“Marta, come quick! Your art is on TV!” - when I heard those words from my husband, I ran as quick as I could loosing my slippers on the way to the living room! There it was! My “Lalaland” art on the screen on our TV. Let me just explain and set a scene here… It wasn’t news, art or interiors programme but a Netflix documentary with none other than my eternal crush Ryan Raynolds! (gulp!)
I instantly recognised the house of one of my art collectors and this is where I’m taking you this week. Sorry, this has no affiliation and does not include Ryan Raynolds. However he’s seen my art on his documentary and this is the thought that I will be holding on to.
Today we are visiting a small town on the outskirts of Manchester where Verity lives with her husband Mike, 5 cats, 2 spaniels and 3 chickens.
- How would you describe the type of your home and your style of décor?
We live in a Victorian 2 bed end terrace house and I would say my decor style is eclectic maximalist.
- What inspires you when decorating your home and what has drawn you to your style?
I have taken a lot of inspiration from Instagram. There are so many fabulous homes out there.I haven’t intentionally created a style, I just go with what I love and what evokes feelings in me. I’d say I decorate with my heart and don’t follow the latest trends. I love dark aesthetics and I also love the vintage/retro feel.
-Would you like to share few tips on how you choose art for your home?
We have art all over the house, I literally don’t think we have a spare bit of wall anywhere. I just love prints and they are an extension of my personality. I recently bought a JH Lynch print of Tina from an antiques fair. I’ve always loved that image. I love the nostalgia it evokes. I’m a 70’s child and am drawn to things from that era. I just go with prints that sing to me and make my heart flutter.
- Do you choose art to go with your home décor or other way round?
I just buy something that appeals to me, I’m all about eclectic maximalism so there’s no need for matchy matchy. I guess I do tend to have a colour theme running through the decor and art but that’s probably because I’m drawn to certain colours like pink, green and gold.
- How do you arrange your wall galleries?
We have a huge gallery wall in the living room. I didn’t plan it. It just started with a few prints and then it just organically grew over time. I’m not one for planning, I just go with my gut instinct. I think each gallery wall does tend to have a theme though.
- How do you choose a frame for the art and where you get your frames?
I get my frames from various places, ikea, eBay, Amazon. I’ve recently started buying from charity shops, you can get some amazing unique pieces that look amazing.
- Any other tips when it comes to styling art in interiors?
I personally think you should just go with what you love that way you can’t go wrong.
For more inspiration follow Verity on Instagram here.
a cycle of short features where we will be visiting fabulous homes around the world and their owners who are passionate about art. Each home which we will visit is unique, with it’s own style & character.
]]>Welcome to back to the ART IN THE WORLD OF INTERIORS:
a cycle of short features where we will be visiting fabulous homes around the world and their owners who are passionate about art. Each home which we will visit is unique, with it’s own style & character.
For those of you who have been following me for a while, you will know that I’ve am passionate about interiors… that is besides being an artist and founder of Lush Eclectic Fine Art.
Past year have kept me busy with work on various art projects, events and exhibitions and a lot of painting. Now I’m shifting back my attention towards to how art is intertwined with design and interiors.
And oh boy! What inspiring homes I’ve got lined up for you this season!
Previously we’ve visited French Chateau, we travelled all across Britain from south coast to Scotland visiting period homes, cottages, terrace houses, flats and semis. From cities, towns, villages and country sides, we’ve crossed the Irish Sea and even stopped on an island surrounded by a rugged coastline...We even went as far as to India. Ok, ok, I’m getting carried away here – you get the picture. My art has bigger reach across the globe that I could have ever wished for and I would like to share with you some of my art collectors' homes,
This season I would like to invite you to join me in this inspirational journey where we will explore different ideas in interior design, and we will explore various ways of styling art in your home.
Today we are starting our journey in Hampshire, UK, in home of Nicola Smith who lives here with her love Garin and their Labrador Olive.
It still seems like it was not that long ago that I’ve seen Nicola’s picture on Instagram, smiling while holding the keys to her new home. The tour of the house followed and despite having a great potential, the décor needed some desired update. I’ve been following the house transformation even since. Here is what Nicola has achieved so far...
-How would you describe the type of your home and your style of décor?
I’m an eccentric loving, eclectic maximalist. I adore wallpaper, bold colour choices and layers of texture. The house itself was built in 1919 and I’ve tried to keep some connection to that era with the use of some William Morris designs.
