SHOP PRODUCTS
Houzz Logo Print
srb2398061

Art for kitchen

Anglophilia
6 years ago

I promise - I WILL finally do a full reveal in the next few days! Just have to get my file out and fill in all the details - took pictures today.

Last summer while on the Vineyard, I walked into one of my favorite shops - antiques and home gifts. I saw two pictures of shore birds and immediately thought of my almost finished kitchen at home. But there were two problems - I wasn't sure if they might not be too large, and they could not tell me if they were antiques, or if they were prints or originals. The saleswoman offered to call the owner but I was unsure about the size enough not to have her bother. There was no possibility of "trying" them at home - home was a 2 day drive away! I continued to think about them and went in a few days later, and they were gone. Sold! I've thought about them ever since and spent quite a bit of time this past year Googling "pictures of shore birds" to no avail - not what I wanted.

Fast forward to late June this summer. I went into the shop again (there are actually two shops - one on each side of the street, each with slightly different things). This was on the other side of the street, and there were 3 pictures of shore birds! And they were FAR less expensive than the ones I coveted last summer! The price reflected that they were new prints, but they are done VERY well - printed on watercolor paper, torn edge, mounted on mat and framed in sort of a driftwood frame. I KNEW these would work - size was perfect (I have no idea how I trusted my eye that much - I really wanted these!). So I bought them, paid for them, and told them I would pick them up later. I waited until a day before we were leaving and called the shop and they brought them out to the car, stopped smack dab in the middle of the block on Main St. I only held up traffic for a minute. And last Sat, home they came with me.

Now to get them hung! It was going to take two people to hold each while I said "higher/lower". I started calling my SIL on Mon - he has a great eye, never really needs to measure - is outstanding at hanging pictures. Everyday this week, I have been promised he and DGS2 would come and do this; everyday, they were no shows, even once saying they were coming right over. Did I mention that SIL is a bit unpredictable? Today it rained (he'd been painting the front of the house and their deck) so it was the perfect day to come and they did this afternoon. I'm thrilled with the results! They are absolutely perfect in this kitchen!

I have purposely made this kitchen very quiet and serene - I'm letting the food be what is exciting! And these reflect this. They're of Plovers, a shore bird that is often seen on Vineyard beaches and whose nesting areas are highly protected. They have these long, skinny legs and scamper along the shore. To me, they ARE Vineyard beaches, which I love.

As a designer, I always encourage my clients to use the walls in kitchens and bathrooms for art. No, don't put anything really valuable or delicate - especially in a bathroom, moisture can be an issue, though a good exhaust fan helps. But art gives a room its soul - it isn't just another room on Zillow. These pictures are the final touch to my new kitchen and I couldn't be more pleased!

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