shown me! I have a lot of ideas for them now xx

      October 15, 2015 at 9:06 am Reply
  • Kerry

    I LOVE the Wuthering Heights print! I might have to get that for my home. That book is the best. Your house is looking lovely. I’ve had some of those ikea shelves in white sat in our utility for over a year now!! It’s about time we put them up xxx

    October 14, 2015 at 8:31 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      It is lovely isn’t it? I have had my eye on it for a while as Wuthering Heights is my favourite book, finally got round to ordering it. Get your ledges up!! I would LOVE to see what you’d do with them xx

      October 15, 2015 at 9:09 am Reply
  • Not A Frumpy Mum

    I love your picture ledges, I want to put some up on our upstairs landing to put a few pics on. I think it’s lovely to have a mixture of pictures and quotes and other things that make you smile.
    Love the first pic of your boys reading the book, gorgeous photo. xxx

    October 14, 2015 at 8:56 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      Thanks Jo, they are one of those things I have wanted for so long but didn’t think my husband would get it. Surprisingly he really loves them but ours do need a bit of a spruce up now xx

      October 15, 2015 at 9:10 am Reply
  • Jenna

    We have a couple of the Ikea picture ledges in our front room too. I remember what a pain in the arse it was to put them up. They are well worth it though, aren’t they? You’ve reminded a) that I need to update some of the photos and b) print out Caro’s fab print.

    Hope you share your updated ledges. 🙂 xx

    October 14, 2015 at 9:05 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      I will share when they have had their mini makeover! Caro’s print is so lovely, I’ve had it saved for a while but my friend know’s how I put things off so she very kindly took it to a printers for me 🙂 xx

      October 15, 2015 at 9:12 am Reply
  • Sammy at Seize each day

    I’m loving those IKEA picture ledges too – in fact trying to find somewhere at home to pop one up. Your pictures are lovely – look forward to seeing your final choices.
    #HomeEtc
    Sammy x

    October 14, 2015 at 9:40 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      Thank you, we would have struggled to fit some in until we rearranged our living room but they are worth it if you can find the space! xx

      October 15, 2015 at 9:13 am Reply
  • Natalie

    I have been contemplating buy those Ikea shelves for my girls bedrooms to put some books on. I never even thought about putting them in the Living room with pics on. They look great! x

    October 14, 2015 at 9:52 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      Thank you! They look so good with books on too don’t they? I love that they can be used for so much, it’s amazing when I started looking into them xx

      October 15, 2015 at 9:14 am Reply
  • Lisa@intotheglade

    Yours already look lovely, the pictures are gorgeous!! I have been trying to find somewhere to put these ledges too, but we have very little wall space. I knew that was a Caro print straightaway, it’s lovely and I also love the Wuthering Heights one. The idea of making seasonal changes to them us fab! Good luck with it lovely xxx

    October 14, 2015 at 10:29 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      Ah thanks Lisa, it is hard to find the room for them. They do have little ones too but I really wanted to big ones so we could pile a whole load of stuff on them 🙂 Caro has the most lovely prints doesn’t she?! Gorgeous xx

      October 15, 2015 at 9:16 am Reply
  • Donna

    I love your picture ledges and the great mix of photos of them. A really lovely focal point to a room x

    October 14, 2015 at 10:43 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      Thanks Donna, it is nice to have somewhere to keep all our pictures. I love looking at them all up there xx

      October 15, 2015 at 9:17 am Reply
  • Louise B

    The frames and ledges are fab. I have so many photos in frames sitting in a drawer because the kids keep knocking them over, picture ledges would be a good idea! #HomeEtc

    October 15, 2015 at 11:24 am Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      I was exactly the same, the ones we had on table etc. were just getting picked up by the kids all the time so they are handy to keep them all out of harms way! xx

      October 16, 2015 at 1:46 pm Reply
  • Katie @mummydaddyme

    Ah I love them. We have those in the girls room but they have their books on them. I think that having a little refresh of stuff on a shelf can honestly make it feel like a different house. These look gorgeous. x

    October 15, 2015 at 3:59 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      I love the ones you have in the girls room, they make such a lovely feature, especially with lots of colourful books on there! I can’t wait to make a little more of ours xx

      October 16, 2015 at 1:47 pm Reply
  • Mary @TheHeartyLife

    I love it Hayley – I have put 2 up in our home and they are SOOOO useful! I have wanted 2 in the lounge for ages as the wall looks terrible where I took down lots of pics, but the hubs isn’t feeling a DIY day right now haha

