Photos via JPD School of Design Palm Beach, Florida

Which look is your favorite?

Do you have some mismatched frames that you don’t know what to do with? Just give them a fresh coat of paint to transform them into instant Wall Art.

It’s a creative and chic way to dress up your walls without spending any money on artwork. Here, everything was painted white, from walls, picture frames, floor, ceiling to the decorative moulding. The look is peaceful, bright and makes the narrow hallway appear much wider than it actually is.  Use this image as inspiration to create a unique look for your space.  Paint all the frames the same color as your walls, or use a contrasting color to make your frames pop. No time to paint? No worries, simply hang the frames as they are and create a “no fuss” look that will fit any casual space.

There’s no need to paint the back of your frames and if they’re fitted with a picture wire, simply replace it with a sawtooth hanger that will be invisible from the front. They’re easy to install, just be careful when hammering the tiny nails in to avoid cracking the frames.

What do  you think – Is this a project you’d do in your home or cottage?

With a circulation of over 7 million, it’s one of the top consumer magazines in the United States and we’re thrilled that Stoppy has been featured within its pages. Stoppy is showcased in a variety of colors, making it easy for homeowners to find one or more color to match their décor.

In this issue, you’ll also find innovative products and ideas for the home as well as great tips for gardening, cooking, exercising and everything that will make life easier.

The May issue of Family Circle Magazine is out and Stoppy is featured in it. One of the biggest home trends this spring is incorporating character references into your décor. Things like ampersands signs on pillows, bookends in the shape of exclamation marks or colored doorstops, such as Stoppy,  resembling a comma or quotation marks when two are used. It’s all about fun, decorative and functional objects and accessories for the house.

So next time you’re at the grocery store, grab a copy of Family Circle, available at check out counters, and flip to page 17 where you can catch up on this latest home trend.

Just in time for spring! Take advantage of our special web offer and order your Stoppy bundle pack before the end of April. Perfect for keeping windows open to let the fresh air in, to holding the door open while you bring groceries into the house or allowing your pet(s) to come and go.

At this price, buy one pack for yourself and give one to a friend as a gift and have a Stoppy for every room in the house!

Bundles are available in translucent, light blue, dark blue and black.  Click here to order!

Hurry!  Offer ends April 30, 2012

One large clock

Use a large clock as a focal point in any part of your home, from the living room, kitchen, office, bedroom, even the laundry room. Perfectly centered on a tall narrow wall, this no fuss oversized clock adds style and curves to the linear space. The large numbers are easy to see from across the room without needing to squint.

Collection of clocks

If you have several clocks, even if they differ in style and color, consider hanging them together. Although they’re all different, they share a common theme – time. You could set the largest clock with your local time, and all the others with different times. Or, they could all show the same time. With that many clocks around, you’ll never have an excuse to be late again.

Time zone clocks

Perfect for home or the office, hang 3 or more clocks, each displaying a different time zone where family, friends or coworkers live. Create a label for each clock that identifies the name or city each clock is dedicated to. Your time zone wall will make it much easier to figure out the best time to call without worrying about waking anyone up.

Tips & Tricks

Hanging your clock(s)

Most clocks are fitted with a single keyhole or with a D-ring hook which can be quite a pain to hang. Make the job easier by using the single hook on Hang & Level. It fits perfectly in tricky openings and will allow you to easily hang one or several clocks.

Spacing clocks

Use Painter’s Tape or SpacerTape to space your clocks evenly. Simply peel off the tape when you’re done.

Where to shop?

We’ve done some shopping for you, these links will take you directly to clocks from Pottery Barn, Bed Bath & Beyond, Crate and Barrel, Restoration Hardware, Canadian Tire, Target, Walmart, IKEA, Home Depot.

Have you ever seen a beautiful wall arrangement like this one in your favorite décor magazine and wanted to recreate it in your home? Of course you have, but if you’re like most people, you’d never think of recreating the same look in your house because you’re afraid that you’d mess up your walls. Right? Don’t worry, you’re not alone!

Here are a few easy steps to help you recreate this beautiful look for your home:

• First, build the look on the floor to help determine how much space to leave in between each frame.
• Once you’ve confirmed the final layout, measure the total vertical length of your display to decide on the correct height to hang it.
• Start by hanging the middle frame in the bottom row. Then hang the one on the left or right.
• As for the spacing between frames, keep it consistent to achieve the same look. Cut pieces of desired (identical) length of low adhesive tape or SpacerTape and simply peel the tape off when you’re done.
• Use Hang & Level to perfectly line up your frames on the wall. It will mark the exact location for your hardware, eliminating the chance of making extra holes in your walls.
• Next, hang the center row, aligning the frames with the bottom row.
• Finish the look with the top row, lining up the frames with the row below.

Tip: Once you’ve done all this work, you’ll want to make sure your arrangement stays straight. By placing small Anchor Points on the bottom corners of your frames, they will stay straight forever, keeping your look magazine perfect.

Picture via Style At Home magazine

At first glance this room may look very messy, but look closer and you’ll see a very well organized room. This craft workspace has been designed with kids in mind and is always ready for their creativity. Whenever they’re in the mood to draw, paint or glue, all the craft materials can easily be found in drawers and cupboards. Once masterpieces are complete, they’re hung on the wall without fussing over the correct height or perfect spacing. Pushpins and low adhesive tape make it easy for kids to hang their artwork themselves so they can be proud of their creations!

Read more about how this well designed craft room came to life.

Drill and Hang:

• Once you know where to hang your piece (see Hang & Level below) cover the mark with painters’ tape or masking tape to prevent the plaster from cracking or crumbling around the nail hole.
• With a pen, mark the hanging spot over the tape.
• At slow speed, drill a pilot hole using a drill bit just big enough for the size of the hardware you’ll be using.
• Remove the tape and put your nail, screw or toggle bolt in the hole and hang your picture.
• Watch how home improvement expert Ron Hazelton drills into a plaster wall without cracking it. Although the segment is only 1:41, fast forward to 45 sec to skip the intro. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IuNkiiqhO4

Finding the right spot on the wall for your pictures:

• Hang & Level works extremely well on drywall and on other wall surfaces, including plaster. The only difference is, that over time the steel pins on the back of the tool might become dull when used repeatedly on a hard surface.

If hammering into the plaster is not an option:

• Use double sided tape or hooks such as 3M Command products. Make sure to buy the recommended strength to hold the weight of your piece and for safety reasons, refrain from hanging anything with glass.
• If you live in an older house, you might already have a picture rail to hang your art from. If not, you can easily install one. Choose picture rail hooks to fit your décor, find the right height for your art and use decorative chains or wire to hang your pieces with.

If you want to peek into some of the most expensive properties New York City has up for sale, check out Bravo’s new show on Wednesdays at 10/9c.