One simple trick to expand your space + More

The weekly micro-decorating newsletter * Issue 2 of 13, SS26 * Subscribe free *

If you're a design lover who lives in a small space, you quickly confront limitations: if you framed and hung all the artwork you desire, you'd need a place ten times the size. One solution is to make peace with your restricted state of affairs, settling for a handful of favourite pieces and no more.

There's a better and more exuberant approach: equip yourself with frames that allow for easy substitutions. While there are all sorts of models to choose from, I'm a big fan of two numbers from the Japanese retailer Muji.

One version consists of two sheets of acrylic bolted together at each corner:

The longer bolts act as a support, tilting the frame back at a familiar angle. The bolts are all interchangeable, meaning you can easily switch from portrait to landscape and back again.

An even simpler frame is composed of two slabs of acrylic held together by magnets:

The thickness of the two slabs together allows it to be freestanding, whether resting on its longer or shorter side.

With some quick-change frames in your arsenal, you're ready to create a dynamic room that's always in sync with your mood. You might already have prints, postcards, drawings, and magazine clippings that are on standby for inclusion in your decor.

If not, look around for collections to get you started. I'm a fan of the playful postcard sets at Weekend Characters, the Kensington Market outlet of the animation studio Polyester:

I also recommend boxed collections that have lots of imagery to choose from, like this set of 100 vintage Penguin paperback covers:

Single out an image that catches your eye, pop it into the frame, and try adding an object to bring the display into three dimensions. When you're tired of the arrangement, it's almost effortless to make something new:

Think of this as an anti-boredom device that's always at your fingertips:

With transparent frames like these, it's easy to create layers:

Start tinkering with these frames and you'll feel the boundaries of your home growing. The amount of visual pleasure it can contain is limitless.

From the archives

One surprising fact about framing is it doesn't need to involve a conventional frame at all. Check out this piece from our fast-growing library and be encouraged to try out your ideas:

Frame: micro-decorating move #19

The weekly micro-decorating newsletter * Issue 2 of 13, SS24 * Subscribe free * Framing doesn’t have to be a big commitment. Sure, you can invest in an expensive setting for a favourite piece of art... but your taste may change, your wall may start looking tired. Why lock yourself in? Casual framing

guy with an eyeGuy Koolhof

Elsewhere

I was deeply moved by this recent guest essay in The New York Times. Alyona Synenko observes the older generation in Odesa, Ukraine, rebelling against the grimness of war by taking great care in how they present themselves:

In my favourite passage, the writer expresses the underlying intent of all this finery:

Our homes are another avenue for resisting the forces that want to drag us down. Whatever battles are raging beyond our front door, we have the ability to create order, beauty, delight, within.

Thank you for reading.