Art To Evoke Both Sides Of The Mind: Part II

There is nothing I love more than fabulous art.  I am addicted to all kinds and love depth and meaning in them…pieces that make you think or feel.  I prefer to be moved on the left and right side of my brain to think, “Why?” and then care about the answer.  But don’t get me wrong, odd pieces can be great fun.

In the world of modern contemporary art, I think layering is essential.  It can separate the men from the boys, if you will.  Just as it took time to layer the earth to create a living masterpiece, it takes time to layer great art.

To follow are pieces created by a family of painters.  I find them very beautiful.  Can you guess who may have painted what?

If you want more info, give me a shout!

See More Great Art in Part  III of this 3-Part blog series.

Make it fab!

-Jill

Click here to DISCOVER ALL OF JILL’S LATEST BLOGS FULL OF GREAT DESIGN, TIPS AND INSPIRATION

Got a comment?  Reaction?  Question?  Interior Design question…WWJD? (What Would Jill Do)

Tell me what’s on your mind.  I love hearing from you!

Photos:  Jill Tran Interior Design and Co.

Jill Tran is a Kansas City Interior Designer and creates beautiful, custom interiors for her interior design clients in Kansas City and clients around the country.

Contact Jill

Art To Evoke Both Sides Of The Mind: Part I

There is nothing I love more than fabulous art.  I am addicted to all kinds and love depth and meaning in them…pieces that make you think or feel.  I prefer to be moved on the left and right side of my brain to think, “Why?” and then care about the answer.  But don’t get me wrong, odd pieces can be great fun.

In the world of modern contemporary art, I think layering is essential.  It can separate the men from the boys, if you will.  Just as it took time to layer the earth to create a living masterpiece, it takes time to layer great art.

To follow are pieces created by a family of painters.  I find them very beautiful.  Can you guess who may have painted what?

If you want more info, give me a shout!

See More Great Art in Part  II of this 3-Part blog series.

Make it fab!

-Jill

Click here to DISCOVER ALL OF JILL’S LATEST BLOGS FULL OF GREAT DESIGN, TIPS AND INSPIRATION

Got a comment?  Reaction?  Question?  Interior Design question…WWJD? (What Would Jill Do)

Tell me what’s on your mind.  I love hearing from you!

Photos:  Jill Tran Interior Design and Co.

Jill Tran is a Kansas City Interior Designer and creates beautiful, custom interiors for her interior design clients in Kansas City and clients around the country.

Contact Jill

Our Bronze Awarded Room…The “Befores” and “Afters”

As an interior designer in Kansas City, it is so humbling to have our firm’s work recognized.  Thank you, KC Magazine once again.

To follow is our bronze in the Living/Dining Room category.

These wonderful clients had a living room space with an awkward floor plan.  It was a long room with great windows and a magnificent view, but the room itself left something to be desired.  They wanted a sectional and great seating for entertaining.  Lighting was an issue in the evening.  She loved green so she and I decided to complement the outdoors and frame them with beautiful pieces with great lines.  The silhouettes in front of the windows needed to be sleeker pieces were what would make her happy.  All of the aging oak needed to be toned down a bit as well.

Mag cover

"Before"

"Before" See the great view?

Our design solutions?

This new area for entertaining needed some wonderful color, softness and beauty so we played up the greens, added drapes up to the crown molding and some beautiful furnishings and accents.  The original oil was commissioned and is fun, unexpected and cuts the space perfectly.  For handsome silhouettes in front of the grand windows, natural sticks, a darling lamp with a semi-opaque glass body and a “tree” table base over marble were perfect.

They are both so thrilled now with their main living space.  It was great fun to help them take a room they had no feelings for and make it wonderful for them and their family to enjoy everyday.

"After"

"After"

"After"

Make it fab!

-Jill

• Click here to view Jill’s newest tips, advice and inspiration in her popular blog

Got a comment?  Reaction?  Question?  Interior Design question…WWJD? (What Would Jill Do)

Tell me what’s on your mind.  I love hearing from you!

