Colored Mats

I really love the look of a framed collection and think it’s a great way to fill a wall with artwork in a budget friendly way.  I’ve been eyeing framed collections where the mat or the background is an unusual color…. it keeps things classy and coordinated while adding a lot of interest!

Kathryn M. Ireland via House Beautiful

 

Jan Roden

 

 

Holly Mathis Interiors

How bold and beautiful are these blue mats!?!  Can you imagine how lifeless these pretty birds would seem on a plain white mat?!?

 

Eleanor Cummings

A thin border of a bold color works so well too…

 

Delight By Design

 

Young House Love

Simple, inexpensive Ikea frames look so sophisticated with these linen background mats… not to mention how much the artwork really pops against them! Another benefit to something like this is that Ikea mat openings are not standard to American photograph or artwork sizes… this solves that problem!

 

Amy Meier Design

I love the subtle accent of color these pink rimmed mats bring to these black and white illustrations.  Perfect for a soothing nursery!

 

Yellow Monkey Antiques

Gilded edges with black and white is very handsome!

 

Jane Wood Interiors

Love the combination of the burlap colored mats and the mostly black prints… so historic but so fresh because of the airy design of the rest of the room!

Pinterest

While this mat isn’t colored, I love how the background is!  It’s bold but simple at the same time.  Again, you could easily take a plain-Jane Ikea frame and make it into something like this. 

Hope you found some inspiration in these!

Art in the Kitchen

Giant Sink.  Gas range. Refrigeration.  Artwork. 

There are a FEW more things on my essential Kitchen item list, but that’s for another time.

See more art in the kitchen here.

{Photos 1. & 2. via Inspiring interiors and 3. Southern Living}

Some beautiful Monday blues…

 

 

Monet’s Water Lilies.

More Water Lilies by Monet.  Can’t get enough of these!

Helen Frankenthaler.

 

Susan Sales.

 

{Images via 1. Trouvais, 2. Surroundings, 3., 7. and 10. Google Images, 4.  Martha Stewart, 5. Princess Anne Country, 6. Inspiring Interiors, 8.  Pottery Barn, 9. Brabourne Farm, 11. Heidi Claire, 12. Cote de Texas, 13. Susan Sales}

Photo Wall Displays

With the world of digital photography and the literally thousands of photos that can be taken in just a day now, I seem to have way more pictures than I know what to do with.  I certainly don’t have much tablespace available, nor do I have time (or talent) to scrapbook everything.  I love displaying pictures though, and these collage galleries manage to jam in lots of pictures in little spaces… and look very chic too!

 

I absolutely LOVE the idea of ledges or shallow pictures shelves.  You can pile on what you need without having to make a hole (or 5 in my case) in the wall!

More photos than frames- the story of all our lives I’m sure!  I lvoe how they just add and post pictures in the empty wall spaces. 

Once something is framed, I find myself less likely to change it out.  This is a great way to keep fun current snapshots on display.

A giant wallboard can do the same thing.  The streamlined cross pattern of the ribbon keeps things looking stylish.

ON THE BEACH

Perfect for this time of year, I recently came across the book On the Beach.  It is an amazing collection of photographs by Richard Misrach. 

While at first glance I was immediately enthralled by the beauty of each image, of the crystal clear water, and of the tranquility of each picture, his intent with this collection was not quite so superficial.    The events of 9/11 moved him to explore the vulnerability of people, juxtaposed here with a vast open ocean.   Feelings of solitude accompany the visual beauty of each of these.

After reading this interview with the artist, I was so intrigued that each of these very different photographs was taken from the exact same spot on his balcony in Hawaii.

      

Despite his purpose in suggesting fragility, it would be divine to be one of these ladies floating your afternoon away. Cute hat by the way (clearly I’m not a serious art critic with that comment!).

I adore the color of water.

The colors and the textures of the sand are so eye catching.

Makes me think of Slim Aarons. 

Most of these works are very large- about 6’ x 10’.  Makes a beautiful image even more spectacular.  I love how simple and pristine these are and wish I could find an image of one of these in an interior setting (other than a gallery).  

For those of you who love photography, this book is a stunner.  At  16” x 20” it’s much larger than your typical art/coffee table book.  The large size makes it all the more enticing and lets you see the detail of each work so well.   If you can’t make it to the beach this summer, this book is surely a visual vacation.

Busted…

In a fabulous way…

This bright cobalt blue is so unexpected and gorgeously saturated.

All wrapped up and guilded, this one reminds me of the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude. 

I think the vertical stripes give her added height, don’t you?

Lovely contrast.

Beauty and function… perfection!

{Images via Elle Decor, The Style Saloniste, and Heidi Claire}

Have you seen the new exhibit in the Kitchen?

 

Do you dare hang fine art in the Kitchen?

I won’t even pause before sharing my opinion- YES!!! Each of these kitchens is beautiful on it’s own but there’s something so elegant about turning it into gallery space.   It’s throwing caution to the wind and making the stance that this room should be just as refined as any other- we do spend much of our time in there after all!

I am in love the contrast of this serene oil painting above utilitarian stainless appliances (and that love is only intensified by the countless other gorgeous features- the marble countertops, wall mounted faucet and glass doors to name a few!).

 

 

I’ve posted on this Rozanne Jackson kitchen before and it still remains one of my favorite spaces.  The contrast, the colors, and the painting itself are so clean and refreshing.

 

The gilded frame on this oil painting is really eye catching in the midst of this bold and country inspired kitchen.

 

The dark moody oil painting and classy glass chandelier give this kitchen has instant pedigree .  Everything in this space feels so sculptural.

 

This kitchen is lucky enough to have gorgeous exposed brick to enhance it’s lofty chic feeling.  The artwork is not just hung on the wall but also layered and propped on the countertop for a more casual effect.

 

   

Handsome black walls really make this collection of silver framed art pop.  If you picture this being the kitchen of a classy French style-maker then you are right!  This is the Paris kitchen of designer Frederic Mechiche.

 

Designer Phoebe Howard didn’t overlook this cozy corner…. instead she made it a surprising focal point.

 

Long on art and short on walls?  This kitchen has taken take full advantage of it’s height and gone floor to ceiling with framed pieces.  You can easily forget that the functional purpose of this room is to prepare food instead of to admire the artwork!

{Photos via 1. Nest Egg; 2. Southern Accents; 3. Sarah’s Fab Day; 4. ?; 5. Desire to Inspire; 6. Kikette Interiors; 7. Phoebe Howard; 8. Brabourne Farm}