If you saw our new office reveal last week, we walked through the new space and pointed out the different pieces we installed so that our clients are able to see the quality craftsmanship from some of our trade vendors in person during the design process. Today, we're featuring some incredible artists I have added to my art collection over the years, and sharing how this eclectic mix came to be.
We talked about this piece by Windy O'Connor last week, but let's discuss again because boy do these colors make me smile every morning when I walk into the office! I first saw another version of her 'Chica Portraits' at a trade market at High Point, North Carolina and fell in love immediately with her style and of course all the glorious colors. It's always a fun surprise to find a piece that speaks to you while you're shopping for clients and their homes. She does originals in various sizes plus wallpaper (hello lover!) and prints like these.
I consider the chair I sit in every day at my desk to also be a piece of art that I love so much, not only for its look, but for the reminder of the person behind the company. I met Carol Gregg of Red Egg Furniture at Round Top here in Texas many years ago, just before I officially started my interior design business. I dared to admit to her, a stranger, that I wanted to start an interior design business, and I will never forget her encouragement that day. She practices the idea of community over competition in welcoming women into the design world alongside her, and this chair serves as a reminder of her kindness and her support every day. As I expand my team and meet more people in the industry, I take her influence with me and remember how she made me feel as a newcomer with a dream.
I love this piece above the sofa beyond words. This piece started my love affair with Irene Mayo's work and it has been going strong for over two decades. My then-boyfriend and I were visiting my hometown of Savannah and went out with the mutual friend who introduced us, and we happened to pass a showing in the hotel's art gallery. I made a comment about this piece, and that same friend purchased it for us as a wedding present years later! I think of young love (well...we weren't that young but you know what I mean ;)), a thoughtful, treasured friend, and my hometown whenever I see it. This piece started my art collection with ferocity and we now own many, many pieces by Irene.
That pelican print on the top left shelf is so fun and quirky, and believe it or not, it was part of a boxed gift set from Barnes & Noble that was on clearance many, many years ago! Landscapes always catch my eye when I'm out and about and we recently had a bunch framed so that we could show frame options to our clients. The blue map in the bottom right is a map of my mother's hometown, and the blue woman figure print caught my eye recently. This collection may not make sense to other people, but that is exactly the point - your art collection should make YOU happy, and that is exactly what makes it beautiful.
The majority of the pieces you see in these photos have been sitting in a closet for many years, waiting for the right place to display them. Bottom line to building your collection... the one piece of advice I can give you is that if you see something when you're out and about, living your life, running errands, wrangling kids and it stops you in your tracks- just buy it.
If you immediately love a piece of art, you will love it in your first apartment, your second home, or master bedroom. This art collection looks curated because it has been - over many years, seasons of life, and circumstances. I can't tell you how much joy it brings me to see these pieces and remember exactly where I purchased them, who I was with, and what we were doing.
Where do you like looking for art? OR even better question - what piece do you have that you LOVE that no one else understands? Let us know in the comments!