A WAY WITH WORDS

As a writer, I should have considered decorating with words long ago. I’d seen words on many restaurant and museum walls, but I never thought to decorate my own walls with words.

Then last summer, as I vacationed with my sister in Georgia, I found a plaque that sums up my philosophy about having a career and being a wife and mother of three kids, including twin boys: “So this isn’t home sweet home. Adjust.”

I bought the plaque immediately, and when my brother-in-law saw it, he said, “That sounds like something you’d say.”

Today it hangs on the wall leading into the kitchen, probably the busiest room in the house. Whenever I see it, it gives me patience, reminding me that nothing is perfect.

Like artwork and other household adornments, words can make a powerful statement. Expressive phrases allow you to share with others inspiring, thought-provoking, humorous or reflective sentiments. Words convey your intellect, your philosophy, and can even serve as a window to your soul.

“I think in many ways, words make more of an impact than a picture,” said Mission Viejo interior designer Kay Leruth. “As symbols, words are a form of art. Decorating with the written word allows you to take advantage of the meaning of the word or expression as well as the graphic and design aspects of the lettering.”

Words can be added to a home in the form of plaques or framed lettering, but a more stunning way to incorporate text into the decor is to apply words directly to walls and other furnishings, said Tustin graphic designer Carrol Caldwell.

“A phrase over a doorway or painting really adds personality to a home,” she said.

She owns Caldwell Design, which produces Wallwords, inspirational vinyl letter sayings that can be applied to most surfaces. She will display her vinyl letters at the Anaheim Convention Center Home & Garden Show, which will be Friday and March 27 and 28.

“I have a painting of a mother and child with vinyl lettering above on the wall that reads: ‘Endurance is nobler than strength, and patience than beauty.’ ”

For many years Caldwell hand-lettered words in her home, until the labor-intensive nature of her hobby propelled her to create vinyl letters.

“I’ve often worked at home and like to have inspirational sayings around the house, but hand-lettering is extremely time-consuming,” she said. “When I decided to put a quote from Yeats around the length of my bathroom walls, it took me months just to get five words painted. I decided there had to be a better way, so I laid the saying out on the computer and had vinyl letters made. People think it’s been hand-painted, but the truth is it was quick and easy to apply.”

You also can add words to walls with stencils. Like hand-painting, however, this is a time-consuming process; you need to cut and carefully arrange the stencils so that the spacing is perfect. Creating stencils also requires time. Stamping words or short phrases is another, easier possibility.

Whatever way you apply them, phrases and expressions allow you nearly limitless possibilities when it comes to decorating your home or office, said Brenda Freeman, owner of Swenson Interiors, an interior design studio and retail showroom in Tustin. “Words can be put in just about any room in the house and look good in a variety of locations.”

To decorate with words, keep the following tips in mind:

* Get creative when thinking of locations for your favorite expressions. Some likely spots include over pictures, in doorways, over a fireplace, at the base of a ceiling around a room, or on mirrors, furniture, windows, back splashes, counters and shower doors.

In general, words can be applied to painted walls and many types of wallpaper, as long as the pattern isn’t too bold or busy.

* Display a phrase just once in a place of prominence, or repeat the phrase across a wall or as a border throughout an entire room.

* Consider the lettering. “The style of the lettering says as much as the saying,” Freeman said. “Doing an expression in Roman lettering is going to give a more staid, formal look, while hand-lettering gives a more casual, whimsical look.”

The script is telling, Leruth agrees. “I saw a teen’s room that had a saying in bold, hodgepodge script with different-sized letters. The funny letters and the amusing saying made a definite impact. It read: ‘Nothing is impossible, except dribbling a football and sneezing with your eyes open.’ ”

Besides the type of script, the size and color also are important.

“Consider scale when deciding on letter size,” Leruth said. “Sometimes you want an expression to hit you in the face, but [in] other instances it’s more effective if the message is more subtle. Think through the type of impression you want to make.”

* Choose your words carefully. Although wall words are much easier to alter or remove than many household adornments, it is important to carefully decide what you want to say.

“A lot of expressions are clever, but they may not be something you want to see every day,” Caldwell said. “Look for a saying that inspires you and makes you feel good about yourself. One of my favorites is by French actress Sarah Bernhardt and is above my back door: ‘Life begets life. Energy creates energy. It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich.’ ”

When the words hold special meaning for you, even better, said Leruth, who has her late mother’s favorite saying over her fireplace and along one wall: “Remember. . . to keep your sense of humor.”

“Every time I see that expression on my wall, it reminds me of my mother and puts a smile on my face,” Leruth said.

* Audition the saying. Before putting it down permanently, try taping the saying up in the place that you’d like it and leave it there for a day or two. By that time, you should know if the saying is a pleasure to see, or if it would quickly become tiresome.

There are some great sayings that will give you daily inspiration, Freeman said. “One of my favorites is the one I have over the fireplace mantel in my office: ‘Happiness is not a place to travel to. It’s a way of getting there.’ ”

The Anaheim Convention Center Home & Garden Show will be held Friday from 1 to 9 p.m.; March 27 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and March 28 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Adult admission, $6; seniors, $3.50; children under 12 are free. For more information, call (714) 418-2000.

To learn more about vinyl lettering, visit the Web site https://www.wallwords.com.