Q&A With an ADG Superfan (Part 2!)
Our customers and fans keep us constantly motivated & inspired. From traveling around the U.S. (and far corners of the world!) to weddings & reunions, we are honored and humbled to be a part of their spaces and special events.
Recently, one of our customers, Kate Morton sent us photos of her wall featuring designs from our National Parks collection. We fell in love with Kate's Adventure Timeline and set up an interview to find out more about what inspired her and why she chose metal signs.
What inspired you to create a travel wall?
Traveling is one of my greatest passions, especially to National Parks! I love taking road trips and seeing all the interesting and unique places that our country has to offer. I live in New Hampshire and the first time I traveled west, it was so interesting how much the landscape changes as you're driving across the country. I've been to all 48 continental US states, but I am especially drawn to areas like Utah and Southwest Colorado. I have spent a lot of time out there. When I first discovered the National Park and American travel-inspired artwork from Anderson Design Group, I knew I wanted to get a few pieces. Being a graphic designer myself, the design style of the artwork is right up my alley. Once I started looking through the website at everything that was available, there were so many pieces that I wanted! I decided to narrow it down to my favorite places that I had been, so I selected a few National Parks, a national monument and some of my favorite cities. I chose a mixture of the original poster designs and the Kai Carpenter paintings. Home decor and design is also something that I'm very much interested in. When we moved to our current home a few years ago, I focused on decorating most every area of the home except my office. I still had furniture in my office that I had used in my college apartment 15 years ago. I decided I wanted to finally spruce things up a bit and give my office some love. None of the artwork or furniture in my office was anything I particularly cared about, and since I spend a good 8-12 hours a day in that room, it was time for a change! I have a very eclectic and colorful style, and since I couldn't decide on just one or two pieces from the ADG collection, I ended up purchasing 14! I decided I wanted to make a gallery wall of sorts directly across from my desk, since that wall is the one I see most often. I have other things from my travels that I thought I could mix in and hang with the artwork, so it turned into a & travel wall. If I have to sit at my desk all day, I can now at least look across the room at all the places I'd rather be! Haha.
Why metal signs instead of frames?
I'm generally drawn to things that are shiny and colorful, so that would be one reason. I also thought that for the style of this artwork, hanging them without frames and having more of a "raw" look would fit my space better than something very polished. Since I was going to arrange the pieces in a gallery wall style, I figured the metal signs would be easier to hang because they already have holes in them. I could arrange them and just eyeball it without relying on the level and measuring tape! I'm somewhat of a perfectionist and I knew if I had frames and any of them weren't perfectly straight or had the same amount of space between them, it would drive me nuts. With the metal signs, it didn't feel like it had to be 100% perfect. I'm glad I went that route!
What are some dream trips you still want to take?
I'm not huge into international travel. I really like exploring our own country. I have been to Spain and many tropical islands, but there's still so many places right here in the US that I want to see. I definitely want to go to Alaska. It is a dream of mine to see the northern lights! Sometimes we get reports of when you'll be able to see them here in New Hampshire, and we'll drive out to the middle of nowhere to somewhere really dark, but I still haven't seen them... and I know they wouldn't nearly compare to what you could see in Northern Alaska. I'd also like to go to Hawaii so that I can then say I've been to all 50 states. The next park I'd like to visit is Glacier National Park in Montana. I'm already planning that trip, which I'd like to combine with exploring several areas of Idaho as well. And then any time I can get back to Utah or Colorado is always a dream trip for me!
Anything you want to say about your experience with Anderson Design Group?
I had ordered the "Red Canyon" piece and was sent "Red Rocks Canyon" by mistake. I contacted the ADG customer service and received a personal response within a few hours. I always appreciate when a company can respond quickly to an inquiry or issue, as I pride myself on doing that within my own business. Just a few quick emails back and forth and my issue was remedied and the correct piece of art was in the mail. They even offered to let me keep the original wrong piece. I have not been to Red Rocks Canyon yet, but it is somewhere that my parents have visited many times on their travels to Las Vegas, so I am going to gift the piece to them! So that little shipping mistake worked out surprisingly well! I will definitely order more artwork from ADG in the future and am excited to see what they come up with next!
Do you have any advice for folks who may be inspired by your love of travel, art, and decor?
I would say whatever you want to do, just go for it. Don't let time or budgets stop you from taking the trips you want to take. There are so many ways to make a trip really inexpensive, and if you plan well, you can work it into your schedule. Most of the trips I take are under $1000 and I go for 2+ weeks at a time... and I don't even camp! I stay in hotels and use points through loyalty programs. I pack food and snacks for breakfasts and lunches on the go and usually only eat out for dinners. For $80 you can buy an annual pass to all of the National Parks, and then once you're there you can fill your days with hiking, exploring and other activities that don't cost a thing! As far as art and decor go, don't be afraid to break the rules. You may read articles about what good design is, and what colors or patterns you can mix and match, or how much space is too much or too little on your walls and in your rooms... but just forget all that. Do what looks good to you and is going to make you happy when you look at it.
Are your walls full of ADG love? Think your space is worth talkin' bout? Send us an email with photos of your space and you just might end up featured on here!
We always encourage customers to send us suggestions for new designs. Shoot us an email at: support@andersondesigngroup.com on what you'd like to see in our collections. Also, sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of the page to receive a monthly e-blast featuring new designs, sales, and a 10% off coupon code for future orders!
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