I love YHL! While their design aesthetic is much different than mine (i prefer the stark and modern), I think they have wonderfully creative ideas! I look forward to seeing what they finally decide to put in those frames.

Um, that would be $5 PLUS the cost of the 8 frames and mats...

You can get patterned scrapbook paper, too, some of which is gorgeous...

Thanks for pulling the images with the lovely yellow rug, instead of the hideous Kermit green shag thing they currently have.

That's a very liberal use of the word "art".

Unless you just happen to have 8 identical frames sitting around in the size that you want, this would be a $165 project. Still a great deal, but certainly not $5.

Lizanne: Agreed.

I agree with the previous posters. The frames will cost you a whole lot more than the paper. But isn't that the case with most mass-made wall art you buy in stores?

Anyway, regarding the use of the word "art." I don't see anything wrong with using that word to describe what they've done. It can be. Art is relative and subjective. One could make a case and defend it by saying that picking specific colors and framing them in a certain way on its own is "art." Whatever goes. They aren't trying to sell that off in a gallery anyway.

come on this post has been played out and it is really not that great as an art installation to begin with

Yeah, um, frames cost a lot more than sheets of paper, and Lizanne summed up the "art" bit succinctly. I still plan on implementing ideas like this, but let's be real -- even cheapo Ikea frames are pretty costly when you buy them in large sizes and quantities.

I love the Kermit rug.

Um...wouldn't one of those frames cost more than $5? I think you should include the full price of pulling something like that off.....saying its only $5 is misleading.

I love YHL and read them every day. How many other design blogs have such a regonizable acronym? They are funny, nice, and seem very much in love.
That being said, I think they are trying to go a new direction and it is not working. Their first home worked so well because it was a formula many readers could follow (EVERYTHING neutral with a few colorful pillows), it was very effective.
This house they are trying some new things, but their plans seemed clouded by nagging leanings towards their true aesthetic. The only room that works is the one they really went for, the guest room.
I hate this project, the color they painted their beams, the new rug, and the oh so skimpy window panels (they are half the width of a normal panel on huge sliders).
I am so sorry YHL, but I hope you take this in the spirit it is delivered. Go back to what you do better than anyone. Your are DIY gods...as for decorating-go back to the formula.

I wonder why Apartment Thearpy use one of the newer pictures, with the fantastic table behind the couch. I have to say I love YHL and they're one of my most favorite blogs. Some of the above posts are way harsh IMO. I like the direction they're going with their new house, and it would be really boring for them to do another house exactly the same way as their first. Personally, I like the yellow rug a lot but I think the new green rug is way better in that room, and as the room has continued to evolve I like it even more. I actually didn't realize how much I liked it until AT put this old picture up...Anyway, I just have to say I love the room and the new direction.

Edit: I wonder why Apartment Thearpy DIDN"T use one of the newer pictures, with the fantastic table behind the couch.

i agree with several others on here.. taking scrapbook paper, wallpaper samples, or i have even seen people take wrapping paper and do this..

and while at the moment of creation.. it is 'art' on some level..

and i must say as an artist i am somewhat offended ..

to use it as 'artwork' just because you framed it.. simply is not art.. and for $5?

where do you buy the frames and mats in the photo for even $5 each? I don't even think you can get that size frame with what appears to be glass.. and mat at walmart for $5 each.

while i understand the inspiration for the 'art' that is simply color to fill a blank space, and certainly all of us have some family photo, or other photos we have taken.. which you can get printed at many one hour places big enough for the frames.. and then it would be more artistic..

but come on.. even if you watch HGTV you can see how to do a better job.. grab some canvas boards and paint and do the same colors.. in bands if you must.. but finding art to fit a space.. or a color to coordinate with your furniture or walls.. is not an appreciation of art..

its like those tacky printed paintings you see in a lot of run down hotels.. its not really art.. its space filler..

at the very least.. do some research online and find some real artwork..

http://www.20x200.com/welcome/find-art-banner/

for instance at this site you can still match it to your color scheme if you must but it is actual art prints that someone put time into .. and you can get many for $20 .. real art on your walls.. by real artists.. and there are lots of other sites similar to this...

if nothing else.. hire an art student at your high school or local college.. or perhaps one of your relatives.. they might even give it to you free..

*sulks off shaking head*

I read YHL all the time too, and really like them - they are funny, have a great writing style. I don't particularly like this faux-art, or the green rug. I really miss how they used to work together as a team. Lately, it's much more a lifestyle blog than a real DIY blog. While I used to learn from it, now it's more entertainment.

That is not art, its color on the walls too fill a void. I've done it and if you have the frames it's cheap as Hell!

Guys, they already had the frames and equipment, so it really was a $5 project for them. Besides, who doesn't have a few frames sitting around--either unused, or that could use some new life with a new work of art? And goodness knows there are loads of sources for cheap frames, so even if you wanted to try a similar project, you could easily do it on a budget.

As Santino sang, "Lighten up; it's just fashion!" Er, interior decorating. Whatever.

I LOVE this room and want it all. Especially that yellow rug, but I think I'd like to try the simple "art" work. Thanks for posting!