    Lovely x

    October 16, 2015 at 11:05 am Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      They are fab aren’t they, wish I’d got some ages ago but I do have to wait for the husband to be in a DIY mood because there is no way I am tackling them myself! xx

      October 16, 2015 at 1:52 pm Reply
  • Caro | The Twinkles Mama

    Aaah you printed it!!!! It looks fantastic sitting next to the other one!!!! Lovely 🙂 What a gorgeous selection of photos too — your boys are SO handsome. Love this post so much Hayley — I can’t wait to see the shelves again when you’ve finished them 🙂 Thanks so much for linking up with Jess and me for #HomeEtc, we really appreciate it 🙂 xx

    October 16, 2015 at 12:07 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      Thanks Caro, I just love your print! Perfect design and perfect words but I really do need to make more of the shelves, a fun project for half term! xx

      October 21, 2015 at 9:27 am Reply
  • Esther @ Inside Out & About

    Lovely Hayley! Really lovely. We have white ones and I almost have to stop myself buying more. It could get addictive putting happiness everywhere in my home! Those prints are just divine and I love the colours. I have a few little plants on mine and I love them xx

    October 16, 2015 at 8:47 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      Thanks Esther, I am already thinking about getting one or two for the bedroom! I love that you can put all sorts on them, I definitely need a bit of greenery! xx

      October 21, 2015 at 9:28 am Reply
  • SArah Christie

    Hayley I just love this idea, I have never ever thought of a picture shelf but it looks so so stylish. I might also pop over to The Twinkle Diaries for a free print for my new desk I want one that says blogger, is that sad? x

    October 16, 2015 at 9:05 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      Haha, not at all Sarah! Embrace the blogger! I do think it is lovely to have things around that inspire you, makes it a lovely space for you then xx

      October 21, 2015 at 9:29 am Reply
  • Rachel @ The Ordinary Lovely

    Those picture shelves have been one of my best buys. I even have one in the bathroom 🙂 I use the one above our bed for a lot of my blog photography too. It’s perfect and in the only room with half decent lighting.

    October 16, 2015 at 10:36 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      Yours does look lovely Rachel, I can already see how handy they would be all over the house. I need to get these ones sorted then I can move on to a few more I think 🙂

      October 21, 2015 at 9:30 am Reply
  • mummyofboygirltwins

    Gorgeous collection!! 🙂 Love this! I have a few of these around my home too and I just adore it – plus you can constantly update it!!!! Thanks for linking up lovely lady. Jess x #HomeEtc

    October 17, 2015 at 7:03 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      Thanks Jess, yes I am hoping I can find the time to update mine with the seasons. Will be nice to change it to reflect the time of year or my mood! xx

      October 21, 2015 at 9:31 am Reply
  • Lins @Boo & Maddie

    I love these picture ledges, they’re so versatile. I’d love to get a couple once we actually finish all the structural stuff so we can eventually decorate, goodness knows when that will be! You have so many gorgeous photos to choose from X #HomeEtc

    October 17, 2015 at 7:20 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      I love that you can do so much with them too, I think I will be getting more for other rooms in the house. Hopefully you’ll be able to get some up soon too! xx

      October 21, 2015 at 9:32 am Reply
  • Becky (PinksCharming)

    The shelves look great – we have a few and I love how versatile they are! I have a similar conundrum to you in that I have LOADS of framed pictures ready to go up as a gallery wall, but I don’t have the guts to bang in the nails in case I don’t like the arrangement! They have been stacked up in the office for about a year now…. Becky #HomeEtc

    October 18, 2015 at 9:26 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      Yeah we had a few up as a gallery wall but they are so hard to change around! I like these much more as I can just update them (if I get time!) when I fancy it. Gallery walls look so lovely but like you say, hard work knowing how to get it right! xx

      October 21, 2015 at 9:34 am Reply
  • Julia @ Rainbeaubelle

    Oh they look great don’t they! The good thing about shelves like this is that you can rearrange them every now and again to change things up a bit. I use the top of a cupboard in the lounge a bit like that. I do have a few of these Ikea ledges under the bed but I haven’t put them up yet! Thanks for the shout out! LOVE that quote 🙂 xxx

    December 4, 2015 at 9:56 am Reply
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