Framed for Fashion

Written by Autumn Krause

Photography by Bret Gum

Styling by Kristin Dowding and Jickie Torres

A homeowner with a love for flea-market finds, Krista Kousens creates her own little paradise in her California flea market home.

By displaying her handmade jewelry in shadow boxes, Krista takes the term ‘jewelry box’ to a new level! Here’s how you can create a similar display.

This clean white wall is adjacent to the brick wall in Krista’s bedroom. “I hung all of my jewelry in display boxes as, shall we say, ‘functional art,’” she says. She makes shadow boxes just to showcase her jewelry.

Find the right shadow boxes. The boxes will depend on your space, and Krista says that choosing a similar depth for your boxes is more important than matching all the shapes.

Decorate! Krista paints and adds backing to her shadow boxes. “I collect the shapes I want and paint them to match,” she says. “For backings, I use a mix of linen and burlap over foam.”

Purchase pretty pins. Krista uses heavy-duty pearl-tipped pins to fix the jewelry to the backing because “they hold heavier pieces, and they look pretty.”

Make arrangements. The next step is to decide how you want your jewelry displayed within the boxes. You can create groupings based on colors of necklaces or types of materials.

Hang loose. Finally, decide how you want to hang your frames on the wall. Krista says, “If you want a clean, linear look, then spacing and symmetry is everything, but if you want an eclectic look, mix and match sizes and shapes.”

Wall-to-Wall florals

Krista’s gallery art hangings are an ideal way to decorate. They are high impact yet don’t take up any space! Follow these tips to style one of your own.

While she changed almost every aspect of the bathroom, Krista left the lemon-yellow tile on the counter. It adds a soft note to the red wallpaper and $10 Salvation Army mirror that Krista painted black.

Accept the mess. Understand you are going to put a lot of holes in your wall and, as Krista says, “get over it. You can spackle, sand and paint them at the end, so don’t let it hold you back.”

Shop your collections. Krista often uses items she already owns and has even glued picture frame hardware to the back of silver serving trays to hang them on a wall.

Vintage Spotlight: Eastlake Furniture

Pop the champs. “I highly recommend drinking champagne while assembling a gallery wall,” Krista says. “This simple detail will enhance your creativity while minimizing your linear, anal-retentive side.”

Be true to yourself. Successful gallery walls have personality and soul and reflect the person who made them—you!

Diversify. “Don’t be afraid to vary your spacing,” Krista says. “Space some pictures perfectly and have others touching. There are no rules!”

To see Krista’s full home tour click HERE.