The Distinctive Life

MAKING IT PERSONAL If you are just beginning your art collecting journey, start with buying something that you love and let that inform the rest of your living room wall decor and furnishings. You can choose to paint the walls a neutral color to highlight your piece or change out the furniture, but, as interior designer Kathy Guyton of Guyton Design Group warned in Southern Living , “Don’t buy a painting just because it matches.” Rothman agrees, advising, “Art should be something that you have because you appreciate it and it’s meaningful to you.” ADDINGTEXTURES When you incorporate impressive wall art into your living room decor, the colors referenced in the piece or pieces are not the only critical element. As interior designer Mariette Himes Gomez recommends to Martha Stewart Living , homeowners should “include items that are not only visually stimulating in terms of their shapes and colors, but also have interesting textures, such as marbles and textured fabrics.” In fact, woven wall hangings are becoming more popular by the day. The striking array of textures, colors, and patterns that appear in a handmade tapestry bring visual interest to any setting, from a 13th-century castle (like the one showcased in InStyle , owned by French fashion designer Christian Louboutin) to a minimalist haven or a Bohemian-inspired retreat.

KEEPING IT LEVEL Depending on your living room’s dimensions, balancing your furniture and your statement wall art may be as easy as placing each of your hanging pieces on the same level. It’s a strategy that interior designer Curtis Herring used in his own home in New Orleans. His luxury space features a stunning mix of modern paintings, and “by keeping the artwork on a large scale and hanging the pieces at roughly the same height all around the room, he made each piece look as important as the next – just like in a gallery,” according to Southern Living . Herring also chose living room furniture that kept a low profile, allowing the art to shine. Each well-designed piece either draws the eye to the artwork or complements it through color references, patterns, or structure. Are you concerned that hanging a large vertical art piece on your wall will feel overwhelming or compete with another architectural element near the ceiling? Try leaning a vertical piece against the wall – it will still have a significant impact on your living room wall decor while avoiding any areas that might compete for your eye. UNIFYING LIVING ROOM DECOR Southern Living argues: “A piece of art, a color, or even a texture can help bring a room’s design together.” You can choose furniture and textiles that color match your statement wall art – a particularly popular approach when you have a neutral palette for your living room decor. You also can draw design inspiration from vivid, bold artwork by referencing any of the vibrant shades in your furniture coverings, drapes, or accessories. Dramatic floral panels

offer a color spectrum that the furnishings can extend by either deepening the hues or going towards lighter shades. Even eye-catching paintings in primary colors can offer a theme that can impact accent choices in modern homes. You can go beyond color with your decor choices. There may be lines or angles in a photograph or painting that can be complemented in the angles of your coffee table or the curve of your sofa. Or you can directly mimic elements from the artwork in your accents, as interior designer Mariette Himes Gomez did by “employing a vividly hued European still-life, which she paired with a small bowl of marbles — mimicking the bowl in the painting,” according to Martha Stewart Living . The effect on the living room decor can be delightfully visually stimulating and immediately enlivening. CREATING CONTRAST A statement piece of art is by definition eye-catching, but it can be arresting when it sits in contrast to the rest of the room. This is often the case when bold modern pieces are added to living room walls where the decor is minimalist or brutalist and utilizing an all-white, light concrete, or neutral palette. Picture a stark industrial background punctuated by pop art done in vibrant primary colors or a geometric theme contrasted against softer, organic elements. Black and white photography can have a powerful, emotional impact on the viewer, and it works brilliantly against more colorful living room decor, as well as dramatic, monochromatic spaces.

15 bhgrecollection.com |