No Blank Walls Allowed (PART 1)
When I was living in London, a while back, I got talking to this super cool, edgy-looking interior designer, during an art exhibition preview.
Photo Credit, Jens Behrmann on Unsplash
She was originally from Malaysia, dressed head to toe in black, blunt fringe, big, thick, black-rimmed glasses—you know the look. Anyway, the conversation eventually got around to her own interior style, and do you know what she said? All the walls in her apartment were blank— every single one. As in no paintings, prints, photos, nothing, rien, nada. Her justification: she spent her working hours making decisions about colour; being constantly bombarded with swatches and samples; forever deliberating over details, so she needed respite from all the ‘noise,’ hence her monastic-style interior.
Still on this tangent, sometime last year, Kim and Kanye did a house tour/reveal of their all-grey home, again totally devoid of colour— not an ornament in sight, and absolutely nothing on the walls. My takeaway: the Kardashian-Wests lead such full-on, colourful, dramatic lives, so the all-grey scheme is a reaction against all of that; an attempt to create a cocoon-like environment, as a push back from the Paps and high-octane excesses.
Photo Credit Bernard Hermant on Unsplash
Photo Credit, Alexandra Gorn on Unsplash
Well here’s the thing—most of us need stuff on our walls, otherwise the space is just, well, not really that interesting. Art should be part of any interior style story, it’s the easiest way to personalise a space and transform it from whatever to Wow! It’s got to be intentional though and be much more than just filling in the blanks.
Interior Styling: An African Eye | Photography: Ash Appleton
If you have a classic interior, modern art is a great way to add a bit of a punch. Likewise, in a contemporary space, something less current will usher in an element of surprise and intrigue. It’s about mixing styles with purpose and intent, which I explored in the first ever Episode of An African Eye on my YouTube channel.
In terms of what you put up, ask yourself this—does this piece reinforce or dilute my style? Is it helping or hindering? As in, random pieces, dotted all over the space, that pull apart rather than make your home feel cohesive. Personally, I find a mish-mash of art styles jarring; delicate water colours and dreamy landscapes hanging side-by-side with pinging pop art and edgy portraits. It feels confused, and it’s difficult to pull off.
And can we talk about buying art to match an interior decor. I know that the jury is definitely still out on this one. But, surely art has to mean more than this, it’s got to have an intrinsic value and resonate beyond how it looks in the living room. Poor artist too, not particularly flattering to be told that their work is only being bought because it matches the new purple sofa. Maybe start with the art piece first…
…. to be continued….
