Wallflower

Alabama home by Tracery Interiors

I found these pictures in one of my [numerous] folders and I just had to share. My younger sister makes fun of me for my addiction to chairs, but just look at all the possibilities for how to style even a simple side chair. Now, given, these incarnations illustrate a variety of exceedingly elegant styles. But still. You could use the most inexpensive piece purchased off Craigslist to make a similar statement.

Home of Ryan Korban via The Selby

See?

Foyer by Thomas Hamel

Okay, okay, so this look would be harder to just throw together, but you could still have a neat little moment in your own entryway using an unusual antique chair like this one, paired with a more modern piece like that concave sconce.

Todd Alexander Romano via Lonny

Adding an organized grouping of pictures is a perfect way to enhance a lonely corner of a room.

Home of Jim Aman and John Meeks via NYSD

Blarg. This is so perfect. The leather on the chairs, the sculpture, the pictures and they way they are hung. The bit of irreverence in the design. (See that skull?) Love, love, love.

Foyer by Victoria Hagan

And speaking of perfection... Victoria Hagan is a master. I love this serene, traditional look. Tapestry-covered chairs? Gorgeous!

I hope you all have a happy day!

How's it hanging: Part II

Room by Kristen Panitch

So we're back here today to take a look at more inspirational photos of, well, photos... and paintings and sketches and such!

I think I love art groupings like these so much because there are no rules to it, no set format. All you need are the items that you love (a family photo, a scrap of your favorite fabric, an old concert poster) and you are set to create a truly gallery-worthy collection.

I love this quiet corner by fellow Southerner, Timothy Tew. An avid collector and art advocate, Tew operates a contemporary fine art gallery in Atlanta, and you can see his passion for the paintings he promotes in the lovely collection above.

I like how the art, in this room by Michael Bastian, flows over the surface of the walls, up the hearth, and over the windows, giving a cozy richness to the otherwise airy space.

Room of unknown design

In this fabulous room by Angie Hranowsky, the quirky and colorful artwork dances across the walls and down to the polished, ebony floor. The patterns in the upholstery and rug neither compete nor clash with the intriguing prints, but, instead, compliment and enhance them.

I have saved my personal favorite for last here: a wildly bold and gorgeous bedroom by Matthew Williams of Bliss Home & Design. I am smitten with it all: those blue walls, that chandelier dripping with crystal, the antique trunk, the inlaid bedside table, the faux bois fabric on the armchair, the huge lamps, those linens, and all that fabulous art!

I love how even pottery (note the plates and platters behind the headboard) found its way up there. What an ingenious, eclectic, and supremely glamorous room!

Now get your hammer and a big box of nails and create a gallery all your own!

How's it hanging: Part I

Did I mention that I love art? Well, do I ever! As you will see in this two-part series, I cannot get enough of layer upon layer of portraits, paintings, prints, and other picturesque paraphernalia! (Apparently, I can't get enough alliteration either!)

Jay Jeffers knows the way to layer color, art, and furniture styles, as you can see in the photos of this dining room above. I love how this room is a twist on traditional with a combination of oil portraits, mid-century mod dining table and side chairs, sculptural hands centerpiece and glass chandelier, and the fresh, graphic look of the armchairs and console.

Study by Robert Passal

Stairway by Steven Gambrel

Some keep the groupings on a strict theme, perhaps using the same style of art. Passal features nude sketches in the study above, whereas Gambrel displays a collection of painted portraits that lead you up the staircase.

Some prefer to unify their collection with similar frame colors or styles. Tori Mellott, the former decorating editor at the late Domino magazine, created this fabulous display above her sofa using dramatic black frames to unite the pictures and contrast them against the neutral Farrow & Ball wallpaper.

Philip Gorrivan uses the same technique, framing a variety of paintings and prints in shimmering gold. The effect is more subtle, reflecting continuity, and also adds a bit of polish to the black-and-white banquette and the neutral finishes on the tables and chairs.

Personally, I love to mix up the styles and colors of artwork, mats, and frames. As Joe Nye put it best, I love a room that is "heavily layered with lots of pretty clutter!"

I love the mix of colors and textures in this living room by Ashley Whittaker. Those cozy green walls, woven side tables, flashy red concert poster, and flame stitch and zebra-print chair cushions combine perfectly to create a comfortable and thoughtfully personal space.

Unknown from Domino

I will leave you today with a photo of a stairwell by John Loecke Inc. I think this design well illustrates the medley of artwork that I find so attractive, and figuratively leads us into the next post where we will delve even more into the art of hanging.... art!

Here's to a - in the words of my sister - glorious week! :)