From the Art Files

ots more rooms with cool art!


My art room folder is getting pretty full. I've said it many times before but you don't always have to spend a lot of money to get some of these looks. (though to be fair, some of them might be expensive) If you decide to splurge on some art work here's why you should feel good about that choice:

1. Buying something that is beautiful and lasting isn't really a frivolous use of money.

2. Art can be an excellent investment. It almost NEVER depreciates.

3. You're helping employ someone (or more than one someone) who works in the creative arts as a living - that can never be a bad thing.

4. The fact that it can make you happy EVERY day is hard to put a number on. I can honestly tell you all my art work makes me happy every day. I can't say that about very many things!

Enjoy:


We can safely assume this is a reproduction/copy of Thiebaud since I happen to know the original is in the Art Institute of Chicago, I love Thiebaud. It is my opinion that any room would look better with one of his prints contained therein. (and reproductions can be had for as little as $10 online!...whereas an original Thiebaud went at auction for 1.7 million dollars this year)



No idea who this artist is, but isn't it great with the white bed and the throw? Sometimes you just need something like this to really give the room an energy.


I love these shelved works. Bold and colorful in an otherwise quietly white and neutral room, they make it.


Something similar is happening here. The styles of furniture are a mix of contemporary and classic lines, the curtains are very old world, and then the art is bold and gorgeous, it makes the whole room sing. What a mistake it would be to do sedate florals in the art work or something.


sometimes you can collect a lot of cool little prints and put them all together like this to create an interesting collage of art. I know people who save letterpress cards and put them together in this way. It's an awesome idea.


I love this. You probably couldn't copy this style as easily as you think you can, but you could give it a shot.

I like these simplistic rooms and lines with a somewhat rude or even angry and bold art work. It creates this nice tension that makes things much more interesting.


These are Marimekko prints and then they've used FREE paint chips on the bottom.


Okay most of us can't afford to own a real Frida Kahlo...I'm willing to bet this is a print as well. Did I ever tell you about the time we almost bought a Deigo Rivera pencil sketch?? We almost did. It was cheaper than you might think, but more expensive than I would normally ever consider paying for a pencil sketch. In the end, I realized I was more enamored of the idea that it was a Diego Rivera sketch than I was with the sketch itself, and decided that's not a good reason to buy something. You should really love it first.


I'm not 100% sure if this is a photographic print or something else, but I dig it with that bowl of globes. Have you noticed how suddenly popular globes and maps are?


These are mosaic tiles that the owner decided to collage together into a bed frame, which also looks a lot like a painting. I think it's a great idea.


Okay these may be tempera or acrylic, but what's cool here is this is something that could be fairly easily copied. Also you could create a very similar effect with paper. Great idea.


Another neutral room where the art makes it sing.



Ditto here...I'm so bored by the room I need a nap, but that painting makes me not hate it at all.


It's not always possible, but occasionally, with some coaxing and assistance, you can get kids to create things sort like this that may have a similar effect on your room if framed. (do not think you will get something this good...it's not going to happen...but it can still be cool)


I don't know how they did they dresser exactly, but I do know it's a DIY project and for that reason I adore it. Print above it makes it super cool.


A WALL of art is an excellent idea. All the white backgrounds here make this really work.


I sometimes love these pin-up girls as art.


Again neutral with a pop of pow.


Noticing a trend? Again here.


I may have shown this room before. But if I did, it's because I'm obsessed with those stencil heads on the wall as art. LOVE that.


Back of the bathroom door. So fab.


Beautiful painting...love it.


I did something super similar to this in college. (doesn't every teen girl?) I had a wall of things I'd ripped out of fashion magazines and pasted up in a similar style. This can look really good. And obviously it's super cheap.



Some people don't want a giant naked girl on their wall. If you don't, I suppose that's your problem. But it's an awesome piece of art isn't it?


I'm not sure if I can explain to you how incredibly pleasing to the eye I find this simple painting. J'adore.


Now we're talking REALLY large scale art work here. But murals, if you can find someone to do one for you, do not have to be kitschy at all, they can be super cool like this.


Old advertisements can look really good too.

Again, I'm going to assume this isn't a real Wyeth. Lovely though.

This oversized photograph is great.


Isn't the mood of this room swell? Don't you feel like you could effectively write poetry here?


Possibly one of the only floral prints I've seen in a while which I like. And I admit, I may be influenced by that couple embracing down by the pool, maybe in some sort of subliminal way, but I'm still going to call this a success anyway.