Art Hound, a guide to living with art Art Hound

on the hunt for good art

Art @ Home

August 14th, 2010 · No Comments

A round-up of awesome art in awesome spaces.

The society Inc

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Rural Theory via Pinterest

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Bolig magazine via Pinterest

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Ditte Isager via emmas design blogg

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Ditte Isager via emmas design blogg

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Ditte Isager via emmas design blogg

What Comes First – Art Or A Blank Wall?

August 11th, 2010 · No Comments

Source: Home & Decor via desire to inspire

This question comes up a lot when I’m working with clients. Is it OK to look for art for a particular empty space in your home? Or should you only seek out art that you love regardless of not having a spot for it?

Hardcore art aficionados definitely poo-poo the former strategy. They see the acquisition of art as a thing apart (and above) from trivial matters such as wall space and layouts. But the opinions of the art elite need not apply to the rest of us! I’d argue that both strategies are legitimate; both work for different people in different situations. And to illustrate the point I’ll share a recent purchase with you all.

If you saw our house tour on Apartment Therapy, you probably saw a large, white painting above the couch in our living room. My confession: I bought the painting specifically for that space! Kind of scandalous? Not really.

As you can see in the photo above (via Apartment Therapy), our living room has one very long, exposed brick wall. It brings lots of visual interest and texture to the space but it’s also very dark and kind of busy. We had hung a collection of artwork above the couch but it felt a bit messy, not clean and stream-lined like I had hoped. I ended up moving the artwork to the opposite wall (see below) which has turned out great! As a result the wall space above the couch sat empty like a big hole screaming out for some interesting art.

Artwork (clockwise from right): Charles Tersolo, Shane Neufeld, EMA, Jennifer Davis, Cate Woolner.

Then I thought about the beautiful work of artist Jaclyn Mednicov, which I wrote about back in May, and how well one of her pieces would go above our couch. Her work was the right size, had the right vibe (calming, ethereal) and would be a departure thematically from our other artwork.  Lucky for me, one of my favorite paintings, Stacked Up, was still available and now looks great in our living room!

I’m sharing this story to prove the point that searching for art for a specific space (i.e. behind your couch) does not necessarily spell trouble. As long as you put in the effort to find something you love and remember to be patient, you’re going about it the right way.

See Kate & Cameron’s art collection here.

Ap(art)ment Envy

July 29th, 2010 · 2 Comments

Architect Sofie Simone (via automatism) has a gorgeous, airy apartment in Copenhagen filled with fabulous, bold art. Watch out, this is definitely giving me a case of apartment envy! Sofie cites seasonal art school shows as a great source for less expensive art.

Bolig Magasinet (via Google Translator): “The apartment had just been renovated as architect student Sophie Simone Aandahl took over the 130 square meters in the Vesterbro West end district of Copenhagen. From day one she loved the area and the apartment’s Parisian feel.”

Left wall: Mette Helena Rasmussen; above couch: Balder Olrik, Jan Mogensen, Mette Helena Rasmussen, Anne Fløche, Sophie, and others.

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Table: Arne Jacobsen, lamp: Ron Arad, painting: Katrina Zacho.

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Paintings: George Flemming Gustawa (top), Didder Geisler (bottom).


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I love the pale pine floors and the abundance of light in the apartment! My favorite features are those traditional French windows and doors like the one leading out to the terrace. They even have panes above the doors that stretch to the ceiling. Incredible! Oh, yeah… and the art’s pretty awesome too.

Art Collections: from Eclectic to Minimalist

December 13th, 2009 · 1 Comment

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What do other people’s art collections look like?

December 4th, 2009 · No Comments

Flickr is a fantastic resource whenever you’re looking to find out what other like-minded (or not) people are doing. (Wouldn’t it be great if you could search by location and see what your neighbor’s apartment looks like???) Many creative folks on Flickr offer inspiration by example of their beautiful, art-filled homes. And now there’s Art Hound’s Favs I, a Flickr gallery full of great examples of art in the home (see a few photos below)!

And if anyone would like to add their own photos for inspiration, please include them in the newly-formed Art Collections @ Home.

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Inspiration from Lisa Congdon’s Home

November 12th, 2009 · 1 Comment

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082509LisaCongdonHouseTour25_rect640Lisa Congdon, a painter on our List, has a stunning home in the Mission District filled with vibrant art and decorated with incredible care. Congdon’s home was profiled on Apartment Therapy and is an AMAZING inspiration for collecting and display art at home.

Congdon’s art collection consists of a few large, statement pieces, like the painting above the couch, and many medium and small pieces. Lisa not only displays her art beautifully but has also developed a unique style of mixing framed art with delicate little tchotchkes and graphic elements such as block letters and numbers.

Inspiration from Lisa Congdon’s art-filled home:

1. Carefully select your statement pieces and feature them prominently (e.g. Lisa’s living room)

2. Don’t be afraid to mix art of different media, size, color and style. Aim for a grouping that adds punch but doesn’t feel messy or chaotic

3. Installing a shelf or ledge is a great way to display artwork, especially if you like to switch out pieces frequently

4. Sets in odd numbers like 3 or 5 look great (e.g. Lisa’s bedroom)

5. Don’t be afraid to experiment and develop your own approach; there is never just one “right” way to display art!