Photos:  Jill Tran Interior Design and Co.

Jill Tran is a Kansas City Interior Designer and creates beautiful, custom interiors for her interior design clients in Kansas City and clients around the country.

Contact Jill

Art For Friday

Anyone who knows me, knows I love art.  I don’t know what it is, but it stirs me all up.  I have painted many pieces myself and loved it so.   Because of that when I study a piece, I enjoy thinking about the artist and how they felt in the middle of creating their art.  Joy, frustration, doubt, happiness, grief, enjoyment?

These are pieces from a recent trip I took to the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City.  The info on the piece, follows the piece.  Let your mind go, check out their other pieces on the links and happy, joyful Friday to you!

Franz Kline:

Mark Rothko:

Neil Welliver:

Wayne Thiebaud:

Fairfield Porter:

Richard Diebenkorn:

Make it fab!

-Jill

Click here to view Jill’s newest tips, advice and inspiration

Got a comment?  Reaction?  Question?  Interior Design question…WWJD? (What Would Jill Do)

Tell me what’s on your mind.  I love hearing from you!

Photos:  Jill Tran Interior Design and Co.

Jill Tran is a Kansas City Interior Designer and creates beautiful, custom interiors for her interior design clients in Kansas City and clients around the country.

Contact Jill

Birds, Birds and More Birds! What’s Hot!

First off, I have to apologize for not blogging in a month.  I have been SWAMPED with work and am so thankful to all of you for so much great opportunities to make people’s homes amazing right now.  During that time, too…was the High Point Furniture and Accessory Market.  What fun!

A darling headboard.

What was hot at the High Point Market?  Well the title pretty much sums it up….flocks and flocks of birds!  I will show you all of the gorgeous goodies I found for the next several weeks so you are up to speed on what is the latest of the greatest.

Birds on lamps, birds on fabrics, chairs, tables, artwork.  Is there anything I missed?  Enjoy!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DESIGN TRENDS

Click here to DISCOVER ALL OF JILL’S LATEST BLOGS FULL OF GREAT DESIGN, TIPS AND INSPIRATION

Make it fab…or don’t bother!

-Jill

Tell me what’s on your mind.  I love hearing from you!

Photos:  Jill Tran Interior Design and Co.

Contact Jill

Jill Tran is a Kansas City Interior Designer and creates beautiful, custom interiors for Kansas City Interior Design clients and clients around the country.

Additional Tips On Hanging Art And Mirrors

In my previous blog, I explained how to know how high to hang art and mirrors.  So what if you have a group or a small crowd?  How can you hang them all right the first time?

As easy as it is to put 5 million little holes in the wall, it is easy to hang a group perfectly (it may take a second at first, but preparation is everything).  Simply make a paper pattern by outlining each frame on a large piece of newspaper.  From there, gently tape them onto the wall to form a lovely grouping.  Now you have a template.

If you have different sizes, an effective way to make them look nice (and not so crazy) is to line them up along some edges.  For example, notice in the group below how the tops, bottoms or sides of 2 or more of the frames line up to form a line or “row.”  This helps your eye to grace over the art itself and not get stuck on the pattern the frames make.

A great grouping...how to hang them all perfectly the first time? Read on.

Your hardware:

Wires can be weaker on the back of a piece, yet they offer your art freedom to move (not always a good thing).  They make straightening and centering a piece much easier once it is up.  Wire hangers also tilt your piece off the wall…sometimes too much, which can not look so good.  This is especially true if you approach the piece from the side as you enter the room.

Me giving a final straightening to an oil. For this frame, a wire hanger on the back was the best choice.

Instead of the wire on the back, try D-rings on each side of the piece individually screwed into the frame.  Having the piece attached to the wall in 2 places keeps it close to the wall, straight and if one side were to “give way,” hopefully, the other side would hold to keep your piece from crashing to the floor.  Like a little insurance policy.

