A Design Upgrade with Minted Art

Remember last summer when A Squared was a buzz with news of our big condo purchase and move? It was such a fun time in our lives and so exciting to finally have a place to call our own. And because I had been dreaming about it and planning for it for so long, the move and the furnishing and decorating that comes along with it all went very smoothly. With the exception of a few odds and ends that arrived later, our place looked almost exactly as I had hoped it would within a few weeks of our move... that is, all but the second bedroom.

As I pointed out in this post, our second bedroom didn't receive a whole lot of love when we moved in. In fact, it quickly became a catch all: an office for the desks we rarely sit at, a home for our old bed so that we can occasionally host overnight guests, and a receptacle for anything and everything we weren't using on a regular basis-- holiday decorations, exercise gear, paperwork, mementos, etc. Well, after living here for over a year we decided it was high time for us to give this room some much-needed love... and thankfully, the kind people over at Minted were there to help us get started!

Minted is one of my new favorite websites filled with creative and thoughtful stationary, gift, and artwork options for just about anyone and any occasion. And their Minted Art section is unbelievable-- with thousands of unique artwork options from independent artists from around the world available in a variety of sizes and with an affordable option for framing available too. They even have a handy tool that allows you to select your favorite pieces and see what they'd look like in various collage arrangements on your wall. So whether you're looking for photography, a fabulous quote, abstract art, or something more custom, the selection here will truly impress you... and you'll have a hard time narrowing down your top picks! I had about 12 items in my cart for a week before I could pare it down to the three pieces I ended up selecting.

While the second bedroom is still very much a work in progress, I knew I wanted it to have a whimsical city theme. The room has soft gray walls with white trim and it's an interior bedroom and since there's not tons of light coming in, it was important to me that the artwork we selected be light and bright-- and to all be framed in basic white frames so that they pop on those walls. And while I had a difficult time making my ultimate selection, the one piece I knew I wanted right off the bat was one called The Fountain by Chicago artist Morgan Ramberg. The illustration is inspired by Buckingham Fountain and I loved her sweet and whimsical interpretation of this classic Chicago landmark.

The second piece we decided on was the Polka Dotted States of America by Jessica Steury. This adorable map of the United States is made up of a variety of gray polka dot patterns and can be customized with a red heart for wherever you live. I loved giving a subtle nod to our favorite city with this piece!

The final piece we selected was the Alphabet for a Better Life print by Serenity Avenue. This sweet print showcases the alphabet with inspirational phrases like "Be kind" and "eXpress yourself." It can be customized with a name if you'd like and is available in three colors-- I selected the seafoam because I liked how it complemented the colors in The Fountain print.

And if you're thinking that these art pieces seem fit for a nursery, then you would be right... A Squared is becoming a trio and we're expecting our first baby this spring! We are very excited and a bit overwhelmed by it all... Being new parents in the city with a big Golden puppy who is terrified of children is a bit daunting. Any tips from you parents of both children and dogs would be much appreciated! Now that we are almost halfway through it (not sure when that happened) I'm getting into nesting mode and so grateful to Minted for giving me the little push that I needed to get started on this little one's room. And I can't wait to show you what these pieces look like hanging on the wall in the finished room!


Editor's Note: Complimentary products were provided by Minted in order to facilitate this post. The opinions expressed herein, as always, are my own.