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Happy Wednesday Lovelies! I am having the busiest season ever this year, so the blog posts aren’t coming as quickly as they have been in the past. But I haven’t forgotten you guys!

As I was sourcing art for one of my current projects recently, it occurred to me that most initial phone conversations with prospective clients, always seem to veer into the art conversation. They always mention just how challenging it is for them to choose art for their home. Most people know what genre they like, but they get overwhelmed with the tall ceilings and the volumes of empty walls. They are afraid that they will choose the wrong sizes.
Choosing art does require a bit of attention to the space that you are trying to fill. But also keep in mind that art is personal, and should speak to you. I personally don’t think the art you choose for a room has to exactly match in terms of color, but there needs to be something that makes it relate well to the room.
Here are some examples of how I decorated with art
The image above is a bedroom I completed a year or two ago. The floor to ceiling gallery wall was mostly originals. Because of all the different frames, finishes, subject matter and sizes, the black wall color played a major role in anchoring them and keeping them looking organized. They are also arranged somewhat symmetrically



For this project, we started with a blank slate. My clients only had two pieces of figurative art that they bought on a trip abroad, but they did not want the rest of the room to have similar art. Since they asked for traditional and did not have a specific idea of what art they wanted, I decided to use landscapes. Landscapes and abstract are typically art that most people appreciate. The walls were vast with very tall ceilings, so we had to bring in very large pieces to make a big impact in the space

If you look towards the kitchen door in this shot, you can see the two existing pieces this client previously owned.

This is the foyer in the same home, and the landing upstairs also has several large pieces (not shown). the volume of this large space called for large pieces of art

Above the fireplace can also be a space where people get overwhelmed with choosing art. My client was stumped by this entire wall. The built-ins were non existent when I met her a couple of years ago. We did the built-ins to bring the wall into human scale and added a large piece of abstract over the mantel. The niches were also something my client wanted to address, so I specified a horizontal stripe paint treatment and added the sculptural petrified wood pieces to draw your eye up

Whenever possible, I like to add three dimensional art to keep things interesting in one space.

Here we used the client’s original art in the dining room. You will notice that the colors do not match exactly, but the blue wall color we chose ties them together a bit

Grouping together a wall of original color blocked abstract gave them maximum impact in this room. These pieces are actually available for sale. Click here for details

Yes you can use art in bathroom. Just be careful that whatever you choose can hold up to moisture. Glass framed art will get foggy. Canvases can be treated to avoid moisture penetration

This small hallway is so much more interesting and important with these two original landscapes. The grasscloth wallpaper is the perfect backdrop.

This landscape creates the perfect serene master bedroom suite. It speaks to the beautiful views of the Brazos River just outside. I tried to pull the greens and blues from the outdoors in, and the art helps to cement the nature theme without getting themey

The other side of the bedroom boasts the complementary piece of art. I often use a series of two or three pieces

This study for the man of the house required a piece that would speak to his love of the outdoors.

Here I used a series of commissioned originals for this long hallway. There are actually 4 of them in this series

I love to lean art and layer them for a casual look. As an appreciator of art, sometimes I run out of wall space. Leaning them inside of a bookcase or on a wall works perfectly and makes them easy to trade out


Your art can be the bold focal point in a room. This original acrylic on canvas abstract takes center stage in this room. I commissioned this piece and wanted to make sure it was the focal point of my small apartment – not that I had to try hard 🙂 It makes me smile every time I enter the room

Use family pieces even if you have to re-frame them. My client had this piece of art that has been in her family for a while. It was a bit smaller than I wanted for the space, so I had it re-framed and added a bit of matting to make it a bit larger

Even Ikea art can feel much more substantial and intentional in a space. It is all in how it is arranged and presented

Hang a piece on a bookshelf. This original piece was framed in a stock frame and takes center stage on this bookcase full of books.

This mid century living room had some carefully curated pieces to keep the from from getting too rowdy

The other side of the room. The large canvases above the sofa were necessary to anchor that large wall. The gallery wall above the bookcase helps to create height in the room.
So there you have it, some ideas of how I use art to dress my clients’ homes.
Art is something that you should feel. It is the soul of the room. Choose what you love and it will work perfectly in the space. Go for original art as much as possible, and support your local artists and galleries.
Wishing You Beauty and Inspiration!

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