Thursday Tip # 12- Art above the sofa

Do you have  one big blank space above the sofa?  Are you wondering how to fill it?  If the number of questions I get about this is any indication there are lots of question marks out there about this topic.  Ta da... answers.  I  introduced this topic a little in last week's Thursday Tip  when I discussed scale, but I wanted to give more formatting options this week. 

 This is an area where there are lots of thoughts on how to and how not to hang art for best effect.
My guideline is to think about ways to fill at least 2/3 the width of the furniture. It is often difficult to find large scale art so think about pairings of various types.  It also looks good if your art expands to the edges of the sofa.  Once you go beyond  sofa width the art starts to look very top heavy and the sofa  is diminished. You should also consider the height of the art.   Remember it is a long way to the ceiling so refrain from work that is only twelve or 14 inches high.  It will look lost even if it is long enough.

I have to thank  Interiors PL    for creating this great graphic that provides many options for what to hang over a sofa.

11 options for hanging art over a sofa.

My favourites in these options are  4, and 6-11.  They all fit the guidelines I discussed above.  1 and 3 are my least favourite because they don't fill up enough space for me.  I like 5 because it is asymmetrical  and I could balance this placement by adding things on the left of the sofa to create a pleasing balance. Richard Mishaan discussed  another aspect of asymmetrical placement in a House Beautiful post.

Why asymmetrical layouts work

Here is the same idea expressed in one of my painting compositions called Breathe.

 Margaret Ryall, 2004, Breathe, acrylic on canvas, 12 x 24in.

 Are any of these options wrong?  Not really.  There are only guidelines in interior design,  no right or wrong. 

Do you have a favourite way to arrange art above your sofa?  Please share.

Reclaimed wood works

 Old is good. What is old can be new again with a little ingenuity, and I don't mind admitting that the art side of my brain has lots of that.   I think reclaimed wood  is beautiful, and this summer I made great finds on the beaches near our summer house.

Are you wondering how this connects to decor?  Keep reading!

Atlantic Ocean beach wood

 Storm tossed and sea sanded house/shed remnants  were dragged home against my better half's judgement. At the time I answered the strong call emitted by these materials, but  I didn't know why I needed them.  My art often begins with the call of materials rather than with sketches and preconceived notions of a final product.

Not a pretty site/sight

No this is not the home decor section!

Move over hubby,  I am taking possessions of your precious workshed and tools.  Yep!  I know my way around drills, bandsaws, chopsaws and sanders and I discovered construction adhesive will stick most everything together. Drop paintbrushes, fine papers and canvas.  I have a new palette and perhaps a new series for exhibition.

This one is my keeper.

Beach Quilt, Margaret Ryall, 2013, reclaimed wood

 And here it is in the back entry of my summer house.  I have to wait until May to see it again (and take some decent shots of it).

You've reached the home decor part

Stay tuned for more creative moments in my life.  What have you created for your home lately?

10 Ways to use Pantone's Colour of 2014

The news is out and after much  guessing  by designers the world over Pantone has declared Radiant Orchid as the colour for 2014.

2014 Pantone Colour of the Year

 It seems to leave people a little speechless.  Now I am a purple lover and have hits of it around my house, but I lean toward the bluish purples.  Even my front door is BM french violet. I have lavender  front porch cushions  etc.  I wear lots  of purples in clothing.   But this is more pink.

It is a far cry from last year's emerald. 

 If you bought into emerald last year here's a combination of the two.... 

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Certainly colourful.  Notice how white is used to quieten this scheme.

But how to deal with this vibrant pink purple.... 

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 Play it safe and use it to add a  jolt of colour in flowers... Beautiful and temporary.

 

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Invest in a little leather that can be moved from room to room.  

Paint a piece of furniture or a mirror.

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Throw in a daring light fixture. 

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 Buy an accent chair in this lovely hue and connect it with a patterned pillow. 

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Mix it up in lovely patterned bedding. 

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Or on a ceiling or headboard.  Notice the leather ottoman from a previous shot.

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Now we are getting daring with drapes, a bold geometric pattern and peonies.  The dark furniture provides a rich backdrop for this scheme.

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Or have the full meal deal with walls, bedding, drapes, pillows and art.  Thankfully the white offers the perfect foil for the vibrancy.

Did you notice any trends in how it is used? 

And good- bye with one of my paintings that works with this lovely colour

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Margaret Ryall ( In Between) mixed media on canvas, 12 x 36 inches , private collection

8 Ways to fill empty corners

The four corners of a room are often a no man's land when it comes to design.  I am not saying that you have to fill up every corner with something, but I am advocating thinking about your space to determine if  it might need to look more "fulfilled". Here are some of my favourite solutions:

Art 

Using Art to fill an empty corner

Margaret Ryall

 Usually you can't walk right up art you place in a corner,  so choose something that can be read from a distance. This lovely matted and framed wood sculpture is stunning for corner purposes.  It brightens up the space, fills it nicely, provides a backdrop for the dark table and lamp base and is a bit of a conversation piece. I was so excited when it was hung on my clients' wall.  

