At Home with Vanessa Chaverri Gratz

A gallery wall featuring new and old finds in the Michigan home of Vanessa Chaverri-Gratz.

Vanessa Chaverri-Gratz finds it difficult to describe her interior design style succinctly. “I don’t think there is one word or even a few short words that describe my style and inspirations,” she reflects. However, she leans into low-key maximalism, consistency in color palette, warmth, mixing antique and modern pieces inspired by Modern French and English Countryside design, and a splash of mid-century modern. “Basically I’m all over the place but a big fan of mixing and matching what feels and looks good to me,” the content creator behind The Gratz Life says

When it came time to add a few Artfully Walls pieces to her Michigan home, Vanessa first consulted the website’s “designer picks” and “inspiration” sections.”I knew that was where I needed to start,” she says. “It was so nice to see how such creative and talented people chose and styled their spaces, and it really helped me identify pieces that would work for my spaces as well. From there, I was able to determine which artists and art styles that I most aligned with.” 

Vanessa opted to install her expansive gallery wall in her living room between two windows. “The previous owners had the whole wall taken up by a giant armoire where they housed the TV,” she says. “It’s where your eye goes when you walk into the living room. That spot was definitely meant to be a focal point and filling it with frames made it come to life.” Vanessa adds, “Having art on the walls feels like giving life to a room. Similarly to how people say plants add life and fresh air to a space, I feel like art does that for me. New or old, it tells a story and also adds a level of interest that can start conversations or be a source of inspiration. Plus, I find it incredibly cozy to have art filled walls and I always aim for creating a cozy and inviting space.” 

Prints from Artfully Walls are mixed with vintage finds to create a collected over time feel.

Vanessa likes to decorate with both vintage and modern objects, and this approach extends to her gallery wall. “As much as I love all things vintage, I didn’t want my house to feel overly ‘old,’” she notes. “Our home was built in 1926 and already has a ton of older character, so adding some more current and modern art helps keep it balanced and interesting.” 

When building out a gallery wall, it’s important to start with a center point, Vanessa says. “For me, that center frame is the foundation you build the rest of the wall around.” She also likes to mix and match shapes and sizes of frames “to keep the wall interesting and give you a lot of places to draw the eye.” To ensure the final result is cohesive looking, she recommends focusing on just one color palette when it comes to the actual art. “My wall only consists of greens, golds, yellows, blacks, and browns,” Vanessa explains. “I haven’t veered from those colors and the wall always feels well planned—even though I don’t do that much planning!” 

Surrounded by vintage finds is Artfully Walls print Parrot Tulips in a Vase - Orange by Lucy Deaner.

Artfully Walls art included in Vanessa Chaverri-Gratz home: Knuba 2010 by Alex Kostinskyi, Maria Callas by Michael Doyle - Apartment on Belmont, Fading Peonies by James Zamora, Parrot Tulips in a Vase - Orange by Lucy Deaner

Published on: January 12, 2024 Modified on: January 25, 2024 By: Artfully Walls

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