For very heavy pieces, get an engineer! and/or a friend.  Get help with lifting them on and off a wall.  Always go into the studs with wood screws or nails.  When in doubt, use a larger anchor.

Some hanging of art is a feat of engineering. You have to plan on pieces getting knocked into or touched and adjust your plan accordingly.

A good distance to light a piece from is 8 feet away…provided it is in the space that a viewer will not cast a shadow while admiring it.

...and now that I have given you the basic rules of hanging artwork, I am going to shake things up a bit with this lovely room. The height of this artwork breaks all the rules yet is fun.

Happy picture hanging!

READ MORE ON HANGING ARTWORK AND MIRRORS, click here

Make it fab!

-Jill

• Click here TO VIEW JILL’S NEWEST  TIPS, ADVICE AND INSPIRATION IN HER POPULAR BLOG

Got a comment?  Reaction?  Question?  Interior Design question…WWJD? (What Would Jill Do)

Tell me what’s on your mind.  I love hearing from you!

Photos:  Jill Tran Interior Design and Co.

Contact Jill

Thanks to homedesignfind.com, blog.mlive.com and apartmenttherapy.com

When And Where To Hang Your Artwork (And Crooked Can Be Perfect)

There is nothing like a piece of artwork, a mirror or other item (like a tapestry) floating in the middle of a wall.  I believe one of the most common mistakes in a home is the height at which artwork is hung.  Everyone feels driven to hang their artwork for the L.A. Lakers’ to view…a little too high!  Hello, most of us are down here!

Keep the pieces "grounded" to what is around them. The cabinet "grounds" the piece it is supporting and the pieces on the wall "hold" each other with the "center" of the grouping being about 57" off the floor.

The most basic rule for hanging a piece is to hang the “center” of the piece about 57″ off the floor (not the trim top but the floor). This lets the piece be a part of the group that it is “topping off.”  If over a sofa, the piece  needs to look like it is “with” the sofa and belongs there.

I had this piece hung immediately over the sofa. In this way, it was low enough to be at a good viewing level, was "anchored" to the sofa and high enough not to cover the beautiful frame.

Of course, there are exceptions to the rule:

If you or someone living in the space are quite tall, be sure to accommodate.  For example, a tall man should be able to see his entire face in a larger mirror so you may need to raise the piece accordingly.

Odd-shaped or over-sized pieces can be tricky.  To determine the height to hang such a piece, you may need to use an artistic eye.

Be sure and watch how a piece is leveled, too.  While hanging a large mirror in New York recently, we actually had to hang it crooked.  Why?  The ceiling and trim were crooked.  That is what your eye will compare it to so you must bow down to the architecture.  We generally use a level and laser when hanging, but sometimes, even the best technology can not accommodate for what the human eye accepts.

An example that sometimes you just need to use an "artful eye" to hang larger pieces is above. I love these pieces and wanted them to hang with the heads of the dancers at eye-level so your first feeling of walking into the space was of movement and dance.

I will address how to hang pieces in my next blog.  Good luck and remember, keep your pieces low and “grounded” with is going on around them…even if that is just the floor.

When you think height, think Heinz – Heinz 57, Baby!  NOW you’ll remember…57″.

57" is the magic height.

Make it fab!

-Jill

• Click here TO VIEW JILL’S NEWEST  TIPS, ADVICE AND INSPIRATION IN HER POPULAR BLOG

Got a comment?  Reaction?  Question?  Interior Design question…WWJD? (What Would Jill Do)

Tell me what’s on your mind.  I love hearing from you!

Photos:  Jill Tran Interior Design and Co.

