Thursday, October 16, 2014

Mix It Up: Your Artwork Doesn’t Have to Match the Sofa


There’s nothing better than finding the perfect piece of furniture for your home. It’s comfortable, it fits the dimensions of your space, and best of all, it fits your personality. But sometimes it can be a struggle to find artwork to match your furniture.

The solution? Don’t worry about matching! Here’s a little design secret: There are no rules that say that your art has to perfectly coordinate with your interiors in color, size, or aesthetic. In fact, when your artwork has an oddity to its size, or is displayed in a nontraditional way, or even if the subject is unexpected, that’s what makes your home a real home!

Your artwork should reflect you, your personality, your family, and your lifestyle in a way that creates a treasured home environment. Here are a few ways to bring the unexpected into your home art gallery.


Break away from the traditional. Remember when artwork would always be hung according to rigid standards? You may have chosen a patterned sofa or set of chairs and tried to find art in the same color palette. However, there are plenty of ways to style a look without being overly matchy-matchy. Imagine a black-and-white striped chair with a bright red and orange abstract print above, for example. Colors can be complementary, or you could have just one color in common to tie it all together. 

Stay under budget. Just because you sprang for an investment rug doesn’t mean you have to buy an original painting to match. No matter how nice your furniture is, you can find inexpensive artwork to match. Instead of choosing a pricey painting, why not display your favorite prints? Calendars are a great source for multiple prints that can be arranged together using uniform frames. It’s really all about expressing your unique style so that when you look at it all together, you can’t help but smile.

Choose your locations wisely. It’s a good idea to consider the function of each room before deciding which art will live in it. Start out by grouping your artwork together and determining which rooms you want to display which pieces. If you’re worried that small children or rowdy guests will disturb your artwork, consider pieces that are not breakable for common areas. A few long hanging wires spray-painted with plastic coating or a grouping of long picture shelves could hold your children’s favorite books or Lego creations. Or if the kids are older, you can pair artwork from your latest travels with cherished photos of your kids to give your room a new focal point.


Add an air of eclecticism with a gallery wall. The great thing about gallery walls is that they fit in with just about any décor. If you have boxes of treasures hidden away, look through them and pick out meaningful pieces to display, from your kids’ artwork to favorite family photos and beloved prints. Think outside-the-box by mixing colors and patterns. Robert’s own bright and multicolored furniture designs work so well with a mix of old and new accessories, and a gallery wall is the perfect way to accomplish that look.

Make your kids the star of the show. Family photos look great anywhere when done with style. Skip the photo studio and have a few of your favorite snapshots printed as over sized black-and-white photos… perhaps one of each family member sticking out their tongue out or blowing out their cheeks? This look is so much more personal than posed studio shots and will remind you of special times together.


So, if you think your artwork has to match your furniture perfectly, then consider these ideas to give your interiors a fresh look. You will never look at artwork the same!

Laurie Laizure is the CEO of Customized Walls and founder of the largest online community for design pros. Laurie’s work has been featured on various cable networks as well as top publications in the interior design world such as New England Home and Country Living magazines. She also writes on her own blog, William Sonoma Designer Marketplace and for Shutterfly.com. Connect with her here: Google+ 


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Saturday, October 11, 2014

High Point October 2014


When Lazar asked me if they could create a sofa from my LOUNGE design, I said sure!! See the result at the High Point Market | The World's Home for Home Furnishings!

Let's see how they did...

Showroom IHFC D817
(Design Center 8th Floor)


See you there!

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