A very hot trend right now is the appearance of letters and numbers everywhere.  They are stitched, stenciled, appliqued, painted, engraved, carved – they are anywhere and everywhere.  I’ve always thought of letters as “monograms” and usually they seemed formal to me.  You know, stitched on a robe or towels or on the cuff of a man’s dress shirt.  Not anymore.  Letters and numbers are stylish, sometimes whimsical, and definitely popular.  Here are a few ways you can introduce this trend into your decor.

Letters For Your Wall

Start off by making your statement clear – all are ‘welcome’ at your home.  Pop the mix of letters against a brightly colored wall to reinforce your sentiment.  By the way, I love the collection of old stained glass windows that personalizes the small entry space even more.

Paint any old frame a color to blend or contrast with your walls.  Then group a collection of letters inside the empty frame.  I like how some of the letters are turned on their side and the smaller “E” is nestled in the “O” (a little “unexpected”).

 Sometimes the letters can spell a word or phrase, but sometimes just a collection of letters is more fun and engaging.

 

These words over a patio door in the breakfast room are a great whimsical touch to get your day started right.  How could you replicate a similar look in your home?

Soft Letters

Repurposed jackets or flannel shirts make an “unexpected” addition for a child’s room or just a touch of whimsy in your family room.

How about using pillows to shout your house number?  Creative, graphic, original and very cool!

Numbered pillows for your dining guests - even the craft challenged could accomplish this fun idea.  Applique numbers (or letters) on with fusible interfacing  and/or stitching, use a stencil and fabric paint, or use a computer program to choose a font you like, print it in a huge size and use photo transfer paper to iron the design onto a pillow – lots of ways to achieve the same idea. 

Nice big monogram pillows in a sitting room add a personalizing touch. 

DIY Letters 

A collection of charming random letters (or maybe first initials of all family members) will personalize a bookshelf arrangement.  You could paint wood letters found in most craft stores using a shiny metallic silver or gold spray paint.  The big D looks like it’s covered in fabric (wrap and glue or staple to the back) or maybe scrapbook paper (decoupage).  The pail has a simple stenciled letter applied.  The strength of this arrangement is in the grouping of all the letters close together and not scattered around a room.

Easy to recreate this look – how about painted letters spelling a child’s name over their bed?  Or maybe something like ‘dream’ or ‘sleep’ over a guest bed instead of a headboard?

I love the graphic element of these letters to jazz up this plain bunkbed.

Another idea for a child’s room is this collection of letters to make the alphabet.  The variety was gathered over time and is so vibrant and creative, what child would’t love to learn their ABCs this way?

A pretty plate picked up at a thrift store, a rub-on vinyl letter and you have an instant monogrammed detail in an arrangement.

A little scrapbook paper, a touch of ribbon, a large wood letter and some family photos and you can create a similar keepsake.

Letters Around the House

A summer mantel filled with creative ideas and the inclusion of these random letters and numbers.  I like the candles wrapped in rope and the smattering of starfish throughout the arrangement.  Don’t those red letters just lead your eye around the mantel?

Letters and numbers abound on this mantel (picture frame, standing H, cubes and a bingo spinner for some whimsy) and even on the hearth.  The mix is fun, entertaining and draws you closer to the mantel to inspect the subtleties of the arrangement.

Even a little novelty knob can update an old piece of furniture with the trendiest look.

This is SO unexpected (did you read yesterday’s article about how to use the unexpected detail to your advantage?) and with a little work could probably be a DIY project. Though I like the look, it’s too much work for me …. maybe on a smaller scale, like one word on an 11×14 mirror (rub-on letters of course).

This is a Trend You Can Follow

I give you permission to play along with this trend.  You can participate without breaking the bank and it’s easy enough to get rid of when you tire of the look.  Where can you see the addition of letters or numbers working in your home (or outside?).  Have you seen a great use of letters in someone’s home or a store display?  Let us in on the idea; we love learning from our readers! 

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