Contact Jill

Thanks to 3.bp.blogspot

Jill Tran is a Kansas City Interior Designer and creates beautiful, custom interiors for Kansas City Interior Design clients and clients around the countr

A Million Grains Of Inspiration

Being a designer, one of the things I crave in life is creativity, inspiration and joy from looking at beauty, art and design.  You will find I talk quite a bit about art and will go to a museum any time I can…though that never seems to be near as often as I would like.  At the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City recently, I turned the corner to find this…

I was ahhh struck…both at it’s size and its simplicity.  I wanted to stand there forever.  This exhibit brings a peacefulness, a calm inside you.  While simplistic in it’s concept, it is joyful.  It carries the Wabi-Sabi rule to a tee, which is something I find fantastic.  It is texture, scale and pattern woven through the feeling of endless beauty.  If you missed Without Place-Without Time-Without Body by Wolfgang Laib in the amazing Bloch Building at the Nelson while it was on exhibition, please study these photos a bit more…it filled the room.  wow.

You can barely see the yellow pollen mounds amongst the rice on the very top photo here.  There are five of them on the left side, about 1/4 of the way down and roughly 5 columns in.

Make it fab!

-Jill

Click here to view Jill’s newest tips, advice and inspiration

Got a comment?  Reaction?  Question?  Interior Design question…WWJD? (What Would Jill Do)

Tell me what’s on your mind.  I love hearing from you!  Click on “Comment” below.

Photos:  Jill Tran Interior Design and Co.

Contact Jill

Jill Tran is a Kansas City Interior Designer and creates beautiful, custom interiors for Kansas City Interior Design clients and clients around the country.

An Interior Study, The Poetics Of Space, Continued…

More photos from the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City.  The exhibit: The Poetics of Space. So interesting what each piece “says” about the people that live and breath there…  (Please see the previous blog to this blog by scrolling down)

Notice the position of the bed in the room, the small oddly placed artwork, the plain sheets...

Top description applies to above photo

This is a wedding.

The lack of enough furnishings (indicated by the glass tank on the cold floor) says quite a bit about the girl (assuming she lives there), the wrinkled rug, the sheet on a futon and the disheveled sheers...yet a tight focus on the bird...

-Jill

Got a comment?  Reaction?  Question?  Interior Design question…WWJD? (What Would Jill Do) Tell me what’s on your mind.  I love hearing from you!

Photos taken by  Jill Tran

Contact Jill

An Interior Study, The Poetics Of Space

To follow:  a series of shots I took of photographs at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.  The series is called The Poetics of Space and will be on display until March 15th, 2010.  I urge you to visit!  It is a fascinating group of pieces (among many more) that is a study into people’s lives.  I am constantly fascinated at what a person’s space reveals about them:

• what is important to them
• their travels
• their past
• what they love most
• how they feel or want to feel when they are home
• how they want to welcome family and friends
• their successes
• their culture
• where they came from
• who lives there
• who they are
• what they do every day

I invite you to study these interesting pieces and think about what they say to you.  I will add a few more in my next blog.  Enjoy!

Note:  The information on each piece(s) is below the photo.

Clearly, this photo was staged a bit...yet someone lived there at one time. Why is the space in such bad shape? Why did they not treat the surfaces properly to have them in such need of help? why is the ceiling layered off? Who owns it now and can I buy it from them?

Closed drapes pooling on the floor is interesting in itself, as generally that is not easy to live. Did the homeowner make ill fitting window treatments themselves? Are there windows on the other side? I see no movement of the fabrics or window outlines yet the light goes to the floor. Do you suppose the boy lives there or is visiting someone older?

While this piece gives the feel of times passed with the lighting and design, the laptop on the desk says otherwise. What just happened here? Note the toy horse in the same room. Is it a children's room? Maybe, but the nude says otherwise...

I adore this piece and am fascinated by what I see in the mirror. The mirror itself is either propped on the wall (dangerous in a child's room) or sagging on the dresser from age. If propped, this must be a gentle child. In the reflection: wallpaper in more dull colors for a child's room. The drapes are creased to show they are more open than closed in a dated fabric.

Information on the exibit

-Jill

Got a comment?  Reaction?  Question?  Interior Design question…WWJD? (What Would Jill Do) Tell me what’s on your mind.  I love hearing from you!

Photos taken by  Jill Tran

Contact Jill