apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

It's funny how the brains of us west coasters are wired in a way that works itself into home decorating. I have never had anything above my bed. Which is unfortunate, because I love the way it looks. I suppose I could sleep peacefully with a string of greeting cards or photos above me!

I was going to suggest a vintage quilt or interesting fabric (or just canvas painted with your favorite color) on lightweight stretchers bars. Even if the latter bonks you on the head, it's unlikely to cause injury.

I have a beautiful poster tacked to the wall with tiny, near-invisible tacks. The rest of the room is polished, so it doesn't leave it looking unfinished.

I framed a 5x7 photo for above my bed (off-center) and I still haven't been able to make myself hang it. :( Maybe, though, with the mat(te?) I could take the glass out?

(Born and raised on the west coast, so I've always just had fun headboards instead.)

The only thing hanging above our bed (the headboard is attached to the bed) is a dreamcatcher I got years ago. Earthquakes aren't big in Indiana - LOL - but at least if there was one, I wouldn't get hit with anything that would hurt (it's mostly leather).

Seconding the quilt suggestion. If you don't sew/quilt yourself, you can contact a local shop. They usually can put you in touch with someone who can make one for you.

First... there is no point of living in constant back-of-mind scare. This don't mean in any case to be careless about safety. Maybe... just maybe... that shake everyone is still waiting for since about 1914 haven't come in full force yet and will not in our lifetimes. That said....

A simple thing is replacing the frames with lighter frames and synthetic glass (ikea is great for this), or maybe no glass at all. That way you don't have to sacrifice your art... Instead of just hanging from a nail try a hook type hanger like the ones for glass. That way it would shake like crazy but won't fall. And keep your bed at least 3" from the wall.

Another is a big upholstered headboard; comfortable, luxurious and a very nice statement.

Other is a large, large print (could be custom made of whatever you want), or a section of wallpaper or just painted directly on the wall.

A stretched canvas without a frame. I've bounced one off of my head before (not on purpose), no permanent damage (that I'm aware of ;)).

Hang the frame as you normally would but put a blob of Blue Tak on the two bottom corners and stick to the wall. If the art hits you in the event of an earthquake, it probably will have the entire wall attached to it.

Frame shops sell hardware meant to secure picture frames to the wall to prevent theft -- especially used in public buildings, but I'd think also useful for you earthquake country folk.

(I suppose I'm pretty cavelier with my moderately heavy sunburst mirror hanging from one nail over my bed -- if it falls (nail failure more likely than earthquake in NH, although not out of the question -- we have had them...) and kills me, so be it...)

Have plexiglass in the frames, and then rather than hang the pictures, actually attach them to the walls with straight metal reinforcers (don't know what they're called - like L brackets, but flat and straight) that are screwed into the frames as well as the walls. Paint the attachments the color of the wall and they'll disappear.

I have a sari hanging over my bed like a canopy, but also, the most decorative part hangs above the headboard, like art.

In the last earthquake, several of my framed jazz LPs fell off the walls and shattered glass *everywhere*. I'm still finding bits. I learned my lesson the hard way.

home body: i haven't found a plexiglass that isn't super reflective :( recommendations?

I too like the idea of a mural. But if your artsy chops aren't up to the task of producing a complicated image, you could just mask-off some simple shapes and slather on the paint!

I'm about to hang a giant poster above my bed. In order to save my head and lots of $, I will get it mounted and framed with no plexiglass or glass cover! My room doesn't get too much sun, so fading won't be an issue.

@KimberlyM - they make non-reflective plexi. It has a slightly granulated surface. I buy it at Pearl Paint art supply in NYC, but if you are elsewhere check art supply stores or frame shops.

I don't live in an earthquake prone area so I'm not really experienced, but I would think that just taking the glass out of the frame and nailing through the frame into the wall (with an anchor) would work alright. Or stretched canvas done the same way. But that's not really something I've dealt with in Detroit lol.

It's amazing how your thought process changes once you've been through an earthquake or two. I'm from the East and used to hang hubcaps and rocks and probably an anvil above me and think nothing of it.

But now I'm living on the West coast and I've been through 4 medium to small quakes since october and it really does change how you see your arrangements.

I do shudder a little when I see all the cool crowded walls of frames on AT or even when i'm home again where the ground aint planning on movin any time soon and see too much stuff balanced on a shelf. I stayed at a friend's house and had trouble sleeping because she had a shelf of books directly above the bed- I just kept thinking, "If I got up and moved the bed over 2 feet it would be weird. But nothing would hit me...."

There are all sorts of earthquake proof wall hooks on the market. I have never had a problem with any of them and I lived within miles of each the last two big quakes we had in California.

But pictures over your bed are probably the least of your worries in a big quake: friends had a full, wooden amoire jump several yards across their bedroom and crush their bed during the Northridge quake (luckily they had gotten out of bed before it happened). After hearing their experience, I am more worried about large furniture on the opposite side of my bedroom than I am about any relatively light art right above my bed!

Depending on the frame there are a few things that museums do to secure their frames. If the strainer on the back is wood, they would install d-rings on both sides and pinch close the hook that the d-ring would hang on. For additional security you can put museum wax at each corner of the frame underneath to make sure it doesn't jostle when a quake hits. There are also mirror hangers that secure frames to the wall. Both types of hardware are available at your local hardware store.

Other option is more expensive. There are art frames that have beveled strainers on the back. The frames would hang off a similar beveled cleat that screws to the wall (also known as a french cleat). This is absolutely secure since the entire weight of the frame is supported by the cleat and one would have to lift the frame up and then out to remove it from the wall. The company I used to work for made these frames. http://www.curatorial.com/framing.html