Hanging Art: Artist Rugs

Much of my energy over the past, well, almost year has gone to one huge project.  It has been one of the most fun and rewarding opportunities I've had--to imagine a large space nearly from scratch, to work with an architect,  to choose all the lighting and hardware and finishes and faucets--but it also means an immersive, ongoing project without anything to really show for it just yet.

Since we've still got months to go, and I don't want to give too much away, I thought I might share some of the concepts and ideas that are going into it.  And the one I'll tell you about today fits right in to my "hanging art" series.

The house I'm working on was built in the 20s in the Edwardian style, but my clients have modern and eclectic taste, with a special hankering for Italian vintage and the 1970s.  (Hooray, right?)  One of the things I've thought about quite a bit is taking strategies from the 50s-70s and doing a modern take.

We know I'm a textile person, right?  In the middle of the last century, big name artists like Alexander Calder and Pablo Picasso were making rugs and tapestries as art.  These days, some of my favorite designers use these pieces in their interiors. (This article is interesting on the resurgence of rug art starting in the 1990s.)

(There was a recent hollywood home by Peter Dunham that used several amazing examples, and it's killing me--KILLING ME--that I can't find it.  Here's a lesson: do not recycle your magazines.  the internet doesn't always offer up what you need.)

Anyway.  When I came across One Love, a series of limited-edition artist rugs from Woven Accents, I knew we needed to go for the rug-on-the-wall thing.  The perfect place?  The dining room.  We aren't doing a rug under the table, and there is a large wall that needs anchoring.  Rug art will help with sound absorption, soften the effect of wood furniture, and bring oh so much color to this space!

Alexandra Grant, Self Portrait

I must say, I am VERY excited to see this go up!

Also, if you wanted to go with the original, there is a selection of Picasso rugs on 1st dibs,  and a whole section devoted to artist rugs in the Nazmyal collection.  Fun to look at, even if they're too spendy to buy.

My art history degrees really come in handy sometimes.