|
|
|
|
Hand-Painted
Furniture: The Must-have Home Furnishings of the
Season
|
|
by: ARA
|
(ARA)
– From armoires to wooden figurines to
headboards and accent mirrors, home furnishings
are canvases for artists around the world. Adorned
with floral patterns, Asian motifs and other
ethnic-inspired designs, hand-painted furniture
and accessories are the must-have items of the
season. “Hand-painted home furnishings are
taking center stage in the home, adding a
world-inspired flare and style to the overall décor,”
says Gary Babcock, vice president of merchandising
and fashion at Arhaus Furniture, a 23-store
lifestyle retailer of fine home furnishings.
Worldly influences
Hundreds of years ago, Egyptian artisans
embellished everything from tables to pottery with
colorful motifs to pass on ancient fables to
future generations. “We’re seeing a resurgence
of these hand-painted items as consumers look to
add personal style to their home with unique
pieces from around the world,” says Babcock.
“They’re embracing heirlooms and other richly
decorated items that they see as authentic to a
certain era or culture.”
Today, influences in hand-painted home 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 inspired by Eastern
Europe to an Asian armoire with clean, simplistic
lines and finished in black and red with the added
touch of painted landscapes and pictorials,”
says Babcock. “Painting styles vary from region
to region. From the palate of colors to the brush
stroke, every region has its own influence. The
uniqueness of the hand-painted piece is reflective
of the individual artist’s background, as well
as their talent.”
Arhaus commissions gifted artisans from all over
the world to give each hand-painted piece its own
unique qualities and traits. For instance, the Sam
Remo Armoire gets its charm from old world style
cabinets reminiscent of those that can be found in
the Italian villas of Tuscany. It features
intricate, hand-painted floral accents and a
distressed garnet finish achieved by applying
several layers of multi-colored paints and
lacquers. A matching cupboard and sideboard are
adorned with the same hand-painted finish making
the San Remo an exquisite collection.
Ethnic motifs
From attractive 19th-century Southwestern prints
to those of Northern Sweden, there are a number of
decorative motifs to choose from when
incorporating elegant hand-painted pieces into the
home. “Artwork with Moroccan, Indonesian and
Middle Eastern influences tends to be very ornate
with rich, bright colors like cinnabar red, black
and bronze,” says Babcock. “If the goal is to
add a vibrant color or pattern to a specific room,
but you are not ready 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 sofa or a grand vintage-inspired
armoire with doors ornamented with lilies,”
Babcock added.
Ethnic-inspired accent pieces are becoming
increasingly popular, especially mixed with
contemporary furnishings. According to Babcock,
there are no rules to decorating with hand-painted
items. “You can take an intricately painted
console table like our Kartini Console and pair it
with a handsome contemporary leather sofa 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 home
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 furniture is such a big trend, it’s
becoming easier to find unique pieces with a
variety of ethnic influences.
* Introduce painted 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 sofa or the beading on a lighting fixture
that pull the entire look together.
* Mix more modern, contemporary styles with
ethnic, antique-looking designs. For instance,
take the Verona 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 sofa 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 armoire can be
brushed with black and gold filigree accents,
while 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 tabletop figurines to add color and interest
to any room. Accessories are just another way to
achieve this charming hand-painted look in your
home!
For more information or to view Arhaus
collections, visit the company’s Web site at
www.arhaus.com.
Courtesy of ARA Content
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
