Big Art Inspiration …

There is just something about it. 

I have always been a Sucker for Big Art.

I love the Impact.

The Unexpected SIZE.

I didn't get to visit the Kips Bay Showhouse this year and am bumming more than you could know!

So as I scour the web for all of the inspiration the Showhouse gives I found Elissa.

Take a look at this room, and you can see I fell hard.

 Some more photos from her website.

And don't for a minute think that Big Art is only about paintings or photographs.

Look at these Roman Shades.  Art in the Window.

Here the Art is Good.

But made better by the flanking mirrors and flowers.

And while you are thinking that the Art on the Back Wall 

is Small.

The Art is in the Beams.

Art Framing Art.

And, let's face it.

The Art of God and Nature Beats them All.

I feel a sense of gratefulness toward Elissa for her validation of Large Art.

Hope you are making a place for Big Art!

Making the World More Beautiful.  One Room at a Time.

xo,

kim

ORC Link Up … Week 1

Just when I thought I was capable of focusing on my own!

The One Room Challenge Linking Party starts today … for Six weeks you get to see a MILLION room makeovers with enough inspiration and creativity you could ever imagine all in one Place!

Go here to Follow or Join … Calling It Home.

Don:  "Kim, Can you just focus on the kitchen and the den so we can have two rooms completed before you begin the next?"

Me:  "Yes, I know!  I promise I'll quit jumping around and I'll do these two rooms first."

Don:  "Why are your piles everywhere?"

Me:  "I don't have an office."

Me:  "Linda is doing another ORC"

Don:  "Do it … at least SHE keeps you on task!"

Whoop Whoop … Here we GO!

There is a lot of Ugly to tackle before I get to my inspiration … I know you will pull me through!!

And, Yes … I chose Ms. Confidence!

Now go see what else is happening in homes across the world!

Making The World More Beautiful.  One Room at a Time.

xo,

kim

Friday Snip-Its … Can it Really be Spring??

1.  Nudes.  Perhaps I am getting older.  I love them.

2.  This fabric made me happy.  Wanted it for the kitchen.

It was TOO much! But the Color!

3.  Do you know this lady?  We met for lunch this week. 

Get to know her!

4.  Carpet Borders.  On the hunt.

5.  This Chandelier.  I need it for a client!

Does she want it like I do???

6.  The Fig is IN.

7.  This Nude.  She celebrates Confidence.  I love her.

8.  More Carpet/Border Hunt for a client.

9.  This Band. Being Considered for a Red Room (mine!) Near You.

Happy Friday sweet Friends.  Celebrate the Weekend.

The Sun is Shining.  God is Good!!

Making the World More Beautiful.  One Room at a Time.

xo

kim

Friday Snip-It's ... My Week via Instagram!

1.  Weather is cooling down.  Time for the Dixie Manhattan!

2.  A little Jonathan Adler love via JC Penney!

3.  While styling a client's bookshelves, her sister whipped this up!!

4.  Story of my children's lives.  Find your own socks, I can't do it anymore!

5.  Why do I have such an attraction to old things?

6.  Every since this, I have been spray painting books. The early darkness is a bummer!

7.  Gotta love it when you know an artist! And she'll put up with your late night requests!

8.  And blessed to have a friend who will pick cotton for me ... coming in the mail soon!

Another week down, all is moving in crazy ways ... 

but that's what makes this life interesting, right?!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Making the World More Beautiful.  One Room at a Time.

xo,

kim

Back to the Home Tour ... Our Living Room ...

A couple of weeks ago on my Friday Snip-its ... I discussed brick.

To paint or Not to paint.

The images I shared ... I agree with you totally.  DON'T Paint.

But here's what I have ... and no, the fact that a lightbulb is out is NOT the problem!

Do you see how DARK it is in that back wall and in both corners.  I tried so many ways to keep the brick and lighten it up.  

Then, I took the jump.  And painted the whole damn thing.  WHITE.

Here, I was playing with mantel colors.  Mustard.  I am not a fan of Hot Dogs.

This was short lived.

The little bar area also had no light.  I loved it ... but I just need LIGHT!

Here is is today.  White Brick, White behind the bar ... and a little door treatment in the bar area.

Red Mantel. Fun for now.

The LIGHT.  Oh how I love the LIGHT.

The Bar.  White Walls. Portrait Light. Pattern on the Doors. Love.

John Gonella Art

Again, the Before ... 

The Original Dark Corner.  Now has Light.

Favorite piece of Jane's Art.

The Whole After ... 

