It is possible to add instant personality to any room with portrait artwork. It doesn’t matter if you choose to go with one really colorful piece, a series laid out in a grid pattern or a huge black and white photograph. As you’ll see here, each option creates its own statement, and also among them could be just right for you.
InterDesign Studio
Play the chances. Books can be a fantastic artistic inspiration. Jamie Snavley of InterDesign Studio came upon those colorful portraits in an Italian art book. “I enjoy a series of items in a grid format, and I truly wanted some bold colors in this room,” he states.
“There are three rows with 11 bits in each row — I like odd numbers in artwork and accessories,” he says. “The thin black frames are ideal, since they don’t detract from the artwork and let the beautiful colors glow.”
CIH Design
Set the mood. This stunning, colorful piece is an original Jamali. “I love its edginess in combination with the black Murano chandelier,” says Shelly David of Riehl Designs. “It arouses dialog and adds a little bit of intrigue into the mood of this room.”
Tobi Fairley Interior Design
Have some fun. The personality of these homeowners was injected to this room by Tobi Fairley Interior Design. “They have three children and wanted the existence of the kids to be shown at a fun way throughout their home,” says Tiffany Burgess, that works with Tobi Fairley. “All these silhouettes, which are available through Jonathan Adler, were also a way to bring in colour and provide the space a pleasure, fashion-forward vibe whilst still making it about tradition and family.”
Chloe Warner
Stay grounded. “These customers have an amazing art collection, and we worked with a hanger to put those iconic Sally Mann photographs within the seat,” says Chloe Warner of Redmond Aldrich Design. “The simplicity of this seat form grounds these portraits in a manner I really love.”
Peg Berens Interior Design LLC
Collect a group together. Designer Peg Berens lucked out with this endeavor, because her customers already had a comprehensive art collection for her to work with. “After sorting through each of their bits, I found a number of these were of faces,” she states. “I believed it would be intriguing to arrange them together, rather than disperse them around the home.”
She adds, “They were all styled differently however in a variety of shades of gold and bronze for cohesiveness. To supplement the group and add interest, I added small framed mirrors to the total arrangement. The final result is a beautiful display of the customers’ portrait artwork where the subject of each piece is fascinating in and of itself, but they each have a story to tell by themselves.”
Fanny Zigdon Interiors
Stay large. This wall-to-wall photograph is by Italian artist Alex Turco. The homeowner wanted a clean, simple look for the room but also wished to make a statement. “Part of what we do is get inspiration from fashion,” says Fanny Zigdon of Design Loft Interiors. “And this is in fact a fashion statement, but it doesn’t take up any physical space. It is almost like getting something sculptural.”
She adds, “It’s a waterproof panel that is very thin and very flush into the wall. We wanted it to be a region of the plan, maybe not so much a piece of artwork hanging on the wall. Yet, it’s very three-dimensional and there is a great deal of depth to it. In general, it made a statement and determined the whole feel of this space.”
Dillard Pierce Design Associates
Provide a Feeling of continuity. “Art is super important for the personality of a space,” says Christy Dillard Kratzer of Dillard Pierce Design Associates (formerly Dillard Design Group). “While I don’t try to select pieces to match a room, I do think some goodwill with design appears to make it pop.”
With this room, “I wanted a few classic bits like the man nude — on the wall reverse there is a female nude — and the Madonna, only over the male nude, combined with a classic deco feeling. The painting of this little woman has clothing routines in the background,” she states.
Dillard Pierce Design Associates
Go quirky. This is just another style by Christy Dillard Kratzer. “I wanted the room to feel very loft-y, which was easy to reach with 12-foot ceilings,” she states. “The art needed moodiness but was very quirky and fresh, like the photographs of this mannequins on a hot-pink background by an Italian artist. The area had a SoHo vibe to it, and also the art reflected that fashion.”
Twenty7 design
Work with what you’ve got. “That is a bit that my customer already had, and we made the room around the picture,” states Jennifer Charleston of twenty7 design. “The walls are covered in an espresso-colored suede to let the photography stand out and make a dramatic atmosphere”
Shirley Meisels
Flaunt your personality. “This customer is a highly successful, young professional lady,” says Shirley Meisels of MHouse. “But I believe she’s also playful, beautiful, funny and full of moxie, therefore I chose these plates to signify who she really is.”
(m) + charles beach INTERIORS
Keep it easy. “The impetus for using a iconic print of Audrey Hepburn was largely based on our feeling that it was a dramatic piece that shared many things in common with the distance,” says designer M. Charles Beach. “We chose a deep red for the walls with white trim and easy white draperies, which created a distance replete with punch and contrast. The simplicity and austerity of the Hepburn print fit in perfectly with the restraint of the general design.”
Applegate Tran Interiors
Add some intrigue. “Portraits take a bit that is purely decorative and make it something private,” states Gioi Tran of Applegate Tran Interiors. “They add a sense of mystery and intrigue into a space”