A blank space? That’s my dream.
I totally got inspired to work on a mini house project after we started renovating The Eden House. Sure, Roy was doing major overhauls like gutting bathrooms and refinishing walls at the house, but not me!
Full disclosure, I am not a DIY kinda girl, nor are we a DIY couple! But, give me a blank space and some no-tools-required items and I’m good to go.
Here are 3 ways you can kick up a “blank space” at home. No tools required!
TRAVEL WALL
What’s a travel wall? It’s a curated collection of all of your favorite memories from places you’ve traveled. Framed photos, little trinkets, figurines and art prints. I like to use shelves so things look “even” and then I add something new to the wall after every trip. This blank wall was supposed to be for a TV, but I had a better, more wanderlust idea in mind…
When building your travel wall, of course choosing the photos to use is key. But, there’s one thing even MORE important!
When traveling, instead of hauling back snacks and stuff, I always look for something iconic to add to the travel wall. Can you spot a few? A little ceramic daruma from Asakusa, a colorful embroidered doodad from Cabo, cute art prints from Seoul and a gorgeous wood house from Amsterdam. I’m always on the hunt for something to add to the travel wall when I travel abroad.
One thing about me is I’ll always have an abundance of frames at home. Whenever I see a good frame, I snag it and stash it for my next travel wall addition.
Having a mix of sizes is key to creating the perfect travel wall. A few 4×6, 5×7 and 8x10s really do the trick. I purchase most of my frames on the spot when I see cute ones (TJ Maxx, Home Goods, Seria…) but if you’re just starting out on your travel wall, here’s a good mix that we found on Amazon.
TIP! If you’re like us and not handy with a drill or not wanting to commit to patching holes if you change your mind, we’ve found the perfect thing for you. This MOUNTING PUTTY has been a game changer! Hang your frames – no nails required!
MAGNETIC PHOTO WALL
Prior to covering this wall with photos of Chloe, we had a blank space that held our AC control panel. It’s a metal door that was kind of an eye sore, TBH. So one day, I had an idea to stick on some photos on the wall. I used tape but then had an even BETTER idea to use magnets! Whoa. What a way to kick up a blank space!
These magnetic hooks are great for cruises, as well. They’re space savers and surprisingly strong. Find them on Amazon here.
STICK ON TILES, IYKYK.
I kept hearing about “stick on tiles” as I researched renovation options for The Eden House. Roy wanted to use traditional material like you know, real tiles and laminate. But me? I didn’t mind trying the stick ons, especially for a little backsplash je ne sais quois.
My goal? Add stick on backsplash tiles to the kitchen wall under my cabinets.
how to
• Step one: Measure out the area you want to add tile to. OK, you will need a measuring tape. Is that considered a “tool”?
• Step two: Look for the perfect tile. I ordered this classic glossy subway tile so it was easy to clean and added just a touch of texture to the otherwise plain wall. Link to stick on tile here.
• Step three: Once the tiles arrive, you’ll need sharp scissors, a pencil, a rag and cleaning spray.
• Step four: Wipe down the area you’ll be sticking the tiles to and make sure it’s completely dry.
• Step five: There should be large blocks that you can stick the entire block of tile to. That’s the easy part! I started there, adhering the full blocks to the wall if it fit.
• Step six: Here’s the challenging part! There will be smaller areas you’ll need to “jenga” into place while keeping the same pattern of the tile you selected. For me, it was the horizontal subway tiles so I measured out the empty space I needed to fill and traced that pattern onto the tiles. Cut the shape you need and stick that into the empty area – it’ll literally be like playing real life Jenga!
• Step seven: Once all areas are covered, wipe down the tiles and give the tiles and extra push as you wipe it down. I used the rag to wipe, push, wipe, push. Since there are no nails and no glue, you have to make sure the stickiness sticks.
I’ve had my backsplash stick on tiles up since March 2022 and it’s been 100%. No issues, no peeling, no weird pukas. Mini glow up kitchen project? Success.