Engineering Prints for a Big Impact

Apartment living. This is my first go-round at it.

I went from my parents’  home as a child to a college dorm (that made some interesting decorating) to my Dad’s house that was for sale and only had my sparse just-graduated-from-college furniture (Dad was in Atlanta at this point and I was holding down the unsold fort) then to the house with Eric and now to my happy place apartment.

Yes, that’s a strange order of homes to live in, but it’s my journey, and I’m embracing every funny little turn it takes. Which brings me back to my apartment decorating.

I always think that a room looks more finished when something is on the walls. I also think it brings warmth, character, and personality to the home. So my bare walls weren’t really cutting it for me. However, as this is a transitional stage for me, I didn’t want to have to deal with patching a constellation of holes when I moved out.

Hence my challenge to myself in this apartment: to see how I can decorate these walls hole free.

My first step in this challenge has been completed with large-scale engineering prints. Engineering prints are something that I have been ogling all over the internet. They’re everywhere because they are a great, cost-efficient idea.

Engineering prints are black and white large-scale prints. It’s not a high quality print job (as witnessed above) since it is made for printing engineering plats and plans (I work for an engineer in my day job and we have an engineering department at work so I’m definitely becoming more aware of what engineers do and their terminology).

However, you can print out anything as an engineering print. Just send the file to your local print shop, specify you want an engineering print, and $4-$8 later (based on the size) you have a huge black and white image!

I decided to give this a try for impact in my apartment and without any measuring I just went with the idea that bigger is better.

It’s bigger for sure (four feet by three feet to be exact). Maybe I should have measured but I’m liking the huge in-your-face statement my new artwork is making. It just took a minute of, “Oh wow, what have I done.”

The prints I chose were pictures from my travels around the world. I wanted my living room/kitchen area to have beautiful images that inspire me and remind me of beautiful, captivating, profound, and thought provoking moments in my life. Those are feelings I want to embrace daily.

The two above the couch are from my few days in Paris. I went with one of my best friends from college between our sophomore and junior year. Not only is she an amazing, well-traveled friend, but she is fluent in French. Such an easy way to explore France.

We spent the days visiting museums, eating cheese, bread, and crepes from carts on the street while sitting on benches in parks and cute streets, picnicking under the Eiffel Tower, running up stairs to catch the Eiffel Tower in its glorious light show, drinking hot chocolate in cute cafes, and generally enjoying the absolute luxury that was our summer vacation as 20 year olds in Paris. I recognize the HUGE blessing and luxury and gift that trip was.

These prints are just memories of beautiful days. But also reminders about how beautiful and sweet life is – and that we can choose to make our life a beautiful blessing and gift daily.

The picture over the table is taken from a rain forest in Australia; I spent eight weeks abroad Down Under with an amazing group of students and teachers. This picture reminds me of the absolute raw beauty of nature. Nature inspires me every day. I feel most alive, creative, and spiritual when surrounded by nature. It also reminds us of the beauty in everything – even fungus!

Finally, to round off the inspiration in these engineering prints, I printed a free download from the Caravan Shoppe (an online store specializing in art/inspiring graphics for engineering prints). I loved the idea of putting something so inspirational in my designated creative space. I love this little corner of comfort and happiness.

Ding ding! Round one is officially finished of creating artfully decorated walls without holes in this little ole apartment of mine. Now excuse me while I hunker down with a blanket, chai tea, and enjoy this cozy home of mine during the last few cold days of winter (hopefully!).