Art Selection for Interiors

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As an Interior Designer I often get asked by clients “what should I select for my walls, they are so bare?”

It’s personal

Artwork is so personal with the style, the subject matter and budget. You could be an enthusiast that follows the career path of certain artists that you love where the artwork become investment pieces or you could stumble across pieces at markets and garage sales. At the end of the day it is filling the negative vertical voids of wall space to complement the rest of the furnishings.

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My personal favourites are these paintings by my sister Coco Elder. The serene greens are my current favourites for interiors and the subject matter is dear to me as I used to picnic and swim here as child at Kurringai National Park. You can see more of her work at her exhibition on the 12^th April at Charles Hewitt Galleries.

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Artwork can be a stand out feature that can dictate the space and mood or just melt into its surrounds subtly. It can create that view or faux window into another world for a room that perhaps has no windows or outlook normally. The media style implemented in the artwork can add rhythm, movement and texture to the interior space.

Art in interiors

Art can be either the starting or finishing point of the design process. If my client has a special piece, these colours can be extracted and reflected in the furnishing fabrics or alternatively a masterpiece can be added for that finishing touch.

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Hanging Art

When selecting artwork for your home don’t feel every space has to be filled as the walls then become overwhelming and dominating and if too small, it can be insignificant. Check positioning by blu-tacking paper at the size of your art to the wall, prior to making the big purchase.

Framing

Framing can be used to your benefit for incrementally increasing the size with clever use of mounting board and thickness of frame. Research the various styles of framing with a professional framer first. Frames are meant to be an accessory to enhance the artwork and coordinate with the room, not steal the show.

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Discovering

I encourage my clients to investigate artwork for themselves. It can be an exciting and rewarding discovery exploring galleries, markets, hearing the stories behind the artwork and maybe meeting the artists themselves. They can evoke so much feeling too; sentimental holiday memories or perhaps it’s your own creation. At the end of the day it’s an investment financially (particularly if the artist’s career and profile progresses) but also an emotional investment as every artwork carries its own story.