Many thanks for the comps on our views and artwork. Much of the art was very reasonably priced, as this is an artist's mecca out here in New Mexico. Richpoor, with no views, you might consider framing a view of your own. By that I mean, find a poster or print of a view that would fit your area of the country and that you like, and frame it nicely to give your kitchen the view it's missing. In our DD's room, I bought one of those inexpensive window mirrors on sale at Hobby Lobby. One that looks like it has window panes. I took it apart, threw away the mirror, had glass put in it and had HL cut down a poster and insert a great "view" for her one wall. The eye really is fooled into seeing the view beyond the window. Here's a pic of DD's other view. I've since added heaftier molding to the top and bottom to even it out.: And a trompe l'oiel pic I had in her room when it was done in a beach theme. I'm not necessarily suggesting either for your kitchen, but there are great possibilities in the idea. Tromp l'oeil means "fool the eye" and this kind of art does just that, especially in a place with no good view. It makes the room feel bigger, too. Just some food for thought. Lynn

Although we collect a lot of art, I tend to have it hung throughout our home, and only have a few spots where more than three pieces are hung together. This is one area in our living room. I've hung and propped Western paintings along with framed photos of DH's side of the family, as they are/were Westerners, including ranchers, cowboys, genteel schoolmarms and Native American. I think that adding the other Western and antique books and pieces on the bookcase there keeps that energy going. The other two areas aren't painting and prints, but part of my cross collection and a large grouping of family photos (which I FINALLY have reframed and rehung after 14 years of grousing about them) Lynn

CPArtist, care to elaborate? This is the second studio I've designed. The first was in the condo and I wound up learning from my mistakes in that one. I am so looking forward to this one. What specific mistakes did you rectify this time around, or are they already explained above? (You might save others, er...me, some grief.) Happy to oblige. My last studio was the third bedroom in our condo. I had a wonderful closet to keep supplies in, but no place to store boxes or finished artwork, so it all wound up stacked up behind the sleeper sofa. (BTW the sleeper sofa will be on the north wall under the window in my new condo but won't have boxes or artwork stacked behind it.) One new closet has shelves built vertically to store artwork and boxes. And the other closet will actually have pull out drawers so I can store more in it. If you look at the photo, my easel was to the left of my desk chair so I could stand at my easel and reach for a pencil. The problem was the computer screen was lower so if I needed to look at a detail (I work from my own photos and from life combined) in my photo, it meant bending over to see the screen. In the new studio, the desk is 36" high which will put my computer screen at eye level when I'm standing at my easel. My pencils were always in a pile on top of the desk since there was no place to "store them". That meant many times I'd spend time searching for the color I need, even when it was right in front of me. LOL. The new desk has that wonderful drawer with 20 pencil compartments so I can store pencils by color and brand. There was no place to store my paper which was large sheets. so they wound up on top of the bench under the table, with the ends flopping over the edge. In the new studio between the two closets will be a paper storage cabinet. This will also allow me to store mats and finished art that isn't framed. The top was also glass on top of wood so it was always full of fingerprints and pencils had a habit of falling off. Because of the desk drawer, I don't have to worry about pencils falling off and the top is oak wood. The desk was not deep enough. It was if I recall about 25" deep, so I never felt like I had enough room to spread out. The new desk is 36" wide. I had no place but the dining room table to sort paper or frame drawings. Now my desk will allow me the room to do that. In the old setup the printer was on my desk as there was no other space. In the new studio, the printer will be in the closet or on the top of the paper storage bin. I didn't have great lighting so it was impossible to work once the sun went down. In the new studio, I have 8 high hats with LED lighting as well as a ceiling fan with LED lighting so I will have enough light to work at night if I'm trying to finish up a drawing. Additionally, with windows on both the north and south walls, I have bright daylight all day long. And just a personal thing. At times I just would go on the computer and the tv wasn't conducive to watching at my desk. In the new studio, my tv won't be conducive to watching while I'm drawing, but I never watch when drawing. I will listen though. However if I'm at the computer in my new studio, I'll be able to see the computer straight ahead. Lastly, I work standing up, so I designed the desk to be counter height. It will be easy for me to stand up from my chair to start drawing or sit down if I need to. One thing I'd say if you're setting up an art room or a craft room is to really figure out how you work and what you absolutely need. Where do you need to keep your materials while you're working? In front of you? To the left? The right? Where do you keep materials that aren't needed immediately? How do you work? Do you prefer sitting at a desk? Sitting at an easel? Standing up? Do you like listening to music? TV?

I love, love, love art. I do somewhat intentionally match it to my room, usually with a common color. That does not mean the dominant colors are all the same, maybe just splashes. I know this is not a popular practice in these forums. I also match the theme of art because I am drawn to people. 99% of my art is of faces. Because I am drawn to particular colors, most of my art and my decor also reflects that. My home contains art that I love but it must also fit the criteria of being able to decorate my space in terms of size, color, and theme, all while speaking to my soul. Even though I coordinate my art, my house is the exact opposite of Home Goods. Truth be told, I do have a handful of items from them ;-). You can still have interesting and unique spaces that are not all matchy matchy while still coordinating art.