THE ART OF USING ART
Picture this: A room with only basic furniture, empty walls, and no personal touches or art pieces. Sounds unappealing, right? Now imagine a space with a beautifully balanced color palette, perfect pieces of art hanging on the walls, and customized accent pieces to match and tie the whole room together while making the space feel like you.
This is the power of art! While “art” can be a broad term, when it comes to interiors we are typically referring to the design pieces in a room: the things you tell the kids to look at but don't touch. Art can complement a color palette or even become the focal point of a palette or room. It is what makes your home stand out from the rest, adding a unique touch to your space to make it feel like your own. So let's dive in and learn how to bring a new view of the world into your home.
DON’T BE AFRAID OF COLOR
Minimalism was all the rage for a while and still has its place in modern design but don’t confuse minimalist with plain, white and empty. Color can and should be your friend! It brings a new energy to your space and opens the door to possibilities for stand-out customized spaces. You’ll be shocked at how well colors can work into a space without giving you that “in your face” feeling.
We brightened the remodeled entrance to this Brentwood home with a bold new color palette and a piece by a local Los Angeles artist Chad Goei.
DON’T HIDE IT AWAY IN THE CORNER
Let it be big, bold and where everyone can see. What is the point in investing in art for only those who look hard enough to find. This is another great example of breaking a common misconception that “big art” will be too “in your face”. Oftentimes it is actually what blends and ties the whole room together. And an entire wall can even become a room's artistic touch. Many times we have worked with clients to develop custom wallpapers to accent their space.
We designed a custom wallpaper for this Brentwood Jack-and-Jill bathroom.
OLD CAN BE MADE ANEW
Reinvent how you use your existing art and accessories. If it was hung on a wall can it be moved to a shelf? Can it be turned in a different direction or on its side for a new look? Try moving it to a completely new room. You’ll be amazed how differently the light catches it, or it feels bigger or smaller in a different space. If you are remodelling, let that piece become the focal point that we reinvent an entire room around. One piece can set the entire theme, color palette and mood for a space.
In our Palm Springs project we painted the walls a custom shade to match the art.
FEEL THE PIECES
Adding pieces that have a sentimental meaning will warm your heart every time you walk into the room. It's these personal touches from things like family antiques, kids artwork, and heirlooms that truly make it feel like not just a house, but your home. Maybe you already have pieces for a room that you love and you want to work around? No problem! Custom is key, and much more do-able than you think.
In this project we reframed our client’s favorite artwork by their children for a personal touch.
FEATURE SOME LOCAL ARTISTS
We love when we have the opportunity to work with local artists. Whether you are recruiting a custom piece from them with an idea in mind, or you are purchasing from their existing collection, you will feel good about putting your money back into the community and adding a local touch to your space.
This framed photograph in our client’s powder room is by Hugh Holland "Solo, Kenter Canyon Elementary 1976" and features a local Los Angeles skateboarder.
