Art & Interior Design
Any designer worth their salt will tell you art is central to the personalization of a home. But it’s not as simple as leaving empty space on a wall during construction to be filled in later with the requisite oil painting. As our clients’ interest in art continues to grow, it becomes more important than ever to create spaces that will showcase it best.
We recently designed an elegant mountain home in Jackson Hole, Wyoming around our clients’ amazing collection of art, which includes pieces by Roy Lichtenstein and Richard Serra. In fact, the collection drove the design from the very get-go. The goal was to showcase the collection – as well as the home’s stunning scenery – by incorporating vast expanses of all-white, simply-lit walls and sweeping glass facades. The result is a gallery-like space where the art interacts with the environment in unexpectedly natural ways. They feel spontaneous and organic but were in fact meticulously planned before construction even began.
For instance, the moment you walk through the front entry door a sculpture by Debra Butterfield pulls your eye all the way through the house and out the window to the magnificent Gros Ventre Mountain range behind it. Other pieces, such as Eric Gushee’s flowing wire and metal sculpture, are more about form, working to soften and balance the home’s rigid, geometric architecture. “Eric’s sculpture draws your attention upwards and makes the two-story space float,” Shea says. “It’s proof art can really play off the forms of the architecture if it’s thought about at the start of the process, rather than treated as an afterthought once the process is complete.”
We applied that theory to every space in the house as we partnered with our clients to assemble a well-curated collection that would create interest and intrigue all throughout their home. Sometimes, this involved answering practical questions along the way: How will natural light hit the art at various times of day? Where should windows be located? What about electrical outlets? Other times, it meant remembering that art can take many forms, and devising surprising ways to showcase it. For example, we commissioned a custom, hand-stitched leather rug from SHIIR Rugs to be used as a pool table cover. Suddenly, an object that could have been treated as a merely functional purchase takes pride of place as a piece of decorative art.
We work from the philosophy that art should have a context to a home, and a home should have a context to its setting. Instead of leaning too heavily into a theme, we work with top-notch art consultants and gallerists to consider pieces not only individually, but also as part of a greater whole.
That’s why this Jackson Hole home features a collection comprised of works that represent the American West, such as Gary Ernest Smith’s small oil portrait, “Cowboy in Red,” to name just one of many pieces that speak unmistakably to the home’s location.
Still, location isn’t the only thing that inspires our curation of art collections. We’re just as apt to consider a client’s personality, and the things they value. In fact, we do this in our own homes. Take Shea for example: one wall of her Chicago family room is lined with custom millwork that incorporates individual shelves for displaying each of her prized Esther Shimazu bronze sculptures. Their whimsy brings happiness to both Shea and her husband – not only because of their joyful forms, but because each one commemorates an important event in the life of their family. The birth of a child here; the celebration of a significant wedding anniversary there. A handful of shelves remain empty, awaiting the next reminder of a yet-to-occur happy memory. It’s a sentimental but tactical approach to collecting – and displaying – art that takes the notion of curation to new heights.
Associate Designer
Ruthie describes her ideal home as one that’s small, with plenty of natural light and a beautiful view – and not too far from great food. Her actual home is classic and collected, but not too serious. “My dog is allowed up on any piece of furniture in the house, except the table,” she says.