decor | Shoe Daydreams

Feeling Arty

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Shoe Daydreams

It may be pretty obvious from posts over the years that I’m a bit of a “collector”. Shoes of course, tea sets, antiques, vintage accessories, etc. But one collection I’m pretty passionate about is art.

I have art all over the house. I often will see a photo, drawing or painting and it just speaks to me. I have to have it. Frankly, I have more art than I have space for and, as I’m particular about framing, I have some pieces waiting to go up while I search for a new quality frame shop since, sadly, my old place went out of business.

But while the art in the house ranges from original giant watercolors to contemporary photographs to vintage prints, I’m very excited that I can decorate my office with some fun prints from 20 x 200.

In there I already have my Cinderella concept art and I’m going to bring in my For Like Ever poster to be the centerpiece of my main wall, but around it I’m going to add some new pieces that I think, combined, will create a stunning eclectic mix.

The first up are two pieces in a series by Lauren DiCioccio. This one is: Vanity Fair MAY08:pg269 (and, incredibly, looking not a day older)

And this one is Vogue JUL07:pg145 (Ripeness is All). I love how she’s taken words created a visual artistic interpretation.

Yes (You Complete the Picture) by Trey Speegle is particularly appropriate for a fashion blogger as the original artwork was the giant backdrop for the Stella McCartney 2009 Paris Runway show. The paint by numbers inspiration combined with the bright colors and Parisian setting instantly drew me in.

I got two others from a series. Sweethearts (here) and Jelly Belly (below) by Jonathan Lewis are beautiful colorwork pieces but I love that their inspiration came from the artist being overwhelmed by the packaging and merchandising of US candies. Perfect for a marketer but also… just pretty!

While my office is already filled with pictures of my pets, I couldn’t resist the sweet lamb from Sharon Montrose. Lamb No. 3 is one of 8 photos offered. I would love to get them all because her beautiful pristine photographs are some of the best lit images I’ve ever seen.

Jane Mount has created art out of one of my favorite pastimes… evaluating people by their book choices. I love books and I love illustration and this piece in her ongoing series – Ideal Bookshelf 353: English Lit – contains almost everyone one of my favorite novels, some even in my favorite binding. If has Jane Eyre. There was no way I could NOT buy it.

Frozen by Katie Baum simply spoke to me. No particular reason for it beyond the great camera work and the prettiness of the subject. I just wanted it.

And my favorite (and probably NSFW) is You by William Powhida. Yep, that’s a page of the “F word” but I love love love it. I think it’s hilarious. Will I actually put this up at work… that remains to be seen.

The great thing about 20 x 200 is you get these amazing artists (really, read the bios on the ones here) who are doing limited editions that are made affordable for everyone. Sure, I have some “investment” pieces but I also want some great art for places like my office. 20 x 200 gives me the opportunity to get the best of both worlds.

These are all going to be framed in white with white mattes to make the art pop. It may take a while to get them all done, but I’ll share a picture of the full wall when it’s installed.

Yeah for art!

House Tour – The Details Make A Home

Posted on June 7, 2011 by Shoe Daydreams

It’s been a while since I’ve posted about my home. I’m definitely one of those people who love to visit people’s houses and see what their personal style is like. How would I decorate differently and what kind of art they have.

I actually think my home and decorating style is very me (although if I had several houses I’d like to try out different styles) but not superficially me. Most people expect very feminine decor which is not our house at all. It’s vintage, eclectic, personal and unique. The house being 112+ years old really makes it a fun place to live. With odd room shapes, fun built ins and lots of character.