The Red Poppy

I'm extremely thrifty when it comes to decorating, and most of my projects can be made with cash found in the sofa. And laundry machine... And car cup holder...

When we remodeled our first house, about 8 years ago, I needed some red art for the bathroom, and I needed it quick. It also had to be ultra cheap. (It's not hard to make some pretty darn good looking art for a pretty darn low price.)

Enter clip art.
Yes, this red poppy is clip art.

I printed it out, framed it in a collection of mats that fit in a silver frame I had in the attic, and put it up on the wall. Perfect.

It hung on the wall in our next bathroom, in the office of the next house after that, in the bathroom of the tiny apartment we recently moved out of, and now it hangs in my studio, waiting for its next incarnation. The red poppy is still up on the wall, but I'm thinking of digging through my clip art for another image.

In the picture above, design-wise, it helps bring the red color around the room. You can't see it, but there is a red geometric shower curtain on the opposite wall. We also have red bath towels on a shelf opposite the mirror.

Mood-wise, it makes people happy to see this bold but simple statement every time they wash their hands or brush their teeth.

And it only cost about $3.