Curating your Home

Recently, I mentioned to a friend that I kind of wish I had really understood the role of a curator - or that I even knew what a curator really was, when I was younger. I think if I had, I might have seriously considered a degree in art history and I might have been willing to slog through years in low paying jobs in order to forge my way into a position at a museum eventually being able to curate.

Alas, I don't think it's a particularly practical idea for someone in my age range, and I think at this point my talents are better used elsewhere. The best I can do is curate my own art in my home and maybe inspire you to do the same.

Occasionally, I like to look at my walls with a critical eye and change things around. You can change a look of a room, not only with a change of decor, paint, etc. but just by switching the art to different rooms. If you're not in love with some of the things on your walls - make some changes! I have some ideas right now of things I'm thinking of doing in the next few weeks to add some interest to some areas of my house where I need it.

Here are some ideas of ways that art can make a room come alive. As always, I hold on to these images when I come across them to give me references to make changes when I'm getting bored with what I have. It's a lot less work than painting the whole room.

I'll probably never get paid to curate anything, but I do take a lot of satisfaction in the idea that I can be the curator of my own private collection in my home - whether that collection is worth any money of not! I guess one of my secret wishes is that more people would get rid of some of the truly sad things they hang on their walls and replace them with fun things they love.




I love these prints. I love them so much I kind of tried to replicate them in my son's room remodel. I wasn't entirely successful. I think they work in many types of rooms, but they are especially lovely here.


You see how this room is full of neutral's and just this kind of zen quietude? But then you add that abstract pint over the bed and you add this really nice energy and tension to the space. Love it.


Same thing going on here - a room which is kind of cold and sterile - but you add these great pieces of art and it makes the room so much lovelier. And look at how EASY it would be to make these yourself!



I sooooooo love this wall. Most of us have our own photography that we could do something like this with. I really want to do something similar in a hallway I have.


Old aviation posters like this can be so cool. I've seen something similar with old 60s advertisements and old posters advertising for Disneyland. Such a nice little pop in this room.




I rarely see these kind of photographic walls work well. They can look realllllly cheesy. But I really like this one here - probably because the rest of the decor is so tasteful.



If you're going to do re-produced artwork - I love the idea of pop art.


Besides the fact that this is a great room, and those chair covers are darling, I love that painting. It reminds me very much of a Brian Kershisnik painting.


How much do you ADORE that print???? I would love to have a copy of this.


Like this sort of distressed painting paired with the rest of the room.


How great is this idea?!?! Shopping bags? I'm really going to copy this someday.



How adorable is this? Best kids art work wall ever.


I so much dig this print. You have no idea.



Same idea again. I'm going to start saving really awesome bags to make this work. Do you think there's a market to buy these online?


Not only do I love yellow - but this massive scale floral painting is so fabulous in this room.



This would also be easy to replicate. Sometimes I think the birds on the wire stuff is becoming a little overdone, but I so relate to it, because outside my window all day long this is what I really see.


Again, I think this abstract is totally DIY do-able.


Lots of cool stuff worth copying here - like how awesome sauce is that magazine rack? But I love the skateboards as art work!


Gorgeous! Reminds me of some art by a local artist named Daniel Shepherd.


Clearly not a cheap painting or a cheap room or a cheap house. But sometimes it's just fun to look at how the fabulous people do it.



I love the dark energy of that piece in this otherwise white space - I also love the green and the juxtaposition of the almost feminine light.




another really cool piece. when you have such strong pieces like this, you really should probably just keep everything else simple.


Ahhh. This just really speaks to me. Some of my favorite rooms are ones where the art work just sings out.

Happy Curating!