When Rachel Schlather moved into her new Strongsville home last year, she knew a Cleveland-themed gallery wall was first on her list of decorating priorities. So the blogger behind CLEfashionista got to work collecting prints, posters and art from local shops. The result pays homage to The Land and fits perfectly with her style, which she dubs “midcentury modern with a touch of Cleveland.” She kept the vibe cool instead of kitschy by buying slowly over a few months, mixing budget finds with pricier pieces and paying close attention to color. “I even painted some of the frames if they didn’t fit the aesthetic,” she says. “I must have laid the gallery wall out on the floor 100 times before I got it right.” Located in the joint dining and living room just inside her 1960s ranch, the collection leaves a big impression on guests. “You see it almost immediately when you enter our house,” says Schlather. “It’s definitely a conversation starter.”
1. Leonard Schlather Brewing Co. print: One of Rachel Schlather’s favorite finds features a familiar name: the Leonard Schlather Brewing Co. Her husband is a distant relative to one of the namesakes of the company, which operated from 1857 until 1902 when it was sold to the Cleveland & Sandusky Brewing Co. “Their storage facilities used to be in the current Great Lakes Brewing Co. building,” she says. “If you take the tour at Great Lakes, you’ll hear our name a couple of times!”
2. Maps: Two framed maps from Lakewood’s Cuyahoga Collective hang above the dining table. “The maps are cool because one has Strongsville on it and one has Marblehead, which is where my family has a lake house,” Schlather says. “We go there almost every weekend in the summer.” The pieces are year-round reminders of a warm-weather retreat packed with family memories and the couple’s hometown.
3. 2016 NBA Championship newspaper: A framed copy of The Plain Dealer front page honors one of the most important moments in Cleveland sports history. “My husband insisted we hang the newspaper from the day after the Cavs won the championship,” Schlather says.
4. Sitting area: A cozy sitting area bathed in natural light is arranged below the gallery wall. Midcentury-style chairs in a warm hue face a gray couch, creating an ideal spot to check out the art or simply relax. “I love that the furniture and decor isn’t so formal that you don’t want to sit on it or use it,” says Schlather. “We have two kids, so that just isn’t going to happen. The sitting area is perfect for enjoying coffee or working.”
