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Expert Talk: Portraits Take Rooms Beyond Face Value
Adding depth and intrigue, portraits also sit well with these pro designers for putting a personal stamp on interior designs
Houzz Contributor. After graduating from UC Berkeley, I found myself utterly unprepared for the real world and at a loss as to what I should do next. Luckily, one day I stumbled through the doors of Architectural Digest and was taken under the wing of legendary editor Paige Rense. She had the vision to look past my uninspiring sociology degree and my general lack of experience—an unlikely journalism career was born. After AD, with my magazine karma still intact, I was hired by yet another publishing legend, the food critic and writer Ruth Reichl. I currently ply my trade as a freelance writer and editor and live in stylish Mid-Century-Modern comfort with my dog, Mike.
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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 statement, and one of them could be just right for you.
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Play the odds. Books can be a great artistic inspiration. Jamie Snavley of InterDesign Studio came upon these colorful portraits in an Italian art book. "I like a series of things in a grid format, and I really wanted some bold colors in this room," he says.
"There are three rows with 11 pieces in each row — I like odd numbers in art and accessories," he says. "The thin black frames are perfect, because they don't detract from the art and let the beautiful colors shine."
"There are three rows with 11 pieces in each row — I like odd numbers in art and accessories," he says. "The thin black frames are perfect, because they don't detract from the art and let the beautiful colors shine."
by CIH Design
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Set the mood. This striking, colorful piece is an original Jamali. "I love its edginess in combination with the black Murano chandelier," says Shelly David of Riehl Designs. "It inspires conversation and adds a bit of intrigue to the mood of the room."
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| Have some fun. The personality of these homeowners was injected into this room by Tobi Fairley Interior Design. "They have three children and wanted the presence of the children to be shown in a fun way throughout their home," says Tiffany Burgess, who works with Tobi Fairley. "These silhouettes, which are available through Jonathan Adler, were a way to bring in color and give the space a fun, fashion-forward vibe while still making it about family and tradition." |
by Chloe Warner
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Stay grounded. "These clients have an amazing art collection, and we worked with a hanger to place these iconic Sally Mann photographs over the bench," says Chloe Warner of Redmond Aldrich Design. "The simplicity of the bench form grounds these portraits in a way that I really love."
| Gather a group together. Designer Peg Berens lucked out with this project, because her clients already had an extensive art collection for her to work with. "After sorting through all their pieces, I discovered that a number of them were of faces," she says. "I thought it would be more interesting to arrange them together, rather than spread them around the home." She adds, "They were all framed differently but in various shades of gold and bronze for cohesiveness. To supplement the grouping and add interest, I included small framed mirrors to the overall arrangement. The final result is a beautiful display of the clients' portrait art where the subject of each piece is fascinating in and of itself, but they each have a story to tell on their own." |
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| Live large. This wall-to-wall photograph is by Italian artist Alex Turco. The homeowner wanted a clean, simple look for the room but also wanted to make a statement. "Part of what we do is get inspiration from fashion," says Fanny Zigdon of Design Loft Interiors. "And this really is a fashion statement, but it doesn't take up any physical space. It's almost like having something sculptural." She adds, "It's a waterproof panel that's very thin and very flush to the wall. We wanted it to be a part of the design, not so much a piece of art hanging on the wall. Yet, it's very three-dimensional and there's a lot of depth to it. Overall, it made a statement and determined the entire feel of the space." |
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Provide a sense of continuity. "Artwork 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 pick pieces to match a room, I do think some continuity with style seems to make it pop."
For this room, "I wanted some classic pieces like the male nude — on the wall opposite there's a female nude — and the Madonna, just above the male nude, mixed with a vintage deco feeling. The painting of the little girl has clothing patterns in the background," she says.
For this room, "I wanted some classic pieces like the male nude — on the wall opposite there's a female nude — and the Madonna, just above the male nude, mixed with a vintage deco feeling. The painting of the little girl has clothing patterns in the background," she says.
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Go quirky. This is another design by Christy Dillard Kratzer. "I wanted the room to feel very loft-y, which was easy to achieve with 12-foot ceilings," she says. "The artwork had moodiness but was also very fresh and quirky, like the photos of the mannequins on a hot-pink background by an Italian artist. The room had a SoHo vibe to it, and the artwork reflected that style."
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by twenty7 design
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| Work with what you have. "This is a piece that my client already had, and we designed the room around the image," says Jennifer Charleston of twenty7 design. "The walls are covered in an espresso-colored suede to let the photography stand out and create a dramatic atmosphere." |
by Shirley Meisels
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Show off your personality. "This client is a successful, young professional lady," says Shirley Meisels of MHouse. "But I think she's also playful, beautiful, funny and full of moxie, so I chose these plates to reflect who she really is."
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| Keep it simple. "The impetus for using an 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 space," says designer M. Charles Beach. "We chose a deep red for the walls with white trim and simple white draperies, which created a space replete with contrast and punch. The simplicity and austerity of the Hepburn print fit in perfectly with the restraint of the overall design." |
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Add some intrigue. "Portraits take a piece that is purely decorative and make it something personal," says Gioi Tran of Applegate Tran Interiors. "They add a sense of mystery and intrigue to a space."
Ideabook published on July 10, 2012.
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Attached: Nina by Ken Beerger
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