Bring Philly Style to Your Interior Walls
Do you love Philly street art? As one of the top places in the U.S. for public art, Philadelphia has a wealth of art on its streets. There are ways for you bring some of that street style to your home, too.
Philly is one of the top places in the U.S. to see street art, according to the Huffington Post. Street art can range from the city-sanctioned murals painted on the sides of buildings to the mosaic tiling that is showcased at the Magic Gardens and on walls across Philadelphia. Several graffiti artists have also left their mark on the city, even if they didn’t get the official nod from authorities. While street art isn’t for everyone, if you find that you enjoy the look, you have plenty of options for bringing Philly style to your home.
Paint a Mural
If you own your Philadelphia home or have a lenient landlord, one way to bring Philly style into it is to paint a large mural across one of the walls. You can choose a design based on one of the Mural Arts Program’s murals or put together a design that resonates with you or that perfectly aligns with your tastes. If you want to paint the mural yourself, it can be helpful to invest in a projector, so that you can project the image or design you want to paint onto the wall. Trace the image, then fill in the blanks with the paint.
Get Wall Decals
Can’t paint a large scale mural on your wall or concerned that you’ll soon get tired of it? There are less time consuming and less permanent ways to bring Philly street style home. One option is to find graffiti or street art inspired wall decals. You can use wall decals as a sort of temporary wallpaper and choose a repeating pattern to cover an entire wall or you can pick a single image and use it in place of a framed painting or poster. Blik has an assortment of Keith Haring wall decals, as well as a variety of other designers. Haring was born in Reading, PA, and although his work is commonly associated with New York City, he has an iconic mural in South Philadelphia.
Hang a Print
You can also find the work of well known street artists in poster or print form. Whether you pick a print that is specific to Philadelphia, such as a poster-sized version of a mural, or go for a print by a world-famous street artist, such as Shepard Fairey or Banksy, hanging one up is a low commitment option to bring a bit of street style home. If you can’t decide on a single print, you can hang a group of them together, in a gallery design above a couch or going up the wall near the stairs.
Get a Mosaic
Having renowned mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar install a mosaic wall on the exterior of your home might not be something you want to commit to, but you can bring a bit of his iconic Philadelphia style home by purchasing a small mosaic. The Philadelphia Magic Gardens sells several at its online store. The mosaics are about 19 by 20 inches, though they do vary in size from design to design. Prices range from $450 to $500, which is somewhat of an investment, but it can also be an affordable option for buying art by a well-known, local artist.
Bringing the art of the streets into your Philadelphia home is an easy way to pay homage to your city. If the art isn’t something people are familiar with, it can be a great conversation starter whenever you have guests over.
Image Source: Pixabay/hyeonjukim
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