Good design is a combination of the subtle and the dramatic. I have found over the years, clients naturally come by the subtle: small photos of family scattered on table tops, a few heirloom objects among the books on shelves, a stack of coffee table books, etc. The dramatic is more difficult to pull off, or perhaps harder to commit to.

An easy way to achieve the dramatic is with a collection of wall art. As a rule, I am not a fan of collections. I find them dull and they often appear cluttered. But, a number of art pieces combined on the wall in a grouping can become more than the sum of its parts: it can become a statement, i.e. the drama. This grouping could be family photos of many sizes randomly hung in a hallway, or four to ten “same size” paintings hung in a controlled pattern abovea sofa. The key to success is having the subject matter, as well as the frame style, be the same. The smaller the frames, the more of them you need to make a statement. The idea here is repetition to draw attention. The good news is craft shops such as Michaels and AC Moore sell many great looking, affordable frames. I recently purchased fifteen silver frames for about $150.00. I selected family photos from the clients archives and voila – instant impact!

Websites such as www.art.com and www.posters.com will often have four or six similar pieces of art meant to be hung together, so the work is done for you! Experiment with art that speaks to you. Try not to worry if the colors “match” your room. That is not necessary. Concentrate on colors and subjects that move you or make you happy. Just make sure you hang several together in a grouping to make a “statement”!

Does your room need dramatic impact? Don’t know where to start?
As always, I’m available to help. Feel free to shoot me an email at MaryAnn@InteriorDesign-Philadelphia.com or ring me at (215) 640-8820.