Ever since my self-imposed home spending hiatus last year, I rarely make impulse purchases for the home. 30 days of no home spending helped me change some bad habits and be more mindful of my home purchases. Once and a while though, I cannot resist.
Sometimes I come across something so great, I just have to take it home that instant. That is what happened when I saw these brass wall letters at Crate and Barrel. At first glance, I thought those are amazing, but probably cost a small fortune. Then I spied the 24.95 each price tag. I rubbed my eyes and looked at the price again. Then, I ran frantically around the store searching for…a bathroom for my 5-year old (come on people, I don’t need brass wall letters that bad). After a potty break, I calmly found the nearest sales associate and excitedly (okay, maybe overly-excitedly) asked if they had a J and H in stock. They did. I checked out immediately.
Once I decide to make an impulse buy, I go straight to jail without passing go and without collecting $200! Not really, but I exert enough self control to go straight to the checkout without even looking around the rest of the store. I make my one impulse buy and walk straight out of the store. I prevent an impulse buying snowball effect, by preventing myself from looking at anything else. Aimless wandering is not good for the budget!
So why J and H? Well, every person in this house shares the J-H first and last initials. Also, there is a sort of funny story from our military days related to our initials. Every morning I had to brief the commander on the state of the computer networks. My husband was responsible for some of the equipment, so he had to attend every briefing. In the military when the commander walks in the room everyone stands at attention (looking straight ahead, feet together, and arms pinned to your side) until the commander takes his seat. One morning a few weeks after our wedding, after I changed the name tapes on my uniform to my new last name, the commander remained standing for an awkwardly long time. He looked back and forth between my husband and me. When he finally sat, the first thing he said was, “so, did you get all the towels monogrammed with JH?” Everyone in the room chuckled. I am sure I turned bright red and replied with, “No, sir. Good idea, sir.”
Nothing compares though to the General who once came to a briefing. The General noticed our matching name tapes. After realizing my Irish freckled face does not look like a Hernandez, the General asked me if I knew my husband. I said, “Yes, sir.” He leaned in and asked, “Biblically?” That time my commander was more embarrassed than either of us. He turned red and hastily replied to the General, “Yes, sir. They are married.”
Oh, we are proud to be JHs. I always write J Hernandez on all our return mail labels. The only tricky part was figuring out initials for our stockings…I opted for fully spelled out first names and nicknames instead.
Anyways back at home, I found the perfect spot for my wall letters. This awkward little wall between our foyer, dining room, and family room has been begging for some wall decor love. But, it is plagued by a thermostat and light switch. The brass wall letters stacked one on top of the other fit the narrow space well.
One lesson learned on my hasty impulse buy: I should have checked the letters before checking out. They brought them directly from the stock room and I assumed they would be fine. Once I unwrapped them at home, I noticed a big dark splotch and a small dent on the edge of the letter J. It is a 30-minute drive to exchange them. I should have checked them before leaving the store.
Well, I thought I found the perfect spot, but the hubby isn’t so sure. He has me second-guessing myself. It is pretty rare for my hubby to question something I put up, so when he does I pay attention. I try to take my blinders off and take another look. I always want everyone in the house to be happy with my decorating choices.
When my hubby said I could wander around Crate and Barrel while he went to get coffee, I was elated. He does not share my love of spending hours wandering furniture and home decor stores. When I spotted the brass wall letters, I texted him a photo to see what he thought and if I should buy them. He said, “Yes!!!” almost as quickly as I had decided I wanted them. But, now that they are hung up at home we are both unsure.
I like them, but I am no longer sure if this little wall is the right spot for them. The hubby is not sure about the location or the brass color. We have other brass touches here and there, but these are a bit more in your face. Just like wall paint can look different in different light throughout the day, so can metal finishes. These take on almost a copper look in the bright morning sun.
When looking towards our dining room, where there are a few other brass touches, I love the look.
I am not as sure if I like the brass wall letters when viewed looking towards the family room. There is a lot going on already with our family room gallery wall, and I am not sure if the big brass letters are too much.
So, the fate of these wall letters is in your hands now. Do you like them? Do you like them on this wall? If not, should I return them or find another home for them? What would you do?
I like the brass letter but am thinking it does make the area look a little cluttered visually. The blank wall is a good separation – though it is hard to tell when you are not there.
Since you were so excited to purchase them you should keep them – usually first impulses are right.