 

 Kristen Rivoli Interior Design

This colourful mid century modern space needs art work to match.   It creates another layer for the space that invites the eye to roam and then return to the equally colourful lamp and chair. 

 Round table and two chairs

Houzz

Round tables are great for corners because they allow you to fill the awkward space and at the same time move your eye around so you don't get stuck there visually. The addition of the lamp provides the third height thus creating a more interesting design.

Tall  floral arrangement

 Jeffers Design Group

 When you have the height why not go for it and use something tall to fill the space.  Again a round table is the mainstay for  this foyer area. 

 Built in bookcase 

Vicente Burin Architects

This beautiful set of bookcases  tucks effortlessly into a corner.  The colour adds to the whole space and the minimal arrangement of objects and books ensures it isn't too busy. 

Chair and floor lamp 

 

 Cravotta Interiors

A round floor lamp behind a chair is a perfect and quite functional solution for a corner. 

 Houzz

In larger spaces the addition of a round table helps to fill the corner and provide variety in heights. 

 A  workspace 

Siemasko + Verbridge

Tidy and interesting  art too. 



  Leslie Goodwin Photography

Or perhaps a larger space to make use of a corner under a stairs.  


 
SchappacherWhite Architecture D.P.C.

Large scale vases/urns

InHouse Design Studio

Sometimes you need a certain something to complete a design and these two large scale floor vases do just that.  Imagine the space without them.  

Flüff Designs & Decor

 This arrangement is not in a corner, but it very well could be.  Rather than bamboo you could use birch sticks if you wanted a more rustic look.

 Corner mirror and two chairs

Tydings Design Inc

Love this solution because it expands the space making it seem like it goes on forever. The glitz and sparkle doesn't hurt either . 

Then there's tall plants, built in benches, screens .... The list is as long as your imagination.  Do you have any bright ideas for filling corners?

The value of objects

Every home is filled with furniture and objects, but they are not valued equally by homeowners. Personal preferences and history play a part in determining individual likes and dislikes in furniture and accessories.  Coming to terms with what you truly value in your home can help you set a design focus.

 As a place to start with clients who  may be  having difficulty focusing on where they want to go with a design, I often ask them to show me several things in the space that they value/love/ couldn't part with. In talking about why they like the particular piece I get insight into what is important to them and many times the objects also provide inspiration for the design.

Sutton Suzuki Architects

 Art work of varying kinds can serve  as an impetus for a room design.  The tones of the sculptures and ceramic vases  are picked up in the dark woods of the stacked tables. The beige sofa allows the art work to stand out. 

  Margaret Ryall

In my  home art usually influences my room designs.  I certainly don't purchase art work to match my decor, but I like to give my art work the option of influencing the room in which it lives!  One of my favourite pieces (artist Will Gill) begged me to paint this favourite chair a lovely green.

 Suzanne Price Design, LLC

 Antique rugs are a wonderful starting point for original colour schemes.  This blue and aqua scheme is fresh and exciting, and without a wonderful starting point this room probably would not have come together in this way.  Mixing old and new can be easy if you are a little adventurous. 

Pet peeve:   Please, can I have a larger coffee table so I can reach it to put my coffee cup down when I come for a visit? It's the armless chair that I would sit in.  I hate floating coffee tables that don't connect with the furniture. Sorry, that just popped out.

  Jeffers Design Group 

Sometimes something as small as a pillow or a set of lamps can be the beginning of a sophisticated design.  Certainly if you owned these lamps they would be difficult to ignore.  Perhaps there is an interesting history  behind them. 

 Sania Pell

Not everthing you value is pretty.  Some objects  have  histories told by the marks of the passage of time. They evoke  family memories and offer opportunities for pairing with objects that have a similar history. I love this old box with its related sea themed objects.

 Margaret Ryall

This humble trunk my father made when I was a child is an important part of the decor in my summer house.  It isn't in pristine shape with a latch missing and and a crack around the hinge on the back.  To me it is invaluable.  Not only does it hold  memories, I have a coffee table and a storage chest.  I can change the colour anytime I want, and it gives my room that lived in look you want in a summer place. It is also a perfect foot stool!

For a room to truly reflect its owners it has to have objects that have some emotional value.  Otherwise you have a "model home", pretty but soulless! 

Small details, big impact

There are so many ways to create impact in a space.  Sometimes impact is created by  subtle additions of  colour, textures, or forms  or features can be in your face - bold.

 I tend to sit in the subtle camp.  I enjoy finding treasures in a space and then visually connecting them to create points of interest- a kind of meandering trip while you sit comfortably at your computer or in someone's home.

Art

 Pinterest

The three small artworks hung vertically (lower than usually seen) act as a perfect foil for the hanging lamp.  The flowers soften all the vertical movement and it is further calmed by  the horizontal lines of the headboard and the fluffy pillows.  In a space that is neutral, you have to rely on other elements beside colour to excite the eye. 

