Invaluable - Contemporary Color

Elizabeth Bauer Design

Whenever I'm working on a space, I look at the layout, furnishings, curtains, etc. But the one thing that probably gives a room the most personality - and the thing that can punctuate the personality of the owner so well - is art. I've done posts about this in the past, but I was recently approached by Invaluable to do a different sort of post. Invaluable is an auction website devoted to the sale of all manner of beautiful paintings: abstract, landscapes, portraits, watercolors. However, they understand that figuring out how to make those pieces work in your home can be a challenge. That's where I come in!

Invaluable painting by Marie Raymond

In order to give you some inspiration as to how to incorporate artwork into your own home "gallery", I thought I'd create three very different spaces in three different styles, all featuring artwork currently on auction at Invaluable.

Living room by Jolene Ballard and Amanda Malson of Domicile ID

Foo Dogs from FeelinVintage on Etsy

For the room in today's post, I'm imagining a bright feminine space, full of fun and life. First, I would drench it in a color like Benjamin Moore's "Cactus Flower".

Then I would bring in accessories that complimented the boldness of the color, but put a cool, glamorous, modern spin on it.

Chair - Leaves - Pillows - Bar Cart - Pottery - Lamp

How fabulous are those Chiang Mai Dragon pillows! Indigo blue, hot pink, and leafy green make such a great color combination too. And don't forget a little bit of gold!

Then I would do a light, modern style sofa atop a fun floral rug like this....

Rug by Safavieh

But then you need your artwork!

Living room by Angie Hranowsky

I love how Angie Hranowsky's work usually involves a good dose of color and a really good dose of abstract art.

Invaluable painting by Rod Withers

 I would do a few mid-size pieces like these, hung vertically, maybe over the bar cart.

Invaluable painting by Roberta Harris

Is this painting not fun?! There is just something so playful about it.

Entryway by Jonathan Berger via House Beautiful

I think "playful" is probably the best way to describe this kind of room. But what better way to start and end your day, than in a space that makes you smile?

Invaluable painting by George Kleiman

I already talked about my obsession with oversized art here, and this piece certainly fits that bill. It clocks in at a whopping 70 inches tall by 93 inches wide! Love it!

No matter what pieces you choose, the key is to have fun and not take the whole thing too seriously. It's your home and you're the one living with it, so make it a place you love!

More fun with art next time so stay tuned!

Green with envy

Dining room by Grant Gibson

Green is not a color I really turn to in design, but, after several of my friends requested that as the foundation of their rooms' color schemes, I had to give it a second look.

I do love vibrant color, and this leafy, emerald green (like in the pic above) is one I can definitely see using. However, the other shades in this post certainly give me pause to rethink my opinion of this quite diverse hue.

Living room by Jeff Andrews - Photo courtesy of Trad Home

Love those flared, wing-back chairs by the fireplace! (So much so that I am actually sitting in one of my own right now!)

Enoteca restaurant design by Angie Hranowsky

I love the very classic-yet-cool vibe of this restaurant. What an interesting twist the green curtains and banquette give to the space.

Green leather chair at Scout Designs office

Study by Kim Winkler of Westbrook Interiors

Dining room by Melanie Elston

Living room by Markham Roberts

Roberts shows here what a perfect match green is with grays and deep aubergine.

Library by Timothy Whealon

This last room is so beautiful: glowing wood bookcase, wool oriental rug, and rich green velvet chairs. Classic!

I hope you are all having a good week!

A Touch of the Unexpected

Design by Dan Carithers

I love rooms that have a touch of the unexpected, a bit of playfulness, that keep more traditional rooms feeling fresh and, well, happy.

Vignette by Mary McDonald

I love Miss McDonald's use of malachite obelisks here. They are so unique and also complete the collection of green accents in this tabletop vignette.

Design by Angie Hranowsky

Bedroom by Eddie Ross

Traditional elements, like the pair of Louis XVI-style beds with coronas overhead, contrast perfectly with a giant robin's egg painting.

Design by Tilton Fenwick

How pretty is this tufted chaise? Its orange upholstery and the large patterned wallpaper update this hearthside arrangement.

Have a happy Tuesday everyone!

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!