I automatically though about the family room – since brass is very nautical it would be a nice tie-in to the playroom. They may even work by replacing the 2 teal framed mirrors.
Loooove them! I love the color and the placement. A+! My only comment (from my O.C.D. brain) is that maybe you could scoot them up a smidge, to get above the light switch, so you can center them on the wall?
Thanks for the tip Jessica. The placement was super hard. They are already slightly my eye level (and I am 5’10”). Any higher and they won’t be at anyone’s eye level.
I like them but not on this wall for two reasons. Firsty, they are not able to be centred on the wall due to the switches and secondly there’s already an ‘H’ on the adjacent wall – it’s a bit of an overkill on the letters in that area. Hope this helps!
Oh, Melinda. Good thing I didn’t do a wider shot of our mantel. There is an H monogram there, too. But, you might be right…maybe they are too close together.
I like them a lot. I just think they are not in the right place. I think they would look great mingled in with a collage of pictures and frames. Keep them. Now off to find an A and J for my house.
I think they look great! I love the play with the colors in the dining room and the light wood tones play well in the living room. I think you should keep them. You will never find them again if you return them.
Hi Jackie! First of all I have to say I LOVE this post for lots of reason. One being your hilarious story about your initials. I giggled. I also wanted to chime in about your brass plates. I really love them! I think they work well in that space, from what I can tell in the pictures. I think they tie into the living room too. They sort of match the wood grain coloring on your gallery wall (again from the pictures it looks like that). I say good impulse buy!
I love the brass letters but not on that wall. They look “off”. I think mostly because of the placement – they need to be centered and that is just not possible. And maybe because the thermostat and switch are visibly part of the grouping (close and bright).
I wouldn’t return them but would try them other places. What about switching them with the mirrors in the basement (the square ones turned on their sides) between the play and family room areas?
Return them and make your own initials from colors that you love. I do like them on this wall though. Small walls lis this are usually bare because they are awkward to decorate and finding the right accent is tough. I’m super frugal and like to take ideas from stores and re-create them–but customized to suit my tastes and my space. But if you are in love with them–keep them right where they are.
KEEP THEM!!!!! I would hate to see you return them and then wish you had them back only to find that they were gone or something crazy like that.
I might try this. Could you take away the “H” and the middle pic of your son (on the right side) from the gallery wall and replace the brass initials there instead? Do they fit? They’d look awesome on either side of the middle white framed pic and the balance may work better than the current placement. Then you could take the turquoise “H” and possibly add it to your gallery wall downstairs since the colors are so great? I know you’d lose a family picture in that grouping, but you could always change up the pics inside the frames and/or find a new spot.
I have a lot of “As” in my house as well and think you can never have too many if they’re well spread out! Good luck with your decision and let us know!
Wendy :)
Love the letters & the story. Agree they might work better in a larger space.
Love the letters. I am a huge fan of fonts and words so I use our initials a lot in our house. I think these are great pieces but draw attention to your thermostat and light switch. Maybe work them into your gallery wall to the right?
I totally just added these to my wedding registry.
Elizabeth, What a great idea to get your new monogram! Congratulations!
I love them! But I do agree, this isn’t the right place for them. I love how they go with the wood tones in the living room, but they just look awkward on that wall. It looks like there needs to be a table or something below them with how high up they are. But DEFINITELY keep them :)
I’m liking the letters (and your story about them), but not the placement on the narrow wall. Maybe your hubby will like them better if they are on another wall. Good luck and thanks for asking!
I love them. But I’m not a brassy type person! To me in photos they look coppery or maybe buffed up so they don’t have the bright gold look of just cleaned brass. Personally, in photos they really add to your modern home. The H on the wall by chair seemed to pop! And then I look in the room with the mirror that shines and the shine of these signs makes a different connection and made the mirror just pop. I looked at the where you placed them. It’s a dividing wall yet coming down the stairs, the rue sees both rooms so what/if would be tricky. But boy. The BIG brass so to speak in how old 1950’s and 1940’s comedies would refer to high ranking officers remarked on your initials and last name, and so its kind of your inside only you know recognition by the general kind of thing…like if you saw him now? Um, sir, its not on the towels but on our brass signs. But nothing you’d ever explain to anyone. Just you’d see the JH and know why YOU got them.