No Shades on Chandelier.  White Brick. Portrait Light.

Making my life brighter!

Things continue to change with the wind.  But I am so much happier with the Light.

I have fallen in love with New England.  But when it is dark at 4:30 in December, I need the light.  The painted brick delivers the goods.  

In my case.  It was necessary to Paint the Brick!

Glad you stopped by for another visit ... have a wonderful week!

Making the World More Beautiful.  One Room at a Time.

xo,

kim

Monday Triple Play!

Three Things I Love.

 BookCase.

Art.

Good Bar.

And here they are.  All wrapped up in one tidy package.

And Look at the EASE of this bookcase design.  Yes, it took some time to get there.  But not over-thought.  Books looking like they got placed in after the owner finished reading each one, not carefully arranged by size, color, shape, etc.  Sometimes we over-think design.  
This is a Collection.

Gotta Love That!

Making the World More Beautiful.  One Room at a Time.

xo,

kim

Pool Time!

After my post on Statement Art ... I am feeling the Love for Black and White Retro.

I am checking out for the weekend ... The Sun is Shining in New England!!  Whoop Whoop! Hope you are getting you "Pool Cocktail" On!!  

                              Making the World More Beautiful ... One Room at a Time!


xo,

kim

Art ... Layer It!

We have had lots of Rain.  So I have had to amuse myself inside.  This could be productive or lethal ... depending on how you look at it!

Y'all know I love a good antique market.  Well, I have this "tool room" in our garage. The tools are minimal.  The rest is piled with what Don refers to as Junk.

You know the saying ... One Man's Junk, Another's Treasure.  Yep, that is how differently we look at that room!

I told you how I want to create a gallery wall going up my stairs out of antique prints that I find when out hunting for "new" junk.

As I have been STUDYING designer spaces and art walls it is becoming more and more clear that the most interesting spaces are those that you create from what you have, Not what you go buy.  New or Old.  Now, don't get me wrong, I love bringing in new/old things ... and sometimes you don't have things just sitting around.  Perhaps another statement about my getting older. I've got too much stuff.

While I am still working on my Stairwell Gallery Wall I kind of stumbled onto this ... 

I haven't shown you my whole Family Room on my Home Tour yet.  Those brown "leather" sofas ... we'll discuss those when I post the room.  I will refrain for now.  Focus on the Art!

Remember when I brought This Home ...

I love it ... but it felt a little ... dare I say ... Brown/Boring.  It filled my space and brought in the texture I was looking for.  But just didn't make my heart jump up!

While it was raining ... I started moving and Shopping Within!  I have this print.  Not one I would have gone out to purchase.  A little "prissy/formal/old school" for my liking.

But the Blue it has ... hmmm ... I can bring some more blue in my family room!!

The Window is far too fragile to actually hold the picture ... so a few hooks from Home Depot, a little Picture Wire and here's the result ... 

Distressed/Formal/Industrial ... all working together to Warm things UP! 

Shop within ... It's FREE!!  And good to warm a soul on a Rainy Day!

Making the World More Beautiful ... One Room at a Time! 

xo,

kim

Statement Art ...

No Question that art is one of the Accessories of the home.  A place to be unique and show  the world what makes you different!

Over the past year the Statement Necklace has worked it's way into every woman's wardrobe.  Something fun, whimsical ... and sometimes truly Stunning.

The Home is Following Suit.

I have always loved Large Art.  It does make a statement.  It also brings in color, texture, happiness, sometimes a statement about beliefs, etc.

Last week, at Kips Bay Showhouse, The Art truly made a 

Large Statement!

The tryptic below simply took over a hallway.  Yes, these huge pieces are in a hallway ... and on plexiglass they gave off light.  Truly Stunning.

This piece was in an open area on a landing between rooms.  Hard to tell the scale here, but it was incredible!

These pieces were on a staircase.  While not just One large piece, the number and the weight of these "fossil like" pieces were heavy and calming in one breath.

Bulletin Board ... Filling an awkward wall.  

Then this piece ... I am so sorry that I only had my iphone and that you cannot feel the power this piece had in this space.  Truly Amazing.

This bathroom ... serene and beautiful and so much better than a large mirror!!

We've all heard the statement "Go Big or Go Home".

This goes for Art as well ... if you are going to do it. Then, DO IT!!

Please check back tomorrow for a GiveAway!

I was a Winner at BlogFest2013 ... and that means you have a chance to win as well!! 

Making the World More Beautiful ... One Room at a Time!

xo,

kim

Our Home ... The Un-Foyer!

