Art 139 Ideabooks

This 1751 home was a blank canvas for Kristin and Mark Nicholas. It was originally painted in simple whites and pastels, and Kristin has spent the past 14 years layering on brushstrokes in vivid colors. A working artist known for her knit,... more »

Put yourself in the shoes of a 4-year-old and imagine having a playspace complete with an interactive tree, hand-crafted plush animals, a lemonade stand and — wait for it — an indoor swing. Is your head exploding yet? Designer... more »

Many years ago, I lived in a Craftsman-style home. The house was built in 1902 on a great street in Pasadena, California. I made several updates to the house, trying to preserve its integrity... more »

A balance of artistry and functionality helped bring this Austin, Texas, kitchen to life. The clients — a young couple with two children — had different priorities for the project. She wanted a space that felt artful and unique. He was focused on... more »

Netherlands interior designer Sonia van der Zwaan-Barrigas and her husband loved a painting by Portuguese artist Mario Rita so much, they chose their color... more »

From beautiful oils to light-reflecting mirrors and everything in between, art is often what immediately draws the eye — the element that makes an impact at first glance. Even in a traditional and more formal living room, thinking outside the box and... more »

Botanical prints, framed and hung in a tidy row or grid, are one of those can't-fail approaches to artwork. They're traditional and timeless — but also expected.... more »

There are many reasons to include a landscape painting as a focal point or an accessory in any room. Some of the designers highlighted here featured work by artists they know personally. One — in a find worthy of a segment on Antiques Roadshow —... more »

It's a tough world out there, and sometimes we need a little reminder — while we're brushing our teeth, going up the stairs or flying out the front door — that everything is going to be OK. We've all seen typography around the house in the form of... more »

Animal art isn't just for kids — although, admittedly, one of the examples shown here was created just for them. But from Warhol to wild horses, there are a lot of sophisticated works that can complement the design of almost any room in your home. more »

Adam Silverman's first love was always ceramics — but it took him a while to commit. While ceramics was his first major at the Rhode Island School of Design, he quickly switched to architecture after a short semester due to nagging fears that he wouldn't... more »

You can add instant personality to any room with portrait art. 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, every option makes its own... more »

Cowichan Valley is located in a bucolic corner of Vancouver Island and is known for its food, wine and Mediterranean-like climate — it's reputed to have more sunny days than anywhere else in Canada. So it's easy to see why painter and architectural... more »

A chandelier hangs amidst a grove of ficus trees in architect Carolina Katz's house. The trees were part of the home's original design by Fernando Castillo Velasco, a well-known... more »

Artist Do Ho Suh is making people think about the precarious idea of home. His latest work is a powder blue gable roof cottage, the 18th permanent sculpture commissioned by the Stuart Collection at the University... more »