Love 'em. Though I do like contemporary art, I strongly prefer these to the piece that's currently in your dining room for your space. These relate to your interior in style as well as subject matter.

I like what's in your dining room, it takes the edge off what could be a stuffy room and gives it a more current vibe. However, I imagine you probably have room for these somewhere and they will work well in your beloved historic home which I love.
The mix of modern art and historic/traditional styling is ne plus ultra in AD and other home mags!

The problem is that I don't like the canvas unframed and it's not worth $400 to frame it because it's just a $90 canvas art piece from Homegoods.

This post was edited by KevinMP on Tue, Apr 30, 13 at 23:40

The prints are wonderful! The subject, size, colors ---- everything--- is perfect for your dining or living room. Or bedroom. Or spare room.

I would definitely get two more prints in the same genre or from the same artist or of registered historical buildings. Six of something is a good number--- you can split them and hang three and three, four and two, even five and one. And the six together would look wonderful as a whole. Since these are quality prints and framing, you'll have them forever and will be able to use them in any home you might own in the future.

If you don't mind repairing nail holes, it would be great to see them hung in different rooms. Usually one place really speaks when you see it.

No, it's not. Sigh, no idea it was from Homegoods but I think you should get seem "real" modern art.

I also like what's presently in your dining room; these pictures could go elsewhere in the house, not necessarily all in the same place.

I love them! I believe that the art we hang on our walls is so much more meaningful when it has personal importance for us. In this case the pictures are of historic Philadelphia and will be in a historic Philly house, and in addition, you like them.

The frames are beautiful, the mats have a pleasing color, and all in all, IMO they will add an even more graceful and interesting tone to your already wonderful dining room.

Great find!

I like these better for your dining room because they are framed. The contemporary painting in there now has always bugged me (but I didn't want to criticize because I love your house and totally understand the lengthy process involved in finding a right place for everything). Anyway, the contemporary piece would be better framed, but wonder if you could order a frame and mitre it yourself. I like the contemporary piece there, if framed, because of its weightiness and scale. The prints are nice, but I think I'd like them in a more intimate setting or if you had a few more.
Yours is my favorite GW property!

Yes, please do replace them, these are so much more meaningful.

Since you asked, I don't care for them in your dining room. They don't have enough visual "heft" for your dining room, and I don't think you need a group of relatively small objects in there. I'd rather see a single, large historic painting or sketch, or other composition that speaks to you. The group would be more effective in a room with a lighter background and feel.

If that canvas is a common size, you'd be able to get a pre-made frame at Michael's for way less than $400 :-)

They typically have some sort of rustic style, an ornate style, and a plain style. It's rabbeted in the back to accept the canvas. If the gold toned ornate one is too cheesy gold, while you're there, head over and get some Rub n' Buff and tone done the color of the frame.

I prefer the canvas to these watercolors, personally, and I agree with kitchendetective and think you need something with a little more weight and visual intensity. I like the tension of a modern piece in a traditional room.

What is the arch in the fourth print? Is it still there?

~ future Philly tourist who is going to enjoy the architecture tours so much after all this preparation

They are beautiful prints and so appropriate for your historic home. I don't think they are too small - each picture is the width of the chair you are displaying them on. The colors are subtle, but the dark frames will stand out on your wall, especially in a grouping.

So many haters! Who would've thought? And where is Brownysmom? I think she (or another fellow alum) suggested some old prints (although ones of birds or something).

My other idea is in my bedroom, including one behind the new lamp I just bought. (I know, it's not as loud as some of you may have wanted for the new nightstand, but I'm a guy and it's practical since it takes two 100W bulbs and you can use one or the other or both.)

Here's the lamp:

https://www.wolfebrass.com/lmt2501.htm

http://jkelectric.com/Brand-lite-master/brass-table-lamp/SKU-V225-t2501pb-mr?callingPage=CatalogBrowse&ut=W

Although I like what a little surprise in art can do for a traditional room, these prints are special because what they depict has special meaning for you. They'd spark interest and conversation with guests in a room wonderfully designed for just that. This's something that can't come through a computer screen. Consider us color-blind in this case. :)

Couldn't bring up the second lamp site, but I really like the first. Beautifully classic.

What is depicted in print #2?

Here I am.

Other priorities called for a while.

I think they're wonderful, but I agree with kitchendetective that they lack the "visual heft" your dining room wants. With a group of four small images, even with their fine frames, you run the risk of smurfification of your small room. You've kept things large enough in scale so far, which in my view makes for a much more elegant and attractive whole.

Would it be possible to run them up your stair wall?

I think subject matter trumps "suitability" in terms of scale/design and "going with the sofa" (in essence), most of the time.

