Art: Part Two

Art can change everything in a room. When moving into a new home, it may feel uncomfortable, incomplete and not like a real home until the art is hung on the walls or the pedestals or statues are placed. Then all of a sudden the space is transformed and comes alive. There is life and meaning to the space where there was emptiness. Art pulls a room together. So be aware of the feeling you are sending to yourself by the choices you are making. When the art is hung, you have now expressed yourself in the space and declared your own signature.

Many of the most successful projects I have created started with a client’s piece of wall art or a rug which really is floor art.

When hanging art, proportion, spacing and scale are important considerations. Just as important is the negative space or the place for your eyes to rest. This is the same as a rest between notes in music. Negative space helps make sure that you’re not placing too many pieces and crowding your space and that they are not placed too close together.

When hanging art on the wall, the worst thing you can do is hang it too high. Wall art has to relate to the furniture. If there is too big a space between the two, the relationship is lost. When the art is floating in space unconnected, it loses its effect of bringing together the vertical and horizontal lines to complete the room. This is a valuable element because it tells your eye how to relate to the flow of the room.

I am working with clients currently who have a lovely glass art collection and while building their home were concerned about where to place their fabulous collection. I asked them to please be patient and the answer would reveal itself. I resisted finding a place to show off the collection until we determined the placement of the furniture. We know that “form follows function” and until my clients were living in the space, the function would not be known. I also wanted to see how the lighting would be on the glass.

There is a four letter word I often use with my clients. They cringe when I say it and then later thank me for it. The word is “wait.” It is so hard to wait when you are so eager to finish. But it is so valuable to see your ideas come alive and determine what it is you need more or less of. All the visualizing you do is not as accurate as seeing it in person. The balance constantly changes as you bring in and place another new item that has color, shape, style and proportion into the mix. And it is really important you love each piece you bring into your home. Don’t do it for the room…do it for you! 

Remember, rooms have no feelings, YOU do!