We live in a world made interesting by art. And you don’t really have to take extensive courses or invest in expensive materials to call yourself an artist. All you really need to have is a keen eye for detail and some imagination, like Kristen Meyer. The Connecticut-based mother of two is a professional prop stylist and designer. And she uses her creative talent to create the most mesmerizing arrangements with virtually anything. From pasta noodles, nuts, flora, rocks, crackers, stones and even shattered mirror pieces – she’s probably already used them to create a stunning flat lay!
So, the artist calls her creations “Salvage Designs” and she’s been making them for several years now. Her first-ever Instagram post dates all the way back to 2015 and it featured a geometric heart design made out of Triscuits cut into neat triangles. It was so good that even the brand was impressed! Kristen’s cleanly arranged geometric designs has inspired a sense of calm and serenity to over 64,400 people on Instagram since.
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With designs so mesmerizing, it’s no wonder Kristen Meyer has over 64, 400 followers on Instagram
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Kristen creates ‘Salvage Designs’ using virtually anything you can find at home and in nature
Her incredibly satisfying flat lays feature an interesting play on texture, shape and color contrasts. She uses a wide variety of materials that come in different shapes and sizes. So it’s pretty amazing how she always manages to make each element fit together! But sometimes, she’ll only use one object to create her Salvage Design, like when she used varying lengths of spaghetti noodles to create an art deco-esque piece.
You might recall being told not to play with your food. But Kristen does. She’s played with crackers, cheese, creatively cut pieces of vegetables and fruit and even everyone’s favorite breakfast foods! We’re pretty sure that since she’s making some seriously impressive art with food, mothers everywhere can excuse her for playing with food.
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Sometimes she plays things up with some pastel paint
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Her flat lays are visually and aesthetically pleasing
To create her Salvage Design, she will firstly trace an outline on her pastel-hued background paper. The light outline serves as a guide for her to keep the pieces in place. Finally, after the outline is set, she will start setting up her flat lay. And sometimes, to complete her flat lay, Kristen utilizes her crafty skills by cutting up some extra finishing touches. Her precision cuts look so good that it can get a bit hard to actually see which among the pieces in the flat lay are made of paper!
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Unique attributes of ordinary things are celebrated in Kristen’s designs
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In addition to leaves, flowers are also a dominant element in her designs
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To transform the pieces she uses in her flat lays, Kristen relies on her sharp cutting skills
Dried autumn leaves are a testament to Meyer’s belief that there is “beauty in imperfection”. Leaves are a prominent element in her Salvage Designs. “I can’t go for a walk in the woods without bringing home a leaf or two or three,” she shared. Kristen’s leafy flat lays feature whimsical arrangements of leaves that’s sure to inspire your love for nature even more. So, keep scrolling to see more of her brilliant arrangements.
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But sometimes she cuts paper instead of using real plants and flowers
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Geometric patterns give her flat lays a unique appearance
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And in most of her designs, delicate gaps tie the whole thing together
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The skillful application of negative space on her flat lays contributes to the completion of Kristen’s patterns. It encourages the viewer’s imagination to play. Her mesmerizing flat lays present ordinary things we take for granted in a different light. Who would’ve thought that painting cracked pieces of eggshells could turn it into a work of art? At the moment, Kristen appears to be on a break. But if you can’t get enough of her work and want it to be a part of your daily life, you can buy prints of Kristen Meyer’s Salvage designs.