Wallpaper has been trending for a few years now, and one of our clients recently lucked into a house that came with the most wonderful horses-and-hounds wallcovering. Since it can be nearly impossible to patch holes in wallpaper if you make a mistake, they called us in to make sure the job was done right. I was interested to see what they chose to install here. They continued the horsey theme but used a Western print which nevertheless included many of the same colors. What a story this image tells! It immediately brings to mind those vintage kids' adventure stories, like maybe a Western version of National Velvet. They also had us hang three little prints in a row below it. Matted pieces like this can be a great choice to hang over wallpaper, because the white mats give the eye a little rest and set the artwork off from the background. Across the room, the Western theme continued with a view of a wagon train. The homeowners had recently moved back east, making a jump from the Rockies to the Smokies so to speak, and they had a lot of Americana showing the early cowboy era. The master bedroom also had a wonderful wallcovering which paired well with this print by Albert Bierstadt. It just goes to show that chinoiserie wallpaper doesn't require you to lean into a "grandmillenial" theme. These papers are so classic that they really work with almost any other traditional style. Apparently this Bierstadt was a vintage print bought by the homeowner's family a long time ago. They had historic ties to the land pictured here, so they were proud to say that the original version of the painting hangs in the White House. I love hearing stories like this. People sometimes think of prints as cheap throwaway art, but I've seen several examples of them getting reverently passed down in the family because of the history attached to them. And a good-quality print will hold its colors for many years. The homeowners went with more of a globe-trotting theme in the den, with a grid-style gallery wall of vintage travel posters. These can be difficult to install on your own because they have to line up just right in order to look good. Luckily I have a few tricks up my sleeve to make everything look ship-shape. Our clients definitely had a flair for working with patterns without tipping over into Maximalism. Notice how their diamond-pattern curtains work with their tufted sofa. If you like that, you'll love this vignette in their guest bedroom. With a handmade bed and colorful throw pillows like these, who needs art? But actually, this is an example of how a couple of small pieces of wall art can complete a space. These two little pictures tied in with the pillows and quilt to bring the room together. Plus they help make sense of that funny little closet door that's tucked under the eave. If you're working with wallpaper and want to leave as few holes as possible, give us a call. We'll make sure each piece is installed correctly.
My favorite phone calls come when someone is unpacking after moving to Asheville and realizing that they are absolutely swamped with art and can't decide where to hang it. That was the case for one of our recent clients, who had just downsized to the Givens Estates, which is a local retirement home. She was now in a two-bedroom condo, and she needed to find homes for her upsized art collection. What a charming lady she was! I was delighted by the pictures she had curated over the years. Our largest project involved designing a salon-style layout that covered most of one wall. We laid it out on the floor first, and sort of liked the arrangement, but we weren't at 100%. So we let it sit while we attended to other pictures. In the meantime, her daughters dropped by and helped us shuffle them around until everyone was satisfied. Sometimes you have to let things percolate a bit before you hang everything up. The final layout was really appealing. She had more than just classical and impressionist paintings; there were also several sculptures to arrange, including a very fragile ceramic chain which had to handled with the utmost care. We left a little extra space on the left-hand side, where those brown boxes are, because she plans to have a custom bookcase installed. That's the only downside to helping people move in... we don't always get to see the final results. On the right-hand side of the arrangement was a captivating little bust which I called The Professor. Our client said he was actually a waiter in Paris. She had spent many years there, and she had acquired some very charming paintings of that city. Across the room was an arresting watercolor spotlighted by its own lamp. I didn't ask who painted it, but I have my suspicions... We also installed this very heavy old mirror over a chest of drawers. Actually, I should say that we re-installed it. The movers had hung it originally, but it was crooked. Even worse, when we took it down, we found that they had used inadequate hangers which probably would have failed someday and sent the mirror crashing to the ground. I suppose I can't blame them... not everyone has personally tested the sturdiness of the picture hangers they use. They rely on the weight guidelines shown on the box, which is often a very optimistic number in our experience. When hanging heavy mirrors, we always overcompensate on the hanger. It doesn't cost much more, and it gives us peace of mind.
Here's another example of a "wall of stories." This gallery wall layout went into the client's office, and it includes several captivating wedding photos from her family. The prettiest bride was her daughter in the lower left. Look how her wedding dress resembles the opening bud of a flower. I felt sure that this must have been an expensive couture gown, but in fact, the bride designed and sewed the dress herself! There were a few other amusing stories as well, but I'll save those for another day.
If you're relocating to Asheville and you need someone to help hang your pictures, we'll be happy to help! We can't wait to see the thrilling tales behind your collection. One of my theories is that when you move to a new place, you should let the place influence you at least as much as you try to leave your influence on the place. In other words, it's a delightful thing to move to a new area and acquire some of its customs and aesthetics. That's why I'm fond of Asheville's many Mountain Lodges and their traditional décor of animals, fish, and forests. For example, we've hung faux-taxidermy deer heads in the past, including a beautiful carved wooden version from Germany, and I really like them because deer are so much a part of the local culture. Recently we had the pleasure of encountering a new variety. This one used naturally shed antlers combined with a mount covered in repurposed Pendleton blankets. This was created by artist Chase Halland of Faraway Lovely, whose work has been featured in several national shelter magazine, including House Beautiful. We snapped these photos pretty quickly, so here are some better examples from his website. He really has an eye for color and pattern placement. We also installed some classic fish prints in the same home. While I enjoy contemporary art, I must admit that I have a special place in my heart for classic styles like this. They're perfect in a mountain retreat where you want something restful and undemanding to look at. With traditional pictures like this, it's nice to hang them in a traditional layout; but hanging pictures in a perfect row like this can be surprisingly tricky if you haven't done it before. Fortunately we do it all the time! In the same room, we added a heavy round mirror which reflected the fish and reminded me of a porthole. The homeowners also had an interesting print by mountaineer Jimmy Chin. Of course, this wasn't taken in the rolling terrain of our Asheville hills, but it felt on-theme nevertheless. I like the way the snow is blowing off the side of that splendid peak. The challenge of installing art in a lodge like this is that the ceilings can be very high, and you often find yourself placing art on stone chimneys or other difficult spots. Luckily we have the ladders and know-how to make installation a breeze.
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9:00 am to 5:00 pm, M-F 828-649-5242 Owner: Arthur Teel 113 Rector Branch Road Marshall, NC 28753 |