decor ating tips and trends
Grammy 89 Peter Max oil on canvas, 30" × 40" price upon request The Russell Collection www.russell-collection.com
Art as Inspiration by steven lora
To o o f ten d eco r ative ar t is an afterthought in residential interior design. While a gallery can get away with grouping unrelated paintings on a wall, this approach is not usually effective for the home. A proven way to achieve a cohesive interior design is to begin your design with the artwork. If Steven Lora you find a paintPresident, MOTIF Modern Living ing that you www.motiffurniture.com love – one that you cannot live without – then you must design your room around it. By employing a few tried and true designer tips, you can create a room that appears to be custom designed to showcase your favorite piece of art with striking results.
Begin with a Painting that Speaks to You. If you use a painting for the basis of your design, it should be a painting that you love. Living with a painting that represents substantial investment is easy if the painting speaks to your soul. Absent of love at first sight, consider an abstract painting,
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giclée or print that has one or two dominant colors and an orientation similar to that of your wall. Draw Your Color Palette from the Painting. When you look away from the painting, what colors do you remember? While this Peter Max original included many bright colors, the dominant colors are black and red, so those are the colors that are emphasized in the design for this room. Using a dark sofa beneath the painting adds balance to the room; the artwork would have appeared visually “unsupported” if the furniture beneath it was a lighter color. Reflect the Style and Spirit of the Painting. The dark background and frame of this painting made us think “bachelor pad.” The subject of the painting – a Grammy award – and the painting’s psychedelic, pop-art style suggest youth. The interior design supports the mood of the painting and incorporates a sleek, modern look.
Contemplate Size & Scale. A treasured piece of art should be the centerpiece of the room. The furniture around it should be chosen with an appropriate scale in mind. Because most walls in homes are wider than they are tall, you may find yourself looking for paintings that are large horizontal rectangles. This vertically-oriented painting works in this room because the ceiling is high and the sectional is smaller in scale. Accessorize Using Odd Numbers. Select accessories for their colors, interesting shapes or the stories behind them, and try to group them in odd numbers, as these groupings are most appealing to the human eye. The effect is subconscious, but utilizing this simple design trick suggests to your guests that the room was professionally decorated. Incorporate Elements of Nature. Modern design can look cold and impersonal without an organic touch. In this case, we used silk flowers to bring the outdoors in, but you could also incorporate rocks, seed pods, shells, twisting branches, or even a goldfish! The element of metal is also reflected in the screen behind the sofa.
jerry hughes
Designer Tips for Building a Room Around Your Treasured Work of Art