Art: The Unexpected
Surprise and a Little Fun Adds to the Experience of Having Art at Home
This ideabook is all about working with art that adds some fun and a sense of the unexpected to your decor. You don't have to take interior design and art so seriously all of the time. I think it is refreshing to include pieces that add a little spunk. See what I mean in these 18 examples:
Imagine being greeted by this pack of dogs when you come home! No barking, no wagging tails, but still looking happy to see you.
I'm not sure where this swimmer is heading, but he's going there fast. It makes perfect sense to place this unusual sculpture on the floor under this stairwell. If you were really standing next to a pool, you'd be looking down at him there too.
Stick 'em up! I smile every time I see these shirts reaching for the sky. The niches make it very clear that you are looking at art and not laundry that got too much starch.
I like the grid of small sculptures mounted on a wall here. They make a big impact floating together just a few inches from the wall. The long arms stretched out on the coffee table are unusual too.
Another sculpture seems so much more interesting and whimsical perched on the wall instead of on a pedestal. For a minute it makes you wonder if gravity has shifted.
The wall art here is a little out of the norm because it is painted right on the wall. I also like that they placed it all to one side instead of centering it above the bed.
This painting is an unusual diptych slashed diagonally to separate the pieces.
This grid of tiny prints with large white matting is made more interesting by the unexpected inclusion of two pictures with black backgrounds.
I usually tell people not to hang their art too high. It's one of the most common mistakes people make when hanging art. But here, with a second floor loft open to the lower room, the extra-high placement of the art allows it to be appreciated from both levels.
These two pieces of wall art are placed above the bedside tables. Although they have lamps in front of them, I suspect that when you sit in the bed and look to the side, you can see the art just fine. Definitely an unusual placement.
Instead of pedestals on the floor, or a table holding all of these sculptures, this collection is mounted on pedestals that project from the wall at varying heights. It's a very interesting way to display them and to fill the wall even though none of the sculptures are very big.
This is a great example of imagination. Unique!
This sculpture of an elephant is as big as .... um, an elephant. Well, a baby one anyway. I definitely wasn't expecting to see him in this elegant entryway, but he sure is fun.
This little leather hippopotamus is adorable in the living room and he doubles as a footstool.
I've seen countless deer heads mounted on the wall and all manner of big-game heads. But I did a double-take when I saw this cow head mounted on the wall. I do believe he is a metal sculpture — not the real thing, which I'm happy about.
At first glance, there seems to be nothing out of the ordinary about this lovely traditional entryway. Look closer. That is not the pet dog in the hall. It is a full-size sheep sculpture grazing on the hardwood. LOVE IT.
If you wondered what I meant by not taking decor and art so seriously all of the time, this is my best example. This portrait I shot of my husband making one of his legendary funny faces hangs in a place of honor in our entryway. I wish I had video footage of the looks on people's faces when they first step into our home. Jaws drop and there's dead silence for a beat before they burst out laughing. It amuses the living daylights out of us and sets the tone for a fun visit.
Do you enjoy a sense of fun and the unexpected in your home?
More:
10 Design Strategies for Art Lovers
20 Alternatives to Fine Art
Do you enjoy a sense of fun and the unexpected in your home?
More:
10 Design Strategies for Art Lovers
20 Alternatives to Fine Art