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All Just about Interior DesignHand-Painted Furniture: The Must-have House Furnishings of the Season
by:
ARA
(ARA) – From armoires to wooden figurines to headboards and accent mirrors, house furnishings are canvases for artists about the world. Adorned with floral patterns, Asian motifs and another ethnic-inspired designs, hand-painted piece of furniture and accessories are the must-have items of the season. “Hand-painted house furnishings are taking center stage in the home, adding a world-inspired flare and style to the overall décor,” says City Babcock, vice president of selling and fashion at Arhaus Furniture, a 23-store life style retail merchant of fine house furnishings.
Worldly influences
Hundreds of years ago, Egyptian artisans embellished everything from tables to pottery with colorful motifs to pass on ancient fables to futurity generations. “We’re seeing a revival of these hand-painted items as consumers look to add personal style to their house with unique pieces from about the world,” says Babcock. “They’re embrace heirlooms and another richly adorned items that they see as authentic to a certain era or culture.”
Today, influences in hand-painted house furnishings are widespread, coming from as far away as the Middle East, Europe and South America. “We’ve seen a variety of items wrapped with ethnic-inspired artwork, from a sideboard with a soft, delicate floral print divine by Eastern Europe to an Asian wardrobe with clean, oversimplified lines and finished in black and red with the accessorial touch of painted landscapes and pictorials,” says Babcock. “Painting styles vary from region to region. From the roof of the mouth of colors to the brush stroke, every region has its own influence. The singularity of the hand-painted piece is reflective of the individual artist’s background, as well as their talent.”
Arhaus commissions talented artisans from all over the earth to give each hand-painted piece its own unique qualities and traits. For instance, the Sam Remo Wardrobe gets its charm from old earth style cabinets evocative of those that can be found in the Italian villas of Tuscany. It features intricate, hand-painted floral accents and a distressed mineral stop achieved by applying some layers of multi-colored paints and lacquers. A matching closet and sideboard are adorned with the same hand-painted stop devising the San Remo an exquisite collection.
Ethnic motifs
From attractive 19th-century Southwestern prints to those of Northern Sweden, there are a number of cosmetic motifs to choose from once
incorporating elegant hand-painted pieces into the home. “Artwork with Moroccan, Indonesian and Middle Eastern influences tends to be really ornate with rich, bright colors like cinnabar red, black and bronze,” says Babcock. “If the goal is to add a vivacious color or pattern to a specific room, but you are not available to paint the walls, try adding hand-painted pieces from one of these regions to create a focal point or accent to the room.”
To create a balanced, eclectic look with clean, ethnic-inspired collections, Babcock recommends introducing lavish hand-painted furnishings showing a variety of influences from all over the world. “It’s important to choose one piece to serve as a center piece or focal point in the room. This may be a large Venetian mirror with a handcrafted frame covered with Middle Eastern art to hang over the couch or a grand vintage-inspired wardrobe with doors embellished with lilies,” Babcock added.
Ethnic-inspired accent pieces are becoming progressively popular, especially mixed with contemporary furnishings. According to Babcock, there are no rules to decorating with hand-painted items. “You can take an elaborately painted console table like our Kartini Console and pair it with a handsome contemporary animal skin
couch and brushed chrome lamps. Accent the look with graphic pillows and a fur throw and you have a contemporary look full of color and texture,” says Babcock.
Endless opportunities
With ethnic-inspired hand-painted house furnishings, the opportunities are endless. Below are suggestions from Babcock and the Arhaus team of interior design consultants as to how to incorporate these one-of-a-kind pieces into your décor.
* Look for antique-looking pieces that bring a certain era or culture into the home. This adds a personal touch to your décor, and because hand-painted piece of furniture is such a big trend, it’s becoming easier to find unique pieces with a variety of ethnic influences.
* Introduce painted piece of furniture that brings a new element of style and color into the space, adding an eclectic look. This piece doesn’t necessary have to blend with the existing furnishings; it’s the subtle details like an accent color of paint on a coffee table duplicated in the pillows on a couch or the beading on a lighting fixture that pull the entire look together.
* Mix much modern, contemporary styles with ethnic, antique-looking designs. For instance, take the City TV Cabinet by Arhaus. The doors of the cabinet are accented with clusters of hand-painted roses and vines. Pair it with a floral tapestry couch and throw in pillows with lots of floral mixes -- now that’s a refined, elegant look!
* Embrace pieces with a variety of finishes. For example, the panels of a simple wardrobe can be brushed with black and gold filagree accents, piece the casing is a deep-waxed stain allowing the natural wood grain to show.
* Watch for this season’s decorative, hand-painted accessories like mirrors with delicate floral designs, candlesticks imprinted with Asian-inspired designs and bowls, platters and work surface
figurines to add color and interest to any room. Accessories are simply another way to accomplish this charming hand-painted look in your home!
For much information or to view Arhaus collections, visit the company’s Web site at www.arhaus.com.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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