Geez, you guys are HARSH!!! If it's not your taste, say so. But criticizing the project or its reasoning or its outcome for the sake of criticism alone is kind of nasty. I personally was kind of inspired by this project as a way to integrate bold colors without too much commitment and am happy to learn about how easy and inexpensive it is to accomplish. Good job YHL!

I found some way cool file folders that had great colors and design...after seeing this posted on YHL (which I follow daily) I knew it would be a great idea for all those frames I have in the closet! I adore Sherry and John! They don't claim to be experts but are willing to take the risks that many of us only think about!

AT, you kill me with your sometimes-almost-purposefully-I-think misleading titles.

I, too, am an avid reader of YHL, and I have to say I was less than impressed with this particular project.

First, this is DEFINITELY NOT a $5 project, unless you already happen to own eight (!!) Ikea Ribba frames. Second, I also would have gone with some patterned paper within the color scheme to add a bit more depth. Of course, I recognize that it's a placeholder, but it looks like something I would have done in high school.

It's a great idea, but I don't know that this particular iteration is very inspiration-worthy.

And flavorsplash, I AGREE times a million. I sprained my eyeballs from rolling them so hard when I read the title of their post last Friday: "It's Friday. Let's Talk about TV."

Noooo...how about I wait until Monday or Tuesday when you have a meaty, delicious DIY project I'm dying to know about?

I'm of two minds about this.

1) Framing a piece of paper x 8 is not "art," and calling it that is a slap in the face of real artists. As much as I enjoy some of what Sherry and John do, I think they're guilty of calling random DIY crap "art" pretty often...and they're not nearly as artistic as they think they are (see, recently: stenciling a piece of wood with a number 7, to represent their anniversary, and being really pleased with and impressed by themselves...something that makes me think "twee scrapbookers who shop at Hobby Lobby for the majority of their 'decor'")

2) However, I took art appreciation in college. It required that I make several visits to my city's museum. In which I saw Famous Modern Art. Two examples which nearly made my head explode right there in those giant, airy rooms:

2a) The Important, Famous Art consisting of a single color of watercolor paint dribbled onto a piece of looseleaf notebook paper, a la what you see layered UNDERNEATH the paper that kids in any kidnergarten classroom are painting on...times about 30, in three or four different installations in different rooms and on different walls. "Here, three gray dribbles! In the next room, see eight dribbles, in barely-varying shades of...murky blue! Iss art, y'all, and totes famous!"

2b) A solid red square. Framed. Next to a solid yellow square. Framed. And called Serious Art.

So unless you're willing to stroll up to Legit Museums and state for the record that a lot of the stuff in them is also non-art crap, ya kinda gotta lay off YHL for now, no? I'd find the Art Assertions equally ridiculous, except that S & J aren't artisty enough to know better...which makes me think that the single gray dribble on a warped piece of looseleaf is the more serious crime here.

P.S. AT, please don't do this anymore. Re-run it soon after the source blog posts it (or 6-12 months later, as a revisit of sorts), but not three months later, when it just seems flat and lame. "Three months behind the curve" is not what I think when I think of AT, and I really don't wanna. It makes you look out-of-touch, and when readers who aren't big designaholics are thinking "dude, where has AT been," it's not helping your "brand," or whatever. :)

I think criticizing other posters' post is nasty - that's why I try to avoid it.

I purchased some extremely cheap frames at Walmart. 6 frames for $19 for size 11x14. Not the highest quality but for art displays like this where you want visual impact, they do the job. I just bought another set of 3 11x17 frames for $11. Found Poster Revolution web site where I bought some Franz Marc 11x17 posters for $2.80 each. Am going to frame them and put them on the patio. Can't beat that price to brighten a patio.

very brilliant ideas..i would try it on my own, cheap but looks great art.thank you for posting.

I like the simplicity of it. I am a renter who cannot paint the walls, and so this is a great option to infuse my color scheme. Sometimes I find myself getting bogged down with creating something unique to make the color happen, so this is a nice alternative. Art/decorating does not always have to be complex.

To be clear, this is decoration, not art. There's nothing wrong with that either. To the people "offended" by the cost of the frames, or that the decoration was referred to as "art", you just kind of need to get over yourselves.

I think the problem's with AT, not YHL. YHL speicifically said they did this as a stopgap before finding the right art (though now they like the look and may keep it). It's AT who are being misleading here both with their title and blurb. And I agree with the poster above who criticised the timing, 3 months later just smacks of "I can't think of a post, so I'm reading blog archives for something to recycle." Naff.

Oof! Some people just love to hate!

How silly is it to critique their word of "art" and lets be honest, I know I've seen plenty of posts on AT and other well known design blogs where they showcase using old postcards, scraps of designer wall paper, even paint color chips as "art". How is what YHL did any different? Its not!

If you don't like it thats fine. But to be nasty about what they are doing in *their* home is just silly!

I say kudos to YHL for taking some chances and trying new things in their new home. The blog has changed for sure, but nothing stays the same forever and I think they are doing great so far!

Their 'artwork' has been chosen to match the decor, which I find a little depressing.

Very nice!.... and to all the "Art" critics:take a chill pill!

Well it would have been a 5$ project if they had hung the paper on the wall with tape instead of put them in frames.