Start with the Art

Many of my clients visit the gallery looking for new and interesting ways to either redecorate or update their homes.  Often, they come in armed with paint chips and fabric swatches, along with a long list of questions.  The most common question, and often the most perplexing issue for most people is: “Where do I begin?”

Many designers subscribe to the philosophy of room design beginning with the selection of a rug.  Over the years, I have also used a rug, or the room’s “lawn”, as the foundation for color, pattern and overall inspiration.  While there is nothing wrong with that design approach, I have begun to abide by a somewhat different, if not irreverent, school of thought: Start with the Art.

Since opening the gallery, I have surrounded myself with different forms of art, from oils to lithographs, silkscreens and prints.  Living with, and looking at various pieces of art in different gallery vignettes, had enabled me to understand the power that art has over us.  If we allow ourselves to be open, we can all learn to build entire rooms around a single piece of art, raising it from accessory to focal point.

Art should be eye opening, stimulating, subjective and controversial.  Art's ability to evoke emotion and energy can be the necessary catalyst to spark your imagination and allow you to think outside of the box.  It may be a single color in the background, the blending of a brush stroke, or the basic composition, which generates that much needed new idea.

So pay attention to what is at eye level.  With art as your inspiration, you can reach new heights of design achievement.  Remember, you will never spill wine on your art, your dog will never have an accident on your art, and you will not have to vacuum your art. AND, best of all, Art is Eternal.