Antiques, florals, art: Mixing media can add texture and emotion to rooms.
Interior designers and floral designers often combine different pairs, such as watercolor paper and oil on canvas, antiques of different eras, or flowering branches with blooming bulbs to create an individual space.
“Today, it’s really more about mixing things, and sometimes when people go to a show and buy things from different periods, they don’t even know why they bought it, but I believe that if a piece speaks to you, you’ll find a place in your home for it,” said interior designer Ellie Cullman, founder of New York-based Cullman & Kravis.
Two Atlanta events focused on art and antiques offer opportunities to boost your collections or envision new ways to decorate in 2018.
Making art personal
Decorating with art gives a glimpse of an individual’s personality, said Stephanie Henderson, an artist participating in Spotlight on Art, an event that features established and emerging artists from Jan. 29-Feb. 3.
“Notice which ones grab your attention, make you happy, or even unsettled, if that’s what you’re going for,” she said.
Henderson recommends focusing less on matching fabrics or wall colors to a piece of art and allow the painting to become a focal point for the room. Mixing media like watercolors, oils and acrylics with on paper and canvas adds texture and interest, she said.
“I think it’s good to create an interesting mix of styles and sizes, from pure abstracts to traditional landscapes, sketches to mixed media, monochromatic to an array of colors,” Henderson said.
Using antiques to show individuality
Antiques also have an emotional connection as pieces that give a soul to a project, said Cullman, who will participate in a Jan. 25 panel discussion and book signing as part of the 2018 Cathedral Antiques Show.
“I think what’s so wonderful about antiques is our connection with the past and history, whether that’s the history of our own country or other countries,” Cullman said. “I think that when you have something that is beautiful and handcrafted as antiques are, and also unique, that’s really something and very special that we have to celebrate.”
It is common to mix and match different eras and antiques. Pieces that contain more than one kind of wood, mother of pearl or ebony details can be used as signature items alongside everyday furniture to create a captivating space, said Cullman.
Antiques can be used in clever ways to create a thoughtful environment. For example, Cullman suggests turning a piece of paneling into a coffee table or a chest of drawers into a powder room vanity.
“I think you need new things in a house to make it bright and cheerful, but then you need old things to make it have character and a connection to history and a mellowness,” Cullman said.
Transitioning to a new style with florals
While embracing the past with antiques, embrace the near spring with plants beginning to bloom.
“We’ll harvest forsythia, peach, apple, cherry, and these are branches that are dormant, that are not showing any color, any foliage, and then when you cut those and bring them into your home, you can force them into bloom,” said Holly Heider Chapple of Virginia-based Holly Chapple Flowers, a presenter at the Cathedral Antiques Show.
To do this, cut flowering branches and place them in vases on pieces such as sideboards and entryway tables, she said. Change the water every four or five days and position the branches near windows for the sun’s warmth. Chapple combines forced bulbs, such as tulips, daffodils or crocus in pots, with the branches.
EVENT PREVIEW
2018 Cathedral Antiques Show
Jan. 24-27, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday; Cathedral of St. Philip, 2744 Peachtree Road NW, Atlanta 30305. Price varies. 404-365-1107. Cathedralantiques.org
Spotlight on Art
Jan. 29-Feb. 3, 4301 Northside Parkway NW, Atlanta, GA 30327. Free. 404-231-8100. Spotlightonart.com
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