Decorating Made Easy With Wall Art

By Susan D Ferrell

Starting From Scratch

Decorating your home can be a confusing and stressful time. There are so many colors, patterns, styles, and accents to choose from; where do you begin? Do you choose the latest trend or stick with the hues you like? Do you choose the same palette as your sister did, or do you venture out on your own?

There are a lot of factors at play when you decide to redecorate your space. For example, are you trying to match new furniture to an existing wall paint? Are you looking at painting the wall to match your existing furniture? Have you decided to start from scratch and will choose new wall paint and furnishings? Does your flooring come into play? Are you replacing it or coordinating around it? What about accents like tables, lamps, vases, and wall art? Are you replacing them, or will they match the new decorating palette? See what I mean; stressful and confusing. Let me try and simplify it with a conversation that I had years ago before I started to work in the home improvement industry.

An acquaintance was thinking about changing the wall color on the main floor of her home; kitchen, living room, dining room, and front foyer. She spoke with an interior decorator who convinced her to paint the walls with the trending color theme; at that time, it was mustard yellow and sage green. When I heard this, the warning bells immediately went off; here are the reasons why.

First: Her sofa set was a dusty rose that currently coordinated with the pale blue on the walls. I asked her if she planned on buying all new furniture too. Emphatically she said no. So I explained that the "trending" color scheme wouldn't go with her furniture, and she would have to buy new if she wanted it to coordinate.

Second: The same interior decorator picked the color palette for the husband's new office; you guessed it, sage green and mustard yellow. Now, I am not saying there is an issue with the hues, but wouldn't it seem like you never left the office if you painted your home the same color.

Third: What if she hated those colors because they didn't jive with her psyche. Should she still pick them because they are "trending" and then avoid the rooms because they make her feel uncomfortable? I think not, because next year there will be a new trending color. Not everyone has the finances or time to renovate their home with the latest fad.

My home is a refuge from the outside world, a space I can regenerate and feel at peace. I want it filled with a color palette and accents that make me happy; not my sister, not the Joneses down the street, and certainly not the trending color for the year. She chose the blue and rose color scheme because it made her feel happy. I suggested that if she wanted to keep the color scheme but update the look, she could pick a neutral wall color, like taupe with a pink undertone. Then I suggested she find window dressings, throw pillows, or a painting with the same shade of blue. The result would be a fresh update while staying within the color scheme that she likes. Little did I know that one day I would be giving customers the same suggestions.

Where to Begin

Someone once said that if you are trying to match art to your sofa, you are missing the point of what art is. As an artist, I agree. But for me, decorating a space is like picking out a wedding ring. The gold band is the foundation, and the diamond is the bling. In the same sense, a sofa set, wall color, and flooring is the foundation of a room, and accents like wall art, sculptures, and throw pillows are the bling. They are the key elements that give a room character and make a house a home. That is why I suggest customers choose a painting as their starting point and coordinate everything else around it. After all, the artist already has the color scheme done for you.

The following are decorating ads that I created for The Brick's (Simcoe) Facebook page. These are samples of my work, not an endorsement for the Brick. You can achieve the same result using wall art and furnishing from your favorite home decor retailer.

Are you looking to bring a feeling of calm and relaxation to your space? Start with this beautiful display of trees. "Teal Trees," a printed canvas 31.5" x 61.5," is proudly made in Canada. It reminds us of a perfect summer's day. Can you feel the calm wash over you when you look at it?