Tip Day- Buying art at an outdoor art show

Though some artists in larger cities might look down upon artists that show at outdoor shows. In the South, it is quite common for our gallery artists to also be at outdoor shows. Often times, their prices are better outside of their gallery cities.



So, some tips on buying outdoors:

1. know what you need-
take measurements for all the walls you will be buying art for. And, make notes of
any locations you might like 3-D pieces.


2. set a budget-
though you cannot know exactly what you will spend for each spot, set a hierarchy
for what spots are more important and spend accordingly.

3. buy only what you love-
Don't settle for less... in anything! Just because you would like to fill a certain spot,
do not buy for it until you buy the perfect piece. You will have buyer's remorse and
think about the hasty purchase every time you pass the piece.


4. buy for others-
Keep a list with you of the people you still need to buy for for Birthday's or the
holidays. Make notes on the list as you buy for people, so you will not forget what
you have already purchased. And, consult the list before you set out for the art
show, you never know how much gift giving you could find there!

Bluff Park Art show... coming up!

This Saturday is the Bluff Park Art Show, one of the best art shows in the Birmingham Area. Intimate in scale and large on talent, this small park, nestled in the Bluff Park community of Hoover, is so small that the attendees are bused in from 5 different parking lots around Bluff Park. I usually pick up the bus on the "North route", which includes the parking lots of the Bluff Park United Methodist Church, the Piggly Wiggly shopping center and the Shades Mountain Independent Church parking lot, to name a few. There are signs all over the Northern half of Hoover directing you to a parking lot. The bus drivers are friendly and I've never had to wait longer than 3 minutes to catch the bus.
I love finding one-of-a-kind gifts, as well as, art glass I can't live without. Last year, over 20,000 people joined me at this one day show of beauty and cleverness. And, it promises to be a great show again this year. The weather should be lovely and I'll be tweeting during the show and posting a review afterwards! I look forward to seeing the park transform into one of my favorite Tent Cities of Talent!

tip day- indoor plants

As I mentioned yesterday, indoor plant provide good chi... or if you don't believe in Fung Shui, then think of them as your natural air cleaner. But for those afraid of killing them, indoor plants can be intimidating. There are many very tolerant plants out there, "mother-in-law's tongue" comes to mind. I kept one going for many months in a black bathroom... a very low light and easy to forget to water area. If it was in an area with more light and some water, I would have had a stronger variegation on the leaves. By the way, it didn't die in the bathroom, I painted the room and the plant didn't "go" in there anymore.

Another great plant idea, and I think it would be a really good on for Karin's living room, would be an orchid. People think they are fussy, but they are not. I had a friend in college that grew them in his dorm room. Getting it to re-bloom can take some work. However, between blooming you can purchase a really high quality "silk" orchid stem. There are some "silk flowers" being made out of latex that not only look like the real thing, but feel like it, as well. When your plant is not blooming, add the silk flower, when you get a spray of buds, store the fake flower until you need it again. Stored properly and washed with each "re-potting" you silk stem should be fooling people and adding color to your room for years to come!

Karin's living room

Karin' living room had some common dilemmas:

1. many openings in one space
2. large artwork
3. great views (which is not really a problem)
4. small budget

5. desire to display photos and artwork


Karin has some favorite pieces of furniture she wanted to keep, as well some she would like to but down the road. Due to the budgeting needs, I decided to provide she with three designs for the space so that she can build the living room in stages.

Karin want to continue to watch TV in the space, as well as have have a space that would provide good conversation flow. Additionally, she wanted to be able to look at the great view and possibly paint with the natural light source. The original plan at the right show the basic layout and the flow problems in the room.

The furniture chosen for the space is the Trig line from CB2.com. The line not only has the modern style that Karin is interested in, but also the lightness of the powder coated steel and an 8mm tempered glass surface. The desk in front of the window would have occluded the view, due to the depth of the window. However, the thin frame and the glass top lets in tons of light. The desk can be used like a console and provides a space for photos, or if Karin can paint at the desk. She could even use a light source underneath and use it as a light table in a pinch! The Phillipe Starck Louis Ghost chair, a favorite of Karin and mine, was chosen for the desk chair to "save the view" as well as providing another seat in the conversation when not in use at the desk.





First Phase option one:



The first option (at the left) is a bit of furniture movement and the purchase of the trig short shelving and trig desk from CB2.com. The ottoman and chair are pulled off of the wall and placed as a chair in the room, providing a seat for the great view as well as the TV. She can buy the Ghost chair at this point or use a chair she already had, for the time being.




Phase One option two:


Option two (at the right) moves all of the furniture in the room. The desk, shelving, and chair are new, the furniture on the rug are Karin's current pieces. And, the new position provides a pass through from the hall and dining area, as well as an area for an art gallery wall. This wall contains a HVAC register and a return, neither of these can be blocked, so this was the best location for Karin to grow her art collection.




Final phase:


This final phase added a third Trig shelf from CB2.com and will down the road, include a new sofa. This phase also include a plant that will do well with the light from the window as well as filter the air, and provide some good Fung Shui Chi. Though this house already had excellent Fung Shui Chi with it's South facing location.

Tuesday Tip Day- Save a Space for Art

One of my favorite tips for hanging art is to save space on your walls for future purchases. A lot like saving a seat for your best friend on a field trip, saving wall space for art affords you a good company and a good time. Art, a good time? Mais Oui! It's not fun to hang art, then buy more and take the old down, patch holes, paint, and re-hang with the new work mixed in with the old... over and over again. You will stop hanging the art after a while and decide it's your "look" to leave it stacked against the wall at the floor. If you "layout" the wall with future art purchases in mind, you will have very little need for moving the work once you hang it.

Most people who purchase art usually purchase one piece at a time. It's good to buy art this way instead of purchasing for a whole room, which is really expensive and doesn't necessarily give the owner a room of their favorite things. When you buy art, you need to buy what you love. You will be living with the work for many years, it can be a good investment, and you will support talented people. How to buy art coming soon... maybe tomorrow!

Three of the best ways to save a space for art are:

1. use mirrors

2. use unpainted canvases

3. use empty frames

To do this you will place any, or all, of the three types of items above in the format you would like the final layout to be on your wall. Mix in you current art with these elements and when you go shopping in galleries or outdoor shows, you will have a general idea of what size work will fit where in your home. I, also, like to use groupings of mirrors to "hold the place" for larger works that I have not found or purchased yet.

Depending on your style you might want to only use one of these types of place holders. For example, if you have a contemporary home with light colored walls, blank canvases would compliment your room while waiting for the real work to arrive. If you love your bold red dining room, gilded frames would be a better choice. If you prefer a "Country French" look, mirrors made from scrap wood frames with peeling paint could be really cool.

Wondering how you know what size art you will be buying in the future. It's important that you be observant! Notice in magazine photographs that things are usually groups in threes? That there is usually a large art piece above the sofa and in the entry way? That items not grouped in odd number are symmetrically grouped? These are cues to guide you.

Notice the example below, the art work on this wall is staggered in on the outside of the "square", but the distance of art to art is equal on the inside. This wall contains two HVAC vents, as well as the future placement of a TV. Use this as a guide for making a wall a feature!

Bergere chairs

Why call your blog about interior design bergere chair? According to a post-er on wikipedia, the chair is "designed to be moved around" a lot like blogging and the internet. The temporal nature of when and where you can read and write a blog speaks to the same needs as the Bergere Chair from the French Regency period (1715-1723).
In this blog, I intend to write about the good design, my work and the green industry... especially if all these things overlap! I will, also, be including photos as well as drawings of my current work, with the premission of my clients. I hope to explore my personal style and the world of design.