Bringing a Touch of English Country Style to Asheville

English Country style interior decor is coming into vogue again - although really the question is, can such a timeless style ever go out of fashion?

We recently helped a client move into his new Asheville home and install a delightful collection that recalled all of the best of the European art techniques... including one very fine piece by a well-known painter from China who works in the classical Western style.

But first, a delightful painting of a pair of boats in a far-away harbor.

What a wonderful sense of light. We recently bought a boat ourselves, so this made us positively yearn for warm summer days on the local lakes.

Speaking of the arrival of Spring, how about a captivating Impressionist bouquet? But wait, there's more! When we turned over the picture to measure the height of the wire, we discovered a hidden portrait on the reverse side of the canvas. Which do you like best?

I think I could happily live with either picture - although maybe the portrait is better suited to a more severe style of decor.

Our client was downsizing from a much larger home, which is really common for the many retirees who are moving to Asheville. He had too many pictures and needed to get creative about finding spots for them all - but luckily the previous homeowner had installed art lights in the hallways. We were able to arrange lots of pieces in one of the corridors to make a long gallery-style layout that rewarded you for taking the journey to the furthest bedroom.

Here's one of the many little gems we installed that day. Really wonderful brushwork and color, and a great view to see whenever you walked out the bedroom door.

We hung so many pieces that I can't share them all, and it's so hard to choose which ones to show you.

These two were very restful, with perfect color. And I never really appreciated how much a thoughtfully-chosen frame can add to an image.

I'll close with the Chinese painter, Shang Ding, who I mentioned earlier. The homeowner had several of his pieces, but this was by far the most charming: a school of young ballerinas watching something that was happening off the canvas and out of our view. What a wonderful sense of mood and expression he captured!

This to me is the mark of a great artist... he goes beyond the technical demands to infuse emotion and drama into his work, and gives a true human connection. The painting was really a joy to hang.

If you're moving to Asheville (or just downsizing from a bigger home) and you need help curating your collection, please give us a call. We do this all the time, so we've got a knack for it.

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