Good Morning!  This weekend was kind of the calm before the Storm!  Prom next weekend, Erin comes home, Callie graduates, Graduation parties ... and all the while Sammy and Christopher have to keep it together because they aren't out of school until June 25th.  Here we go baby!!

In the meantime, back to My Home Tour!  

This week is rather short ... but focused on the details.

Old Colonial Homes don't have nice tall ceilings.  Nor does mine have a "Foyer" ... but simply an opening to the hall to spit you out into the rest of the rooms! 

The only REAL changes that took place here is the paint color.  I was over the Tan/Green hued hallway and we painted it BM Frappé.

We also tore out the beat up flagstone threshold and put in a nice "grained" porcelain tile which seems to be bullet proof!  Hallelujah!

As I have also mentioned to you ... this is a work in PROGRESS!  So you see the beginnings of my antique art that I have just begun and hope to add to as I find things I love ... 

One day I will tackle the stairway.  I am in total limbo trying to choose to just paint ... bringing in the Gloss Black ... or adding a Sisal runner ... or Both.

So it sits here until I can come out of my Frozen State and make a move!

As you walk in the door you are basically Met by our "Man/Girl" ... Don thinks is is a Girl.  I think it is a "slight" Man.

We were walking through Boston one weekend ...MANY years ago and stumbled into an Art Gallery.  Announcing how we are NOT really abstract/modern art kind of people.  Oh how naive we were!  Not only did we walk out with this Jamali ... but it has been the opening in the door to a broader art world that we now love!

Now while the Foyer itself is small ... my favorite part is the Details.  So when you can't bring alot of Stuff in ... focus on the mechanics!

The Door and Lock System ... Brass, Heavy, Old School!

And the most fun doorbell in the world!!  We don't have it labeled as they do at Downton Abbey ... we only have ONE!!  No getting Lost in our house!

The Jewels of the Door!

Small Spaces need attention to ... and I am really just beginning to acknowledge this space  ... I hope you will stay with me as it continues to "Grow!"

Hope you make it a great day ... and pay attention to the Details!!

xo

kim

Friday Art Inspiration!

I have had such fun with "new" artists on Etsy ... Since Don and I  are more in the age range of Down Sizing ... I am not doing a whole lot at home.  

Design Boards give me the opportunity to think outside my normal box and make up rooms I'd love to live in!

I am finding that the Art is what is inspiring me!

Check out the fun pieces from Clare in her Etsy Shop.  Elephants, Zebras, and Color Infusion all the Way!!  She'll custom for you ... color/size/image!

Hope your Friday is Full of Color!!

I am still Taming The ORC Beast ... and bringing in the Color!

xo

kim

The Art of Intaglios!

Via

I have been loving the look of the INTAGLIO.  

What is it??

 A. An Engraving or incised figure in stone or other hard material depressed below the surface so that an impression from the design yields an image in relief.

B. The Art or Process of Executing Intaglios.

C. Something ( As a Gem) carved in Intaglio.

D. Printing (as in die stamping and gravure) done from a plate in which the image is sunk below the surface.

Via

Via

I think I am also loving the simplicity of the art form. The White matting, setting apart a textural "picture".  

Simple. Dramatic. Clean.

I'm on it!  I just might be using this Art Form for my Office Illusion and the ORC ... I am in Artist Mode.

Have you seen any particular Art Style that has grabbed your attention lately??

Please share!

xo,

kim

Flower Power ... Comes To Life!

Sometimes I become obsessed with a look ... and it becomes a mission to find the perfect place to bring the look home. I apologize because I saved this photo long before I started keeping the information on where it came from ... whoever did this ... I APPLAUD!

Remember I tried to do my own version for Erin's Room?  My peony.  It was fun ... but didn't come close to my INspiration!

Finally I found the Place, the Professional and the Look ... 

I am working with a wonderful client and we are creating a Living Room/Study/Office of sorts (The Place!).  She is an incredible Mother of 3 ... busy enough. But she also writes and her first book is about to be PUBLISHED!  But that is not all ... her Husband ... is a Passionate (The Professional) Photographer. And he made my dream come true (The Look!).

And they liked (I coerced them!)  my vision of this in Her Study.  Sophisticated, Feminine and BOLD.  I cannot wait to show you the rest ... it is almost done and I nearly swoon whenever I round the corner after coming into their home when I see this ART on the Wall!!

What takes your breath away?  I hope you get to experience it every day!!  And Have a Wonderful Weekend!

xo,

kim