 

South Shore Decorating

The artwork over the banquette keeps drawing me in.  The little hint of blue against the yellow school bus connects to the flowers and pillows.  I would be even happier seeing just the banquette, table and art.  This would allow the viewer to really appreciate the art.  Often less is more. 

Flowers

 Home & Interiors

 There's so much I love about this room: the simple lines in furniture; the light floor; the minimalist arrangements in the bookcase; the purple over the fireplace.  The crowning glory for me is the tall vase of calla lilies by the window. They are like an exclamation point. 

Spots and Stripes

The natural elements in this space keep your eyes moving . Nothing looks as crisp as plants in an all white space.

 Pillows

 Purple area

Never underestimate the power of  pillows to add interest to a blah space. This room goes from ordinary to inviting because of the pillows. The variety in size, shape and textures draws the eye.  Who know crocheted squares could look so good? The lushness of the pillows against the distressed headboard and simple bedclothes adds further interest.

Headboards

 oomph on line

 The inclusion of a headboard that mimics waves below the picture of the whale is striking. The bedding has a simple nautical feeling in blue and white.

 house to home

Something as simple as a painted strip behind a bed to act as a headboard can be very inviting. The repetition of lavender makes this a calm space. If you wanted to rev it up a little, magenta pillows would do the trick.

Lamps 

 Houzz

 The symmetrical placement of two lamps in this work space provides a frame for the asymmetrical  gold branch.  Your eye is led there by the gold chair.  The aqua stool creates variety in colour.

 Olofjakobina

Lamps don't have to be huge to be effective.  The simple silver lamp fills the empty space above the art work. Remember lamps can do more than shed light.

Doors

Gramercy fine linens and furnishings

Sometimes doors complete a room either through  interesting lines or colour.  These doors have both.

Flying high

Lately I'm seeing birds in many design magazines and home decor shops. They keep popping up on wallpaper, pillows, bedding, pottery, art work and in cages.  It seems the sky's the limit!  Here are some of my favourite ways to integrate a theme into your home. It doesn't have to be birds, it could be butterflies, fish etc.

Wallpaper 

 Houzz

 I love the design possibilities of wallpaper, but I can also remember all those hours of scraping it off walls.  My preference now  is to use wallpaper on smaller spaces or as an accent.  The colours in this pattern work perfectly with other colours in the room. In a small space which isn't lived in daily you can be a little more whimsical or adventurous.

maison21

This vibrant yellow is hard to ignore and it is used sparingly.  Framing sections is a perfect solution for a shot of pattern and colour.  Look closely and you will see tiny birds.  The graphic pillow repeats the motif in a much bolder way.  

 Erika Everett Design

 And the bird theme is carried through this nursery even to the ceiling.

Wall Decals and Stencils

Lucy McLintic

 These white birds  are subtle and fresh even with the addition of pattern on another wall. I think white drawings are so minimal  because they just hint at their presence.   

 Custom Nursery Art

Look up!  Look waaaay up! What a lovely finishing touch in a nursery!   

 Oniroco

  You have to love these graphic birdcages and birds on the wall, but don't miss the pillows!

And here they  are again in  graphic black providing a  backdrop for this dark sofa.  I like how the curved lines of the sofa interact with the curves of the cages. And following up with the real thing......

Birdcages

 Cristi Holcombe

Using cages is a way to reference our fine feathered friends without having them actually  appear.  The absence of presence so to speak. I love the weathered driftwood with the straight lines of the cages.  

The Decorologist 

 You can also attach birdcages to your wall for a very three dimensional look which leads me to other forms of 3 D accessories....  


Sculpture

Nelson Wilson Interiors

Tucked away on a table top amidst  a display of flowers and books, 

 Francine Gardner

 commanding a shelf in a very contemporary office space,

spaces design

 or hanging in pristine whiteness to delight a new baby, birds take many forms in homes.

 nestliving

 The iconic Eames bird can be found in many styled homes. Charles and Ray Eames had the original carved bird and constantly rearranged  it in various vignettes around their home and when styling photos. Because of the colour and simple lines the bird was sought by Eames fans.   Using 3 D scans of the original bird Vitra is now creating reproductions of it.

Art work

 Niki Papadopoulos

Silhouettes of birds and branches provide a very eye catching headboard design. 

Emily A. Clarke

Small prints of various birds matted large and stacked on either side of this bed make for an interesting symmetrical layout.

 Williams-Sonoma Home

 Don't forget you don't have to hang artwork.  It can be beautifully displayed as part of a vignette.

Painted Furniture 

 bryonieporter.com

Birds appear to be a favourite motif on painted furniture.  This striking combination begs your attention.  It would make a fantastic art piece at the end of a hallway.

  

Home Decorators  

 What a difference from the dresser above.  This one is all calmness and delicacy. 

 Lighting

 Tim Cuppett Architects

 Ingo Maurer  birdy chandelier is a modern classic that will always inspire interest.

Kasey Buick

 And a more traditional take on a birdie chandelier.

 I could keep going but this post is already too long!

Do you have an interesting way you have included bird motifs in your decor?  Just click on the comments button and have your say.