I "heart" art !

I was reading the May editon of Architectural Digest on line today, and they showcased an article they had done on artist, Robert Motherwell in his Connecticut home back in 1984. 

Robert Motherwell and his wife, photographer, Renate Motherwell.

I'm pretty traditional in my design esthetic except where art is concerned, and I'm a big fan of the abstract paintings that Motherwell is famous for.

Architectural Digest, May 2010

I don't pretend to really understand much of Motherwell's art, or any other abstract art for that matter, I just like it !

Art always impacts a space, and sometimes we even build a room to focus on the art, so I thought it might be fun to see how art impacts the design of a space.

This painting seems like a perfect fit for this aqua dresser.  I love it against the sky blue walls.  The soft gray chairs and ottoman balance out all the blue-greens and enhance the deeper tones in the art. 

Of course the lamps are to die for!

I can't imagine this space without the art.  Clearly it is the star of this room by the late designer, Billy Haines.  The predominance of white in the furniture is no mistake.  It creates balance with all the orange in the painting and the rug. This painting was recently auctioned off at Christies.

Cameron Martin, Interior Designer as seen in D-Home Magazine

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not personally a fan of the all neutral color palatte, but I can appreciate the design behind it.  This painting is so subtle and soft that it allows you to focus on the shades of gray that make this room.  I count at least 12 different shades of gray in this room.  You would think it would be easy to design a room in a single color, but it can really be a challenge.

If the painting were anything more dramatic, how might that change how we see the room? 

I

Amanda Nisbet, Interior Designer

I'm not sure about the technique used to create these art pieces, but they certainly do compliment the room.  I'm guessing that the arrangement is symmetrical.  The drapes even mirror the design in the art...and what about the purple line around the ceiling?  Really draws the eye up, doesn't it?  But speaking of lines...look for them....they're a subtle design element in the room.  There's a lot to study here!

Wonder why they used a black and white painting here? 

Where does your eye go when you look at the room?

The symmetry of the design elements focus your attention to the art, but because it's black and white, I find my eyes are drawn to the one asymmetrical item in the space....the turquoise pillow!

Did they plan that???    I'll bet so !

Margaret Chambers, Interior Designer

Flowers always make good subject matter for paintings, and the tulips, both natural and painted,  bring so much color to this otherwise neutral space.  Can you imagine how this painting would lose it's punch if the wall were painted a bold color?  The soft buff background on the wall doesn't compete with the vibrancy of the tulips thereby making them front and center.

Adcock Smith, Interior Designer

Many of you know that I was a mural artist before returning to design school.  I've always loved the BIG painting!  I know I have some weirdness in me sometimes, but I love this new take on the family portrait....a touch of whimsy in a very traditional room.  The chocolate wall is a smart way to highlight the giant canvas....makes me want to paint!

D-Home Magazine showcased the mid-century modern home of Eve Reid in the Design Book 2009.  The art is positioned so that it is the first thing you see when you approach the entry of the house.  The dramatic colors of the art set the palatte for the house both inside and out.  They are clearly the focal point the homeowner wants visitors to see.

OK.....it's pink, it's oversized and it's beautiful.  The color choice of this space is genius....the wall color is a match to the mid-tone in the painting.   Using the midtone allows the painting to have more prominence in the small entry way.  The pink is repeated in the bench pillows supporting the pink in the conch shell.  I wish I had painted this!

Patrice Cowan Bevans, Interior Design

Isn't this a pretty bedroom? 

I love this painting in this room, don't you?

The scale is perfect, the colors so balanced in the painting, and the symmetry of the furniture all points to the painting as the focal point. The yellow line just over the horizon is a complement to all the blues.   

 Love it!

Art is so personal, and I'm of the opinion that everyone gets to enjoy the art they love.  I love color, loose brush strokes, abstraction and whimsy.

What do you love??

Back to basics

Even though I haven't taught school since 1997, I still have this internal calendar that tells me to get a snack at 4pm, take bathroom breaks on the hour and gear down to summer when Spring Break comes along.  Even as a fledgling designer early on in my career, I was always passing along bits of information and ideas with my clients that would help them to learn to work their own rooms.  Once a teacher, always a teacher. 

I was thinking this weekend about what really makes a room stand out....what makes one design really work, and the teacher in me said "Go back to the basics".  So I began to think about the Principles of Designs (yes, I need to capitalize that....very important stuff).   The principle of rhythm and repetition seems to be such a unifier to a room that I started looking for it just to see what I could learn.

This piece caught my eye.   Such simplicity, but beautiful.  Check out how many things are being repeated here....rectangles in the drawers, circular objects, the color black, horses, books, all set off by the glorious tuquoise back.  Do you see anything else?

The same repetition on the theme.

This vignette is in my studio.  The pear in the painting that I did repeats in the raffia pears on the buffet.  I repeated the chartreuse green and the terracotta browns from the painting to the topiary and the pot.  I think it works really well as a focal point in the studio.

It's easy to see the repetition in these pictures....color, shape, line.

But rooms can also utilize rythmn and repetition as an element to bring everything together.  I thought it might be fun to see some designer rooms of celebrities to show how this principle contributes to a beautiful space....ok, unlimited funds helps too!

This is Diane Keaton's kitchen, shown in Architectural Digest several years ago.  The repetition in the colors, shapes, tiles, and objects draws you into experience this room.  I'm hungry for nachos just looking at it.  I know from this picture that a lively, interesting and courageous person lives here, and that there must be a party in the works. 

I dare you to count all the repeats in this space!

Here the repetition is a little more subdued, but still a player in the design of this room.  All the vertical lines really frame the view of the Hollywood hills in this room in Ryan Seacrest's home. 

Certainly the repetition of the rectangle is pretty obvious in the doors and into the butler's pantry in Jamie Lee Curtis' house.  Did you know she was married to Christopher Guest!....learn something new everyday....I digress.

The Asian inspired sohji doors, muted color palette and the orderly repetition of shape tell us so much about the couple who live here. 

Clearly, I'd rather live in Diane Keaton's house!

This dining room is in one of Kelsey Grammer's houses.  I like the eclectic mix in this room, and I'm a big fan of the Georgia O'keefe inspired flower paintings.  Color repeated in the rug, paintings, drapes and hostess chair is balanced by the repetition of the neutrals in the walls and slipcovers. The pops of white in the rug and repeated in the candles act as accents in a mostly rusty red room.

Every lesson ends with a test right?  How does repetition work in this picture of Rod Stewart's dining room? 

OK....too much of a good thing can take a room to a whole other place, but clearly you can see the homeowner's personality and design style because of what he chose to repeat!    EVERYTHING !

Just because he's a celeb, doesn't mean you have to like it, but I guess it goes to show that good design can exist without good taste!!  (Did I say that ???)

I got a good laugh out of this one.....do you think Rod looks like the woman in the painting, or is my sense of humor just perverse??

Lesson over for today.  Your homework is to put a little rhythm in your life and repeat something in your space.  I'd love for you to share your success with me.  Leave a comment or send me a picture of your space to sally@sallyjdesigns.com 

Enjoy your Spring Break !