It's about time we spent some time gushing about these three new art pieces we recently acquired! Not only because of how stunning they are but because they gave from such a lovely home. One of our recent clients underwent a major renovation of her home and happens to be is a big time art lover - which is one of the many reasons why we LOVE her! We probably spent days and days admiring her art collection and carefully selecting which piece of art should go where. A new space required a new set of displays for her most favourite pieces.

During one of our 'art sorting' days we stumbled upon these three charming oil paintings. Our client expressed to us that she could never really find the perfect spot for them in her home and always felt that the painting's themselves belonged in someone else's home that had all the right pre-requisites. We tried and tried to convince her otherwise but following the completion of our project she surprised us with generously gifting all the three paintings to us! We were absolutely floored at the gesture. I mean, just stop and look at these beauties!!

What we know about these paintings is that they are oil and done on canvas. All three are signed by the same artist but the signature itself is hard to make out. We've tried to come up with the first half and the last half.. and then searched away but absolutely little comes up to match the depiction of these pieces. The frames are wood and carved with the most meticulous details. Perhaps one of the first most eye-catching components of these paintings - and when we discovered these in a dark storage space, it was the frame itself that made us think.. let's take a closer look at these. Most often than not, when something is framed with care and intention - it is a indication that the piece inside of that frame has some sort of value.

Now, it's no secret that we are art lovers and art collectors. However, it is clear that these still life paintings are unlike any of those 'collectable' pieces we own. We tend to prefer paintings of people, specifically portraits or scenic Dutch landscapes. Despite all of those points.. we couldn't love these pieces more! These three paintings have a wonderful richness of colours, incredible depth to the still life set up (every time we look at them, we discover some new detail!) and they also pull at our heartstrings with those beautifully painted floral touches.

This wouldn't truly be one of our posts if we didn't share some interior design wisdom with you when it comes to these pieces of art. This is what we've been able to gather that you can apply to pieces in your home! These three pieces were painted with a darker colour palette - however, not that dark that you are unable to decipher what the painting depicts. Age and storage have added to that dark appearance and these pieces would probably benefit from a good restoration. However, if you're like us you'd rather first start with trying a quick and easy fix. Remember, that art needs lots of light - whether natural or artificial. We strategically positioned these three pieces across from a large window in our home - it provides plenty of natural light without necessarily obstructing it with 'direct' light. Remember to be mindful of how any type of 'light' interacts with paintings of various materials (oil, acrylic, pastel etc.)

Finally, we know you are itching to ask if these three pieces have to be 'displayed' together since they are all by the same artist and in the same style! As you can image, our answer is absolutely not!! We actually played around with how to hang these in our home - one wall, a pair of paintings, another wall with a single one.. next to several other paintings or on a simple panelled white wall..

We chose to keep all three together at least for the very start of their 'wall career' since these beauties haven't really had a chance to shine in unison yet! Once we get the inspiration to switch it up - you may very well see these pieces broken up! Have fun digging up some old storage art..we'll be busy over here gushing over these new pieces and our wonderful clients!!

xox

If you're anything like us, you may be growing tired of the cold outside and looking for activities to keep you busy inside. For most that would probably mean it's a popcorn and movie night but in our house it means it's time for a re-jigging of all of our favorite pieces. Half the fun is collecting and hunting for your pieces but the other half is how you choose to display them in your home.

For some, less is more and they really like their pieces to be the center of attention. On a display shelf, in a vitrine, or on a wall mount.. it creates the opportunity for a singular object to be featured. Most often, this lends itself to having a feature light directed at the piece for additional affect. However, although we can appreciate the simplicity - you've got to know by now, we like our designs with a little more sugar and spice!

We believe there is power in numbers and one of our favorite ways to display some of our key collections is by grouping them. We group them in corners of the house - on a counter, in the corner of a room (on the floor) or in the center of our large coffee table. And we make those groups by looking for common threads in the collection - color (blue and white here!), origin (Asian influence, English.. you name it!) or simply by the overall style (is it classic, modern, antique?)

We also tend to believe that although everything has its place.. now that doesn't mean that the first place you put it is where it has to stay forever. Pieces can be moved around in your home, from spot to spot, and you can ultimately change the feel of your decor just by moving things around. And don't be afraid to try and group your collectables - even if it is a piece that was singularly displayed before. Remember, no matter how interesting a piece may be, you can get tired of looking at it in a certain setting. So go ahead and give yourself some change. By changing the location of your pieces you'll be surprised at how intriguing you find them to be again!

Good things come in three!

Move it, move it!