Yesterday we talked about installing the new wall safe. I do not want to give the impression that this was a simple one day job. It most certainly was not. It took several days to complete. And our installation was further hindered by the electrical outlet that needed to be removed and then the repair to the wall. So if you decide to install a wall safe, give yourself a day or two to fully complete the job.
After the safe was properly aligned and installed, it was time to set about devising a cover for it so we did not have to look at it every time we entered the room. Read on to see what we did.
The first thing was to buy a print that was large enough to cover the safe entirely. We wanted something that was a) attractive, b) matched our existing decor, c) was reasonably priced and d) was not terribly heavy. I thought this abstract would work perfectly.
As is the case with any pre-framed piece of artwork, the corners were protected with these cardboard triangles.
All you need is a flat screwdriver and a little patience and you can remove these with great ease. Just work the flat blade of the screwdriver gently under the staples and pry them off. The cardboard corners easily lift off.
Next project was to remove the hangers from the back of the print. We would not be hanging this in the normal fashion and these would be in the way for how we would be hanging the print. so off they came.
The holes left by the screws that were holding the hangers were of no consequence. No need to do anything with these. There was a paper backing on the print that was in deplorable condition. I removed it entirely. It was torn and looked awful. For this project we would have removed it even if it had been in pristine condition. Either way, it had to come off.
The next purchase was this 1-1/2" x 30" Gatehouse Piano Hinge. Gatehouse hinges are manufactured and sold by Lowe's. Our print was 29-1/2" x 29-1/2", so I had to remove 1/2" from the hinge which I did with a manual hacksaw. Very easy to do and it did not compromise the hinge at all.
With a little measuring and holding the print over the safe, I decided exactly where I wanted to position it on the wall so that it would fully cover the safe. Once I had my measurements down, I held the piano hinge on the wall and marked each of the holes with a sharp #2 pencil.
Using a 5/16" drill bit, I drilled each hole in the wall. I then held the hinge on the left side of the print and marked each of the holes on the frame that would be drilled to match up with the holes in the wall. I will save you some time here. Attach the piano hinge to the wall first, then to the back of the print frame. That is the best way to do this. If you have a friend to help you, that will be a good thing, but you can do it by yourself.
Here, the piano hinge attached to the wall and to the left side of the picture frame. A left opening worked best in this instance. You will make the decision about whether you want it to open right or left. The piano hinge works either way. You also see in this picture that the paper backing has been removed. It would have been removed no matter the condition to allow room for the picture frame to fit over the safe. There is about an inch of clearance inset. The safe protrudes from the wall at the outermost about 1/4 inch. So there is ample room for the print to close unobstructed over the safe
These did a fabulous job of holding the frame tight against the wall. It might even be a little too much. But that's OK. They are clear and blend in with the wall so you do not see them.
And here is our finished project. Very beautiful and a nice upgrade to this wall both in what is seen -and what is not!
After the safe was properly aligned and installed, it was time to set about devising a cover for it so we did not have to look at it every time we entered the room. Read on to see what we did.
The first thing was to buy a print that was large enough to cover the safe entirely. We wanted something that was a) attractive, b) matched our existing decor, c) was reasonably priced and d) was not terribly heavy. I thought this abstract would work perfectly.
As is the case with any pre-framed piece of artwork, the corners were protected with these cardboard triangles.
All you need is a flat screwdriver and a little patience and you can remove these with great ease. Just work the flat blade of the screwdriver gently under the staples and pry them off. The cardboard corners easily lift off.
Next project was to remove the hangers from the back of the print. We would not be hanging this in the normal fashion and these would be in the way for how we would be hanging the print. so off they came.
The holes left by the screws that were holding the hangers were of no consequence. No need to do anything with these. There was a paper backing on the print that was in deplorable condition. I removed it entirely. It was torn and looked awful. For this project we would have removed it even if it had been in pristine condition. Either way, it had to come off.
The next purchase was this 1-1/2" x 30" Gatehouse Piano Hinge. Gatehouse hinges are manufactured and sold by Lowe's. Our print was 29-1/2" x 29-1/2", so I had to remove 1/2" from the hinge which I did with a manual hacksaw. Very easy to do and it did not compromise the hinge at all.
With a little measuring and holding the print over the safe, I decided exactly where I wanted to position it on the wall so that it would fully cover the safe. Once I had my measurements down, I held the piano hinge on the wall and marked each of the holes with a sharp #2 pencil.
Using a 5/16" drill bit, I drilled each hole in the wall. I then held the hinge on the left side of the print and marked each of the holes on the frame that would be drilled to match up with the holes in the wall. I will save you some time here. Attach the piano hinge to the wall first, then to the back of the print frame. That is the best way to do this. If you have a friend to help you, that will be a good thing, but you can do it by yourself.
Now that the print was secured to the wall on the left side with the sturdy piano hinge, we needed to come up with a way to secure the right side of the frame to the wall. Whatever we used would need to be very thin to allow the frame to close tightly against the wall. We first tried thin, flexible magnets. That did not work. They simply were not strong enough to hole the frame to the wall. So, we upped our game and tried these velcro-like fasteners from Scotch brand.
These did a fabulous job of holding the frame tight against the wall. It might even be a little too much. But that's OK. They are clear and blend in with the wall so you do not see them.
And here is our finished project. Very beautiful and a nice upgrade to this wall both in what is seen -and what is not!