Now the vote. A picture based, and because I think nothing else would so perfectly go on that space plus look good from stairs, hall, and so on…I vote yes. Keep them. They were so reasonable for such an unusual piece. But in the end, you do have the perfect eye for what looks good that a photo can only show us so much.but YES
PS. I live with someone who is extremely linear. So maybe the lightswitch and thermostat draw some people’s eyes? Or they feel all needs centering and/or an anchor piece. However, I honestly did not pay any attention to the switch not thermostat for the letters caught all my attention. I do not think they are in competition for other Hs for their monogram is subtle. If mixed in with photos and tables and the play room? I don’t think it would showcase them. Plus that pivotal wall–kind of an “entry wall” too, would need something very flat and unexpected yet “goes”. You are always so spot on. I’m on my own hiatus or I’d get them for a spot I know just the right spot. They are unique!
Thanks for the advice, Gwen! I am glad you were able to see past the light switch and thermostat.
I love them and actually think they look good right where they are! Loved the “good idea sir” story! And the other thing that made me laugh (at myself) was when you said the letters were $24.95 my first thought was “yes, wow! Pricey!” Then I realized that it was funny because apparently they aren’t! Silly me.
Ridiculously cute JH! Nice find. :)
– ErinBettis.com
I love the letters but would agree that moving them higher on the wall would detract from the switches. Failing that I would keep them and find another spot!
Love the letters, love the color, love the placement. It’s a happy treat when you go up or come down from the stairs. :)
Thumbs up from me! Love how they really make the mirror in the dining room jump off the wall. They significantly add to that room.
I know I’m in the minority, but I’d like to see them a bit lower. They seem high when viewed with the gallery and the chair. It may be the perspective of the camera, but they seem very high compared with the back of the chair. And assuming all your light switches are all the same height, your gallery extends below the light switches, so I’d pull them down a bit.
Agree with others that they could easily be incorporated in your awesome new basement also.
I like the letters, I just think they are a little too stark against that wall. What if you mounted them on a board and made a chunky teal frame around them? Or painted the inside of the initials one of your house colors? I think they might do better somewhere else too – they look at little large and cramped with the light switch and thermostat. What about putting them in the playroom where you have the square mirrors? The mirrors might look good on this wall and you could incorporate more brass accents downstairs.
Good find though! And great story!
I agree with Laura. My first reaction is that the plaques, in and of themselves, are too plain to stand alone. If a weightier font had been used on the brass I think this would be a great spot for them.
I think I would try making them part of a larger vignette here by adding a very narrow ledge, similar to a picture ledge, below the plaques with something sitting upon it to anchor the whole. Maybe even the “H” could be leaning against the wall and the “J” could be mounted. And I would move the whole vignette down so that the bottom of the “H” plaque is lower on the wall than the switchplate and that the ledge has some reference to the bottom of the gallery pictures and/or the top of the chair in the adjacent room. I always ignore electrical plates, etc. when I decorate but you could always paint the switchplate or get a nice brass one; not sure what could be done about the thermostat.
I realize that this may not be a child-friendly solution for you so I will not be hurt if you don’t take use my suggestion!
I love your story!
Kathy, Thanks for taking the time to share your ideas. The wall space here is pretty tight and it is a main walkway for our home, so I think mounted is the only way to go. But, with your suggestion and that of many other readers, I am going to scope out other places around the house and see if there is a better fit!
I love these letters! And what a great story about your family initials.
Although it’s a blank wall you want to fill, maybe it’s good to have some blank walls especially when they’re slim like this. I have to hold myself back from filling up every blank wall! From the photo vantage point, I feel like I want to explore more to the left and see what’s on the wall in that room. You get a glimpse of it and then you want to step in and see more. And my eye is of course first drawn to the photo collage on the wall to the right. Maybe adding the letters is adding competition for where to look and that’s what you’re sensing?
Now that you’ve shared these letters, it’s been popping in my head all day, “what short word could I spell on a wall somewhere?” !!! There’s a Crate & Barrel within walking distance of our house. Maybe something for a holiday mantel decoration … like JOY. Thanks for sharing this!
Love them!
I think on a different colour wall. The light blue colour clashes hard with the brass colour…is there anywhere in you dining room? Or down in your basement on the white would look stunning! :)
I like them, they don’t look bad where you have them but they seem kinda cold and lonely. Im sure as your kids grow you will have new photos, you could redo your gallery adding these in. Since they are brass you could even put them outside. Im sure whatever you do will look great and please post a pic.
I just noticed that this post was nearly a year old! Im gonna have to go look at your home tour to see where you put them.