Wall Art As Catalyst For Design
As an interior designer I am in a unique position, I am invited into homes and see how people live and get to discuss how they would like to live.
Over time I have started to see a trend developing within the Australia home owners which is a little concerning for an interior designer. Colour is featuring very low on the list of must haves when I am discussing projects with my clients. Don't get me wrong, I have seen my fair share of colour sins committed in homes over time where the creator of these colour schemes was either very brave or possibly on acid; and I do understand the fear the word 'Colour' can instill in people.
As I frequently do, this morning I was browsing through the properties for sale on realestate.com, and was not at all surprised to find homes that fall in just this psychedelic category. One specifically jumped out at me as it was in that lovely style of the "Faux Finish" so very popular in the late 80's early 90's - the Decorative Paint Techniques of Ragging and Sponging. But what made it worse was the selected colour combinations, nothing that could be seen without sunglasses and migraine tablets I assure you.
If you are a home owner that is not convinced colour should go on walls, I promise that I won't try and change your mind. I do however want to encourage you to introduce colour into your home in less permanent ways. This also works if you are a 'Renter' and have no choice about what colour your walls are.
Wall Art is an excellent way to introduce a Colour Scheme into your home, choices are endless and you can find something that you love that fits within your budget. There are many websites on line that have extensive Wall Art selections designed to lift the interior of you home as well as provide inspiration and a jumping off point for rugs and other decor pieces.
I found this very cool cat when I was looking for Wall Art for a project that I'm working on at the moment. No, this piece is not going to hang on the wall of that particular client, however it is a piece that has inspired me. The more I look at this canvas the more I fall in love with this cat in glasses. There is something about this piece that I find irresistible and hard to forget, so I ordered it for myself; the pitfalls of being an interior designer, I find too many pieces that I love.
This canvas is also an excellent example of how Wall Art can be a very versatile decor piece that can transform a room. Below we have 2 completely different options for this very cool gentleman, both work perfectly.
Example 1
The simple clean lines of this tan leather sofa and lamp bring out the calmer tomes of this piece.
By keeping wall colour neutral and selecting furniture and other decor pieces that don't compete with the vibrant colours of the artwork, this design combination is restrained.
Example 2
Here the choice of sofa and lamp was dictated by the yellow and turquoise in this canvas. It's a much more striking combination that plays with the colourful nature of this piece of art.
Keep wall colour white and let the furniture and decor do all the talking in this design scheme.
In both these examples this wall print speaks for itself and would be the focal point of any room, however by choosing to create the design around specific colours of the artwork you can manipulate your eye to concentrate on those colours first. In reality the overall composition of this piece is not dominated by any particular colour, it's what you decide to pair with it that will dictate the colour impression to the viewer. You could equally select black, white or any other colour within this artwork to create a completely different interior design scheme.
What ever your taste in art, it can be used successfully to guide your furniture and decor choices. When you base your room decor around an artwork that you love and that always draws your eye, it allows your eye to move from one object to another and appreciate the entire room as a cohesive interior design.
So if you're not brave enough to put colour on walls or are not able to because you 're a renter, leave the walls neutral. Be brave with your art, embrace colour, be brave with your cushions, rugs and decor, these items are easy and budget conscious enough to change.
Don't condemn you life to beiges and greys, there are thousands of colours out there to choose from. Don't live your life in black and white when you can live it in MAGNIFICENT COLOUR.
If you need help with selecting a wall colour, furniture or decor pieces give me a call. I am an Interior Designer for the Central Coast, Sydney and Newcastle.