- What inspires you when decorating your home and what has drawn you to your style?
Over the years I’ve found inspiration in many places, tiles on the floors of museums, motifs in fabrics, designs in architecture, patterns in nature.
-Would you like to share few tips on how you choose art for your home?
Style and colour are important, as is loving the piece. You want art that makes you feel happy and joyful, or perhaps curious and intrigued. Art should make you feel something.
- Do you choose art to go with your home décor or other way round?
My home decor is in my mind when choosing art but if I love something I’ll make it work.
- How do you arrange your wall galleries?
I like a range of sizes but with some kind of common theme-that could be the colour of the frames or the style of the work or sometimes both. The arrangement is generally by eye, I’ll just work out the positioning as I go along.
- How do you choose a frame for the art and where you get your frames?
Most of the frames in our home now are gold, gold is the “red thread” that runs through the house, connecting each area. I love the richness and opulence of gold and the warmth it gives. Perfect for maximalist interiors! Many of them have come from The Frame Company, some other older frames didn’t used to be gold so I painted them.
- Any other tips when it comes to styling art in interiors?
Don’t be a slave to trends and fashions. This is your home where you rest body and mind. You want to be surrounded by things and colours that you love, that make your eyes happy and your heart content.
Follow Nicola on Instagram here.Follow Nicola on Instagram here.
This week with ART IN THE WORLD OF INTERIORS article I’m taking you to our final destination of the series. So far we've visited 20 fabulous homes around the world and their owners who are passionate about art, especially mine!
Each home which we've visited has been unique, with it’s own style & character. From castles, through to period homes, cottages, flats, terrace houses and semis. From cities, towns, villages and country sides across the globe… It has been an inspirational journey where we have explored different ideas and styles in interior design and discovered various ways of styling art in your home.
So here we are in the beautiful coastal city of Mangalore, India with Rashmi Kamath who lives with her husband Rajesh and their 2 cats. Their Maximalist Villa sits within a gated community and features a balcony from which they can enjoy the richness of the tropical climate.
Mangalore is home to the Hindu Temples of Kadri Manjunath, known for its bronze statues, and the 9th-century Mangaladevi Temple. Its Catholic sites include the Milagres Church, dating to the 17th century, and St. Aloysious Chapel, which features fresco paintings by Italian Antonio Moscheni. For inspiration from nature, Tannirbhavi Beach has breath-taking sunset views.
I've been following Rashmi on Instagram for few years now and I still remember then moment when I spotted two of my Polish folk scarves that I wear often in her home. I just haven't come across of a fan of Polish folk culture in India. Then I spotted few more items from my own home country in Rashmi's collections, but the biggest surprise was when I saw a painting of my home city of Gdansk hanging on Rashmi's wall. It turned out that Rashmi have visited my home town in one of her many travels and she is a fan on Polish folk culture and well as food! Rashmi is also a client of mine who has my art in her vast art collection. No surprisingly here she chose 'Fierce Foreigner' which depicts Polish folk costume and 'Mary' which is my take on the catholic icons which Rashmi also collects.
In Rashmi’s own words:
I am a maximalist , but I follow two styles that I love - dreamy and romantic shabby chic in soft pastels and bold bohemian with no rules, bright and loud colours and eclectic things. You will see the contrast on my feed @shabby_viola
-What inspires you when decorating your home and what has drawn you to your style?
We have travelled around 35 countries and I get so inspired when I see different styles of architecture, interior styling and culture. I love the history, typical distinct architecture, tribal art , folklore and culture of each place - the way they decorate restaurants in traditional ways, the way they serve, the specific textiles they use and the ambiance that you soak up makes me want to recreate it in my house. so I can cherish the memories. I have a strong desire to have a beautiful ambience around me and a home which makes me feel happy and special. Creating a beautiful ambiance makes me happy in general and I think we all seek this.
-Would you like to share few tips on how you choose art for your home?
We don’t have a hard and fast rule, we bought most of our art work from local artists when we travelled - either folk art, or a painting of a monument or nature that would remind us of that place. When I saw The 'Fierce Foreigner' by Marta, it reminded me of our trip to Poland and I remembered how hard it was for us to find the Polish folk costume as we loved it and wanted to buy it for our collection. Also we had started collecting orthodox icons after our travel to Eastern Europe and that’s how we were drawn to Marta's 'Mary'
- Do you choose art to go with your home décor or other way round?