That's what makes the difference between a room that is personal and one that is well decorated but could be a hotel room. I think a certain amount of incorrectness is pleasant.

Of course it would be even better if you could find something that was your actual block or recognizably this neighborhood, but that can come in time.

We have a framed photograph of a man holding up an placard indicating the address of the current complex when it was in danger of being torn down and they were documenting endangered historical buildings. It's not decorative but it tells part of the story. If you look on Phillyhistory.org you will find your block for sure, if not your house.

I don't hate them at all but I don't think they should replace the large painting - the heft- at all. They will work well somewhere...

I think they are really well done but rather pleasant and expected. The modern art in your dining room adds a little bit of drama and intrigue. It will be interesting to see what you decide.

I would replace that painting in the dining room with these prints in a red hot minute. If you want something modern and on a larger scale, I would replace the current painting with something else.

Did you know the house across from you with the carriage house doors spent some time as a gas station/garage?

I did. The guy that lives there now is some loaded famous photographer (Seymour Mednick). It's really awesome inside. He had an antique Rolls Royce in there for a while, but he just sold it for a ton of money and converted the lower level to a loft-style living area since he's older.

I'll check in later with the prints.

Here they are in the bedroom. What do you think?

Pal, the second print is a house Thomas Jefferson stayed in in "the country" on the Schuylkill River just below Grays Ferry.

The one with the arch is from the centennial of the U.S. Constitution and is the Southern intersection/corners of Broad and Chestnut Streets.

The four of them weren't enough for the dining room (2 more to make 6 might have been enough). But I think they look good in the bedroom.

I moved the boat oil over to above the chair, which ties together some of those colors well over there.

Meh. Top of print over night table much too close to bottom of shade. Not a huge fan of staggered hanging unless you have a lot of them.

I like how the prints display against the color of your bedroom wall very much. They show up well. However, the placement over the night table is odd. Why not hang all four together where the three are now? The boat looks good in its new spot, too.

You're right. I'll try four grouped together.

4 grouped together would be perfect. Also LOVE the boat by the tartan chair. Is it just a smidge too high? I think the height of the TV is making it look like the boat should be a little lower. Then again I am fanatical about prints being hung too high. Even a 1/4" can drive me nuts!

Do you remember the color of your bedroom paint? Beautiful.

I think this is a collection than can grow, so it doesn't have to be perfect each step of the way.

As I said, you were right. I also got a new goldfish gold-lined drum shade from the Restoration Hardware outlet today that sits about an inch wider and an inch and a half lower than the stock shade that came with the lamp, and it's much better.

(Ignore the holes in the wall, which will have to be patched and painted once I'm sure this is it.)

Good job. I have this situation above my family room sofa right now. Four paintings, two somewhat smaller than the other two, arranged to distribute the different sizes as yours are, awaiting two or more new paintings for the group. In the meantime, I spread out the spacing a bit, but will tighten it up again when I find more pieces that speak to me.

Very nice!
I like them there, too.

And, Patty, the paint is Pratt & Lambert Weatherburn Tavern Bisque (historic Williamsburg color) in Accolade Velvet.

To my eye, it would be better to have the two smaller prints one above the other and the two larger prints one above the other. It looks like you tried too hard to "make it work" as they are hanging now. Just my .02!

They are all different sizes, so no matter what you do, they're off.

This post was edited by KevinMP on Sun, May 5, 13 at 22:30

Another idea: you could put the smaller prints on top and the larger ones on bottom.

And yet another idea: Hang the two larger prints one above each other and put the two smaller ones either side in a + layout. -- or will that run into the light switches?

Sorry, but the square (ish) layout in that last photo makes my fingers itch to staighten them. The different sizes make it look all higgledy-piggledy.

Four is better, definitely. Tip: when u have varying sizes, align outer edges instead of keeping margins between them uniform....makes a big difference. Love the new shade, that is a 100% improvement!

I actually do the opposite, try to keep the internal margins straight and let the outer boundaries bleed out. This is easier if you start adding prints to the grouping--but either is correct in its own way.

Pal, that's what I do for a larger group, but when there a defined group it looks more of a whole to align the outer edges.

I'd like to see the two larger prints on top and the two smaller on the bottom (centered under the larger prints)

Thanks for the paint info, Kevin. I have asked you about your paint colors before, so was sure this was a Williamsburg color. My home is also Williamsburg-decorated and you have made such beautiful color choices

I was just reading that the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has given the license for the W colors to BM as of the 2Q this year and dropped PLambert/SW.

They have. I prefer BM paint for application but I prefer P&L for sheen of the velvet, durability, and color depth. But it's very thin paint and requires more applications to get to that depth, in my opinion. Aura is very thick. The price is comparable with the Aura a few dollars more.