Far East Flair

Design by John Barman

For too long now, I have been estranged from chinoiserie. As I have begun to see it in more places (and in a myriad of applications), I am growing warmer to it all the time.

Generally colorful and ornate, chinoiserie style makes for fabulously fun and intriguing interiors. Mary McDonald is a fan, using cool white, oriental accents to make these rooms (above and below) exotic, yet modern.

You can use just a hint of far east flair (like Sara Story does above with a sturdy black sideboard), or you can go all out, layering chinoiserie-inspired patterns, fabrics, china, and furnishings like Jason Oliver Nixon and John Loecke do in the room below. I am loving that wallpaper, mirror, and lamp! (What can I say; I am a sucker for bold interiors!)

Lee Radziwill and Miles Redd warm up the living areas above and below, respectively, using intricately patterned fabric and scarlet tones.

Room by Angie Hranowsky

One popular place to bring in that foreign feel is the dining room. I love the elaborately crafted backs of the chairs used by Hranowsky and Wearstler and that gorgeous wallpaper (and fabulous light) used by Nye! There are so many possibilities to create interesting, engaging interiors!

Room by Joe Nye

Dining area by Kelly Wearstler

Whether you use seating, wallpaper, fabric, or china, chinoiserie will prove to be a wonderfully colorful and exotic addition to any interior.

If you are a fan of this style, you simply must check out the Chinoiserie Chic blog: a fabulous resource for your daily dose of Far East inspiration!

Design by Michelle Nussbaumer

Mirror, mirror, on the wall....

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As I mentioned in my previous post, I cannot get enough of mirrors. I love how they enhance a space, making it feel larger and more polished. Although they cannot take the place of engaging artwork, mirrors are a design necessity in my eyes, creating focal points and vignettes in just about any space.

I absolutely love the antique mirror above, used here as a headboard. The piece takes the existing glamour in the room to a new level, and adds dimension and openness that one in a dark wood finish could not.

Photo by Chris Court

Again, the mirror is creating the illusion of space in this already large office. It adds sparkle and depth, and is quite the appropriate accessory for its fashionable surroundings.

In this lovely, albeit tidy, foyer by William Hodgins, the mirror is functional in that it is nice to take a quick glance at yourself before heading into the world. However, it also acts as a tool to punctuate the scale of the space, ascending all the way to the moldings. (Note the monumental scale of the lantern and mirror, the residential scale of the sconces and door-framing windows, and the human scale of the chairs and table.)

Design by Christopher Coffin

I love trumeau mirrors, and this one is no exception. The finish is neutral but the carvings are intricately elegant; a perfect match with the other proper, yet almost-rustic, furnishings.

I love this dining room in the home of Sonia Kashuk, successful makeup artist and entrepreneur. It is so bright and airy, yet cozy and comfortable. The way the gilded, overscale mirror is casually leaned against the wall further accentuates the easy elegance of the space.

Angie Hranowsky creates a mod vignette in a dining room, contrasting the clean lines of a dresser and crisp white accessories with a swirling gold mirror. I love how the mirror is small and off center, perfectly unexpected!

Mirrors can also be used as wallcoverings, of a sort. Here, Todd Alexander Romano accents a seating area with a panel of antique mirrors. The blend of textures here is wonderful: the parquet floor, velvet bench, leopard print pillows, glimmering mirrors, and the rich darkness of the oil painting.

Melissa Rufty also opts for antique mirrors in her New Orleans home, filling the interior of an antique, carved overdoor with squares of antique mirrors. This seems to give the room more history, and a feeling of permanence. The silk curtains, oriental rug, and crystal chandelier add classy touches of Southern charm as well.

In this fabulous room by Todd Klein (featured in House Beautiful), the mirror is juxtaposed against clean, black-and-white furnishings and a cool blue backdrop. The shimmer of the gold frame, the elaborate bird and leaf design, as well as the scale of the piece make it a showstopper in this space.

How gorgeous!

One last pic from another fabulous Southern designer, Hal Williamson. His interiors are just magical. (You must check out the entire house, when it was featured here in House Beautiful!)

I am already partial to pink, silk, and glittering Venetian mirrors so, to me, this composition is sheer perfection! So beautiful!

Have a great weekend!