Instructor: Deborah Ogden

Art and Accessories Part 2

The frame of the art is not a “property line”

Use your best judgment…

Art and accessories can overlap!

Displaying a

collectioncanalso be a method

ofstorage

Lots of artwork, or busy artwork, requires simpler furnishings, simpler backgrounds

All dark frames

Different shapes

Different materials

All are mirrors

Simple backgrounds

Angled placement

works on stairs

Use the architecture

for a cue to the placement of the art work

Use the style and architecture to determine the style and placement

of the art

Art can be hung in front of a bookcase

Yes, this looks kind of messy

•It is best not to hang art on any wall area less than 36” wide

•Art on a door could be interesting in a very small room

•Depends on the style—a fussy look is the goal here

•As a rule not good to hang art on any thing under 36” wide

It is OK to hang art on a patterned wall, or over fabric or wallpaper

If the artwork is simple, the background can

steal the show

Sometimes the background and the art are simple

Sometimes the art is the background

Focus on matting:

It saves on cost to use ready-made frames that are all one size

Then use custom mats, based on the existing frame size, cut to fit each photo

Picture matting can be part of the effect

of a work of art

Base a grouping on a common theme

Shadow boxes can create great art, and get some lovely things out of the drawer—a common theme and color give more

impact

These ancient masks have impact grouped together, and the lighting

gives drama

Picture rail

Are they accessories or

art?

Wall brackets hold art objects

They come in many styles

•The correct scale is important for accessories

•One good item with impact (not tiny) is better than a million little

bitty things•Too many little items are like

“room dandruff”

Accessories are the jewelry of the room

Accessories should be the

correct scale for the room

—

Just because we own something

doesn’t mean it is a room

accessory Clear

candlesticks on the mantel are a good example of

this principle

Books can be great accessories—but should be arranged to be effective, whether on a shelf, or elsewhere

Books can give lifts and levels to other decorative items or lamps

A too-short lamp can be raised a few inches on a sturdy book or two

Store paperbacks

and DVD’s in less-public

rooms Since they’re

not as good looking as

books, they can be

concealed by cabinet doors or containers

PILLOWS•Pillows are not just “fluff”•They make all furniture more comfy•They can make a deep sofa work for both a tall person and a shorter person•Pillows need to work hard in a design sense, acting as a cross-linking color device•They can tie a neutral sofa into a fun color scheme•The matching ones, that come with the sofa, are not as useful from a design point of view (use them on a contrasting chair)•Pillows are easier and less expensive to change than upholstery, so you can go a little wilder with color and expensive fabrics•Here is one sofa with different looks in pillows—this one has formal fabrics

This one has a cottageOr “Shabby Chic” look

This ones says:Upbeat Modern”

The room is all in neutrals except for the rich tapestry fabrics on the pillows--the only color in

the room

•What effect do the red accessories have on this room?

•What effect would they have if all were pink?

Fresh flowers are always the best accessory

Match the shape to the place

Dramatic lighting

The bowl and the three spheres are important for the design

Lamp as a “Sculpture”