The Transformative Power of Art

Art is often an after-thought. It’s no big surprise really. After all the major decisions and purchases for a room — furniture, rugs, window treatments and what not — energy and budgets are usually running low. I get it. Yet art is one of the most important elements in a design! It has the power to enliven a neutral-on-neutral scheme or shake up a traditional tableau. It can even add texture. When we create a space, we almost always include art selections in the plan and encourage clients to budget for art from the get-go.

One of my favorite selections hangs in a client’s entryway. It’s a vibrant still-life by local artist Linda Kosovych.

I love how Linda uses technicolor to turn the still-life paradigm on its head and how her painting punches up a creamy backdrop. It offers such a cheery greeting to guests.

Art is one of my favorite ways to add color to a space — and I can always count on artist Rob Vander Zee to bring the color!  I recently installed one of his works in our long-time clients’ worldly living room.

Rob used to be based here in Alexandria, Virginia, but recently returned to his childhood state of Michigan. He is missed!

This landscape painting by Rob (you can really get a sense of his varied style) adds energy to a family-room design featuring layered neutrals:

The earth-toned design is all about texture — with its grasscloth-covered walls, along with yards and yards of tactile fabrics, including linen, velvet and chenille. So the colorful artwork plays a starring role in the neutral setting.

These bright, fun giclée prints, by John Douglas and sourced through Merritt Gallery in Chevy Chase, certainly grab attention in our clients’ dining area:

But art doesn’t have to feature intense colors to make a huge impact in a space. Take, for example, our client’s living room, which features — over the sofa — a luminous, large-scale encaustic work by Mary Farmer.

Encaustic art is created with layers of melted wax, mixed with pigments. I’m a big fan of the medium because it lends a dreamy, textural quality. This nuanced piece works beautifully in the sophisticated setting, and the custom-colored, shell-pink walls set it off perfectly.

Medium, material and technique all contribute to the look and feel of a piece of art. We installed a sculptural piece over a clients’ living-room mantel. This unusual work, done by Jennifer Hollack and sourced through Merritt Gallery, is back-painted on curved glass.

Jennifer’s nature-inspired work fits right into this Zen-like setting.

I’ve also used art to give life to the show-house spaces I’ve created. For the 2016 DC Design House, I found the perfect piece for my glamorous yet girly bedroom, which I dubbed the Mademoiselle Chambre. Susie Pryor of Atlanta-based Pryor Fine Art captured to a T the graceful beauty of cherry-blossom branches in this painting:

I also used art (along with wall paint) to add exciting flavor to a plain-vanilla side hall in the 2013 DC Design House.

Or take a look at the hall this way, before and after:

Now that’s a transformation! I love a dark, dramatic backdrop, but it’s clear that this lovely abstract by Elise Morris, sourced through Pryor Fine Art, adds a much-needed bright spot.

I’m currently working with Broadway Gallery in Alexandria to find the perfect pieces for a large family room. Here is a lovely group of paintings, all by Christine Lashley, up for consideration:

Over the years, I’ve built relationships with several amazing gallery representatives, like Caron Moody at Broadway and Tiffany Hayes at Pryor Fine Art, who help me narrow the search. I love to champion local artists, and we are blessed to have many talented ones in the DC area, such as Sabrina Cabada, Linda Kosovych, Christine Lashley and Lisa Tureson, to name just a few.

Art adds meaning and personality to a space, so don’t overlook it — and, no, TVs don’t count.