When it comes to choosing art as an element of interior design, we usually think first of paintings, photos or sculpture. Your home, however can be hub of creativity, acting as a canvas for personal expression where we can surround ourselves with our favourite treasures. A home can, in fact, be a living work of art constantly and subtly evolving as we go through life.
Pairing colours together and picking out an accent colour from a piece of art has become a sophisticated trend. In most rooms a muted tone complemented by a vibrant colour will work, but in smaller spaces opt for neutral shades from the same palette for a timeless look.
Pick your palette
Colour is without doubt a powerful design tool. It works at an architectural level to define and link spaces and highlight interesting details in your home. It can play tricks on the eyes and mind, making spaces appear open and airy, or cosy and intimate. Colour also works on an emotive level, creating mood and atmosphere in a room. It can be sophisticated, uplifting, muted or vibrant.
Drawing inspiration for colour and mood from a piece of art is a great way of finding a starting point and putting together a colour palette. The wall colour can be the backdrop to everything else that is going on in the room with paint or wallpaper colours accentuating your chosen furniture and accessories.
Mural art
Green is nature’s most abundant colour, and perhaps the most versatile. Green walls, whether papered or painted, act as the perfect canvas for any other colour.
In printed fabrics, we see a huge variety of interpretations, from detailed and accurate representations of flowers and leaves to more abstract forms.
Botanical prints are pleasing to live with, and compatible with a wide range of interiors. There are few decorative styles that can compete with the beauty of Mother Nature.
It may be that wish to create a more eccentric look for your home to both fascinate and entertain. An unexpected, large-scale mural, adds depth, drama and fun to an expansive interior. The display above from Cole & Son offers a large-scale illustration of the spring-flowering Lilac Syringa in bloom with large, oval clusters of flowers in bright and lively colours.
Build your own gallery wall
Be bold and create a gallery wall full of your most cherished pieces of art. Creating a feature wall is all about drawing attention to the right place. Collages are predominantly displayed in a living room or bedroom. But they can work equally well in kitchens and bathrooms, as long as the design concept provides enough of a statement to reflect on the rest of the room. Being inspired by travel, family pictures or the colours that you wish to inject into a room, gallery walls can be decorated with almost anything. By mixing a variety of pictures and objects you can incorporate different textures and materials to make something quite unique and personal.
Mirrors are beautiful additions and have the added benefit of making a space appear larger. Reflecting natural light can add a warm, metallic look to create a textural contrast with the warm wood tones of other pieces.
The music lover
For the music lover and vinyl enthusiast, these 3D collaged record covers have playful, paper embellishments, taking inspiration from the artist, album title and era. Whether you’re a fan of the Beatles, Rolling Stones or The Clash, these prints can look fantastic in any surrounding.
The art of display and the display of art
Whether it’s beautiful ceramics, colourful glassware or anything else that captures your imagination, collections of objects are a pleasure to put on show and a great way to add personality and character to an interior. Grouping similarly coloured materials or shapes is an art in itself. They can add depth and interest to a home, creating all-important focal points and achieving unique and stylish results.
Amanda Hanley’s artist in the spotlight
I am particularly fond of Bella Pieroni’s work. She is an influential, contemporary fine artist whose focus is on the dynamism of the human form. Her work has such an amazing energy and vitality and she always uses naturally occurring media. In recent years she has been adding and exploring colours which really compliment many interior schemes, classic or contemporary. Her work is very much of the moment and captures the essence of the figure in motion. You will see from her stunning portfolio that music is a primary source of inspiration.
