Art and design: where to begin?

Art and design: where to begin?

A few months ago, we looked at how art impacts design, but today we’re stepping further back.  While we talked about how factors like an existing collection and working with artists and advisors play a role, there is another approach.  If a client doesn’t have existing artwork or needs to mesh different styles, where does the intersection of art and design begin?

Art and design: creating a foundation

While we have worked with many clients who own artwork and want to layer those existing pieces into a new design, we also have worked with the other end of the spectrum.  Some clients come to us with a need for artwork in their spaces and ask us for guidance.  They may be at the beginning of their collecting journey, or they might be in a financial position to phase out existing prints and purchase original works.  For others, moving into a new home or combining households means that what previously worked needs a little finessing in a new setting.  Honestly, we enjoy this aspect of design so much!

Setting an art budget

Art is just as much an element of design as seating, window treatments, or area rugs.  We absolutely view it as a piece of the overall design and include it early in the design process.  In the same way that we allow for items like furniture and lighting when creating a design budget, we also create a line item for artwork.

However, because art is so personal, each client will prioritize art differently.  The priority informs the budget and investment.  We feel that it’s fundamental to identify that value from the beginning as part of the overall project to ensure a truly successful result.  For our Graduate Hospital clients, an original abstract painting was a must as a focal point in their dining room.

Buying art with a new collector

Working with a client who is new to collecting artwork is exciting, although we understand that it can also be overwhelming.  Our approach in this situation?  We send them to a few galleries with whom we work, but without us.  This allows them to discover what speaks to them and what doesn’t in a low-pressure environment.  We’ve also developed relationships with individual artists and source works from them for our clients to consider.

Once we’ve narrowed down and refined the client’s preferences and style, we turn to what works best in the space with the design.  For instance, we recently completed a dining room that features patterned wallpaper.  Selecting a painting to hang above the sideboard involved not just the size of the wall and the room, but also the scale of the pattern.  Because the painting was an investment, we had to get it exactly right.

Most importantly, the goal is to source and select pieces that connect with client on an emotional level, that brings them a sense of happiness and harmony, and that enhances the unique sense of their home being exactly right for them.

Merging distinctly different styles

This comes down to one word: compromise.  This situation usually presents itself when two people establish a home together and find that their tastes don’t exactly align.  In this case, we advise what works in a space; the size, scale, and subject of a piece may lend itself more to an entry or powder room than to the family room or master bath.  On the other hand, sometimes one person is going to use a room more frequently than the other, like a home office or den.  In those cases, we find ways to layer “their” artwork into that space. https://www.pornjk.com/tags/xcxx/

Another way to marry different styles is to find a happy medium.  What do we do when our clients fall on opposite ends of the abstract art/landscapes in oil spectrum?  We can work together to source pieces that depict an abstract landscape that they will both love.  Having a solid network of artists and galleries allows us to explore a wealth of options for our designs.

Header image: Washington Square West living room by Glenna Stone Interior Design; Photo by Rachel McGinn

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Glenna Stone Interior Design is an award-winning Philadelphia interior design firm serving Philadelphia, the Main Line, and surrounding cities. Utilizing her background and training in interior design, architecture, and engineering, Glenna specializes in creating interiors for residential and commercial design settings. We invite you to visit our website, view our portfolio, and catch up on the latest interior design concepts on our blog!