Photo selections from 10 Rooms with Oversized Art
Think back on a time you’ve walked into a room and had a visceral, noticeably different shift in how you feel:
instantly at ease, inspired, expansive… this is an experience! Pay close attention to when you feel good in a space and observe why. Experience has a multitude of meanings and has many components of good design — it can be the indulgent necessity of sinking into a perfect sofa, or the gentle order and welcoming of a living room with impeccable space planning — aligned so well it seems to have the same effect on your general feeling of place in life.
Where do we begin to express and summon that experience in the home? I’m going to suggest a starting point: ART.
Photo courtesy of Femina
Photo by Nina Holst
Art has an unmatched ability to infuse a home with personality, personal style and culture, and is one of the most personal exchanges you’ll have with an object. Design using art and three solid principles: Big. Bold. Simple. If you want to know what direction to go in terms of personal style, find a piece that speaks to you and don’t be afraid to go big.
By maximizing your artwork it can set the tone and impact of a room giving you effortless creative freedom. A palette can be drawn from the artwork itself that ripples into the upholstery, ottomans, rug selections, and accessories.If you are drawn to more color and more dynamic spaces, consider a cluster installation.
Photo by Sean Fennessy, production by Lucy Feagins / The Design Files
Photo courtesy of Helenio Barbetta
Interior design by Jessica Vedel
Use more abstract art to enhance a space without overpowering it — or more representational art to infuse a space with the essence of places or destinations with a peaceful feeling I yearn to summon (most often alluding to water or a very abstract evocative landscapes). Abstract art specifically gives the mind a place to rest and won’t add too much additional noise to a room. Even subtle paintings can have tremendous impact.
Large artwork tends to make a small space feel larger and a large space more intimate. More important that that it defines the character of YOUR home and adds the distinguished expressionism that is you.
Always, listen for the internal YES when you see a piece that moves you.