BDG Art Tips

I recently read somewhere in one of those "decor trends for 2013" articles that people will start to pay more attention to artwork in their homes this year.  I hope this is the case!

 

When it comes to art...there really are no rules.  Art is so subjective and therefore so difficult to judge whether a piece looks right or wrong in a space.   That said, I do have some basic guidelines I naturally follow when selecting or framing art for clients. 

 

Tip 1:  Size

I am a lover of proportion.  I think a small piece on a big wall looks off.  If the piece you have is much smaller than the wall it is on then it needs to be mixed with other pieces in a gallery type display.  There are also a lot of interesting framing techniques to make a piece appear larger.  You just don't want to have a beautiful piece lost in a sea of drywall!

 

 

Tip 2:  Work with what you have. 
Re-use, re-frame or re-think

I think it is always nice to start with artwork that has meaning to you or your family. Passed down vintage art is irreplaceable. Once you have filled your home with meaningful art and photo galleries searching for new pieces that flow with your interior can give your home that "finished" feel. 
I recently installed art work in this California home (pictured above).   I started this process by first, having the client lay out all of her existing art in one space. I separated a few things that were usable as is and a couple that needed to be re-framed to fit the new interior style.

When I had everything we would re-use organized, I walked around the home trying to find new spots for these pieces.  From there, I made a list of dimensions of pieces that I would like to see on specific walls.  Once I had an idea of the amount of wall art I needed and preferred sizing, I took my list to a couple different Home Goods before I jumped into the higher price points.  This takes me to my next tip...

 

Tip 3: Mix high and low price points

It's nice to find inexpensive ready-made items to mix in with some custom framed show stoppers!
 For this project, I took my list of ideal dimensions, and shopped around some local and online retailers.  I noticed this simple image (below) at the local Home Goods.  It was the perfect size behind the chair in the Family Room.  I texted my client the image to make sure she liked it (the colors where great) and purchased.  Custom framing is expensive and I wanted to "rob Peter to pay Paul"...'Paul' in this case being the giant staircase that needed some crazy big art! $$$

 

I also really liked the floating frame this piece was in.  It was a bargain and I love the way it looks in this corner. 

 

 

There are so many other great resources on-line to find artwork.  Etsy, is often times the first place I look.

 

photo by:  Ashlee Raubach

For my San Clemente project, my client found this great piece from an artist on Etsy.
I took it to the framer and had it framed to make it large enough to make an impact above the fire place.

Another great resource I love for art images is:

Art.com makes it easy to search for what you are looking for.  I have purchased several items from this site!


west elm

West Elm always has a few interesting options that are affordable.

Flea Markets, Estate Sales and Art Galleries/festivals are some of the best places to find artwork!


I hope these simple tips will help you on your search for Artwork. 
If you have any questions let me know and I will do my best to answer!

Have a great week!