Home is where the art is
Now that we spend so much time staring at the walls of our home, it only makes sense that we use this time to decorate them to a pleasing standard.
Having worked with her both personally and professionally, Clare has enlisted the help of A-list interior designer Joanna Plant to show how a home refresh can be achieved without the need for heavy-duty work. Here she offers her guide to curating a meaningful collection of art to brighten up your living space.
Finding artwork for your house can be a daunting prospect especially if you are starting from scratch and often, to complicate matters further, couples might not agree. It can be a very loaded subject: “what can we afford, what are we trying to say about ourselves, what do we even like and where to begin finding it”? It’s no wonder that people often resort to endless family photos as a way of filling the walls.
Collecting is a journey not a destination and meant to tell your story so buy things that mean something to you and don’t worry what other people might think. Here are some ways to think about it which will hopefully make the process less intimidating and a lot more fun.
1. It’s a very nice idea to buy pictures as a memento. Whenever you find yourself away for the weekend or on holiday, buy an artwork that will forever remind you of that trip. Another way to think about it is to collect by theme so that you start a collection of something: if you spot a market or car boot, you might always look for framed botanicals or old fashion drawings, for example.
2. Size matters when choosing a picture:you need some larger pieces to add scale and proportion to the room, whilst groups of small pictures can be hung in sets or salon-style, from skirting to ceiling. This way it’s very possible to mix together some good things and others that are not much more than a postcard to great effect.
3. Think carefully about the frame.Something very simple and inexpensive can be beautifully framed and look fantastic. We often use vintage frames mixing wood, mirrored glass and metal in differing styles to add variety.
4. Framed textiles can be very effective bringing colour, pattern and scale to an otherwise simply decorated room.
A large and good textile will often cost much less than a painting of similar impact.
5. Good art needn’t be expensive but above a certain value, it might be prudent to involve an art dealer who can advise you when curating a collection.
Put simply - buy the best you can afford, don’t overthink it and love the things you buy.
My favourite sources :-
www.decorativefair.com
www.londonoriginalprintfair.com
www.wilsonstephensandjones.com
www.grandyart.com
www.hamiltonsgallery.com
www.lacygallery.co.uk
www.estherfitzgerald.com