Both ways - initially we bought a lot of what we liked without having décor style in mind, then grouped them together and decorated them in different rooms. However I also have urge sometimes to finish some corners, so I end up looking for art work that can go with rest of the décor.
- How do you arrange your wall galleries?
I like to have mix and match of things which gives 3 dimensional effect to my walls – a few paintings, ceramic plates, cherubs, masks and puppets. A shelf is a must as I can arrange some of my collections, books and plants, which creates depth. I also love to have lights hanging as a part of gallery wall or add some sconces if there is provision.
- How do you chose a frame for the art and where you get your frames?
Sadly the place where I live does not have a lot of options for antique frames and I cannot really collect allot of them on my travels as there are limits on things you can carry. So unless they already come with frame, I use a local frame shop - I love their golden frame.
- Any other tips when it comes to styling art in interiors?
Be yourself - don’t follow a trend, but buy art that you really love and you will never get bored looking at it. An art work should talk to you when you look at it and trust me it does, haunting too at times - until you have it on your wall.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed your 20th visit with Lush Eclectic Art into the world of interiors and that you found the above tips and ideas inspiring.
https://www.instagram.com/shabby_viola/
This has been the 20th and last article in the first series of ART IN THE WORLD OF INTERIORS.
I've enjoyed working on those articles and I'm grateful to my lovely customers who took part and were generously invited us over for the virtual tours.
There is an abundance of fabulous homes which I will be featuring in the 2nd series which now will be published in 2021.
For now, I'm taking a little break from new articles so I can paint more for my lovely clients.
Shop Rashmi's Lush Eclectic art here:
(click on the picture)
]]>This week with ART IN THE WORLD OF INTERIORS article I’m taking you to the Peak District – famed for it's spectacular landscapes and peaceful walks.
Here in a rural village just outside the picturesque market town of Matlock lives Susanna, owner of independent interior and gift retail business Bow Boutique.
In Susanna’s own words:
Our house is a detached 1930’s house and we have recently added an extension to give us more living space in the form of a large kitchen. I would describe my style as crisp but quirky, with a love of vintage finds and use of colour and pattern.
- What inspires you when decorating your home and what has drawn you to your style?
I have always had a love of art and completed a first class honours degree in printed textiles and surface pattern design at Leeds College of Art. So not surprisingly, I have a love for colour and pattern! I love interest too- I love items that remind me of days out, things I've collected over the years, things with memories! I don’t follow a particular style- if I like something I just like it and that's sort of that! LOL. I suppose organically it does create a style of my own.
-Would you like to share few tips on how you choose art for your home?
With an art background, I think its fair to say I appreciate many different styles of art! Whether they be period paintings, Dutch inspired oils of florals, or quirky new illustrations - again I would have to say I buy things I love then make them work somewhere! They don’t always have a place straight away but they always find one eventually!
- Do you choose art to go with your home décor or other way round?
I think buying things you love is important rather than buying things to fit 'an interior style’ as interior styles change, but your love of something, or the aspect you were originally drawn to will always remain.
- How do you arrange your wall galleries
Always by eye! but then that's just my style - and I'm not saying getting a tape measure out isn’t a bad idea for some people!!
- How do you chose a frame for the art and where you get your frames ?
I always get my artwork framed from a local independent framer called Peakland Arts. Jonathan provides a great service and has a huge selection of frames and colours mounts. I chose a mount colour usually based of the artwork itself and frame style to compliment the style of art.
- Any other tips when it comes to styling art in interiors?
I think every space can be a mini gallery - it doesn’t necessarily have to be an obvious area - I love a bit of art in the downstairs loo or utility room for example! and even the smallest cubby holes, or little wall spaces can house a little piece of art.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed your 19th visit with Lush Eclectic Art into the world of interiors and that you found the above tips and ideas inspiring.
If you are looking for more inspiration take a look around Bow Boutique, where Susanna offers a carefully curated collection of design-led products, with a hint of quirky charm that create a look that is as unique as you and your home. www.bow-boutique.co.uk
Or Follow Susanna's business on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bowboutique/ and her own home style on https://www.instagram.com/bow_living/
Next time I’m taking you to all the way to Mangalore in India!
Have a lovely day x
Shop Susanna’s Lush Eclectic art here:
(click on the picture)
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This week with ART IN THE WORLD OF INTERIORS article I’m taking you to my old stomping ground – Cambridgeshