Home Design with Kevin Sharkey

No matter whether you're a watch-wearer or gave one up long ago in favor of your cell phone, there's no denying the usefulness -- and charm -- of a substantial wall clock. They're a witty way to make a statement in any room, and it's easy to find options that aren't crazy expensive. (And, if you're creative, you can always make your own -- try one of my favorite tutorials). Here are a few I've got my eye on right now:

1. Dae Runn by Magenta Chalkboard Wall Clock, $64.

 2.12-3-6-9-24" Wall Clock, $79.95.

3. Nomon Sunset Clock, $390.

4. Opal Clocks Clock , $115.

5. Firenze Wall Clock , $84.

Our offices aren't far from Chelsea Market, New York's wonderful indoor farmer's market-meets-artisanal mall, so I stroll through the shops and food stands pretty often. On a recent trip, I noticed stylized photos of Palm Springs all over the walls. Turns out they're the work of artist Dolly Faibyshev and the exhibition is part of a new collaboration between the market and a noteworthy new gallery.

The gallery is Uprise Art, and it's built around an "invest-to-own" model, in which young collectors can take artwork home and invest $50 a month toward owning the piece. Of course, it's an example of an old idea (layaway!) becoming new again, but I admire the spunky spirit and the fact that founder Tze Chun is trying to make living with beautiful art more accessible to everyone.

Find out more about Uprise Art on their (fab) blog and, if you're a New Yorker, keep an eye out in Chelsea Market for more collaborative exhibits.

Red and White Classic Ride (2011)

Leisure Land Pool (2009)

Cactus Mailbox, Palms Springs, CA (2011)

Artwork by Dolly Faibyshev (c) 2013, upriseart

One of the most essential elements of home design is wall art. Whether that means your kids' art, art auctioned off at Sotheby’s, or treasured personal photographs, all decorative pieces need a good frame. One of our go-to framers at Martha Stewart Living is SkyFrame. They’re a great resource, which we’ve used multiple times for Living shoots, because they have a expansive selection of frames.

Recently I went to SkyFrame to get my September 2010 Living cover with Martha framed for my office. I took along my camera to show you their Midtown Manhattan offices and the process they go through to make the perfect frame.

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1 The entrance to SkyFrame. As you can see, frames are everywhere.

2 We've used SkyFrame in a lot of Living shoots. They've framed all the articles in their offices.

3 It's so nice to see these...

4 This is just the beginning of all the frame options available at SkyFrame.

5 A range of darker frames.

6 The frames are stuck on the wall using velcro. Customers can easily take down and try out potential frames.

7 A selection of frames with more embellished details.

8 They really have frames for everyone. Even the glittered or printed frames shown here.

9 I love the gilded frames.

10 The way they arrange the frames makes it easy to try out different looks.

11 They do all kinds of framing, ranging from small pictures to large canvases. As you can see above, the frames can get pretty huge.

12 The many different options of mat boards.

13 This is the image that I wanted to get framed.

14 Skyframe had done my collection of Martha's modeling photos for my office, and I wanted everything to be uniform.

15 I wanted all of the frames in my office to match, so I brought in one of the Martha modeling frames.

16 They measured the image and placed the mat and frame in position...

17 I think everything is going to look great.

18 These use these little bean bags to weigh down the corners. What a good idea.

19 They even frame televisions!

20 You can also get a mirror framed. They have different options available.

21 Framed options on the wall of SkyFrame.

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23 A view from the upstairs of SkyFrame.

24 Prop stylist Scott came along and got to see the upstairs with me.

25 Shelves organize some pieces waiting to be framed.

26 An intense cutting board.

27 Finished pieces.

28 Mat boards are stacked at the side of the room.

29 Frames are laid horizontally, waiting to be custom constructed.

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31 These frames look ready to be assembled.