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Art Brings Interiors to Life

Mar 23, 2020 | Posted in How To & Decorating Tips | Share

living room corner in a modern bachelor's condo, showing an unusual lamp in blue glass with brass metal fixture, next to a large oil painting of a landscape. In front of the painting on the floor sits a white dried tree branch, which draws your eye down to the red rug in front of a pale pink sofa just visible at the front left of the image.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Eric Rorer

Art can completely change the feeling of an interior. It’s often one of the final steps in completing a re-design or new room, but a good designer starts planning for artwork in the space long before final touches. Here are a few examples from spaces designed for my clients, such as the retro-modern bachelor pad above, elevated by an oil painting in the living area.

A petite living room showing a grey corner sofa with tan and light blue pillows piled at the corners. Above the sofa on the rear wall are 3 different pieces of art, one very large, one a photo in black and white, and one is a double row of small photos side-by-side. On the joining wall, two more smaller framed images are hung. In front of the sofa is a wooden coffee table and underneath is a blue, brown and grey patterned rug that matches the throw pillows.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Eric Rorer

In this San Francisco condo of less than 600 feet overall, there are multiple scales of artwork on display, creating interest in this petite living room, while not overwhelming the space. View the larger images from across the room, while the smaller images draw you in for closer inspection.

A living room vignette, showing a grey mid-century modern sofa with 5 multi-colored and multi-patterned throw pillows scattered across it. In front is a glass Noguchi-style coffee table, and behind the sofa are two yellow glass table lamps. Just above the sofa on the wall is a colorful photo printed on canvas of Yosemite Half-Dome.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Eric Rorer

The owners of this comfortable mid-century apartment met and fell in love at Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, so it’s a lovely reminder of the start of their relationship to feature the iconic landscape above their sofa. Plus I tied in the colors from the photo to the bright colors in their throw pillows.

A contemporary condo's walls are clad in knotty cedar wood in this open-plan living-dining area, accented with white ceiling, and white fireplace surround in the living space. Above the fireplace is a canvas of black and white art, with a matching canvas hung on the wall behind the dining table, just visible at the far left of the image, partially out of view. In front of the fireplace sits a grey wooly rug with a mid-century modern stool with white tufted upholstery, ready to help you stoke the fire. A tiered glass chandelier hangs above the dining table and chairs.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Paul Dyer

In this contemporary open-plan living and dining room, you can see the relationship between the artwork above the custom-designed fireplace and the artwork on the back dining wall, behind the chandelier. Considering how art will appear from every viewing angle is an important part of designing for the whole space.

A contemporary condo's walls are clad in knotty cedar wood and accented with a white ceiling. A black and white canvas hangs on the wall behind the dining table, topped in white on dark twisty legs. Four modern slim leather chairs in a grey-blue surround the table. A tiered glass chandelier hangs above, ready to fill in when the light streaming in the sliding glass door at the right of the space is unavailable.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Paul Dyer

Kimball Starr can design YOUR space to highlight a cherished artwork, or help you find something new that’s exactly right. Contact her today for a consultation!

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