Several months ago, I came across this portrait of a man on Etsy and added it to the mix on our mantel. It was a digital download so I just printed it out myself and popped it in a frame to see if he would fit in with the room. Once I found him, it led me down on a rabbit hole of all kinds of other wonderful vintage style portraits on Etsy. (More at the end of this post.) I chose this particular one because as soon as I saw him, he reminded me of two of my all-time favorite TV characters. I think he’s a weird mix of Michael Scott and Don Draper. Do you see it??
I’ve also saved several images where a larger portrait is the main art used in the room. Here are a few designers who have done it well:
Image sources: #1 @whitneymcgregor #2 @cynthiazamaria #3 @gordondunning
#4 @devon_gray_interiors #5 @lbcopelandinteriors
Etsy is a great resource because you can find a vintage original or a digitally enhanced version that you print on your own, depending on your budget. I used our home printer since I was printing a smaller image but you can use FedEx for larger jobs. I even saw an Etsy review where the buyer said they had good luck printing at Walmart. (Feel free to leave a comment if you’ve had a good experience somewhere else.) I also think this is a perfect opportunity to search for (or reuse) thrifted frames.
I downloaded a portrait of a bearded man who I later learned was Victor Hugo. I put him in a large, thrifted frame I had. I use mpix for things like this. Love your selection!
MPix is a good one. I’ve used them before but forgot about them. Thanks!
I can’t agree about your assessment of Don Draper and Michael Scott being a combination lol. There’s Don Draper (swoon) then there’s everybody else.
You do have a point 😂
Prints are nice but you can go to an art centers student show and get originals with brush marks and depth. They are not expensive since they paint model after model and are prolific. Original art is the best looking. Imagine an oil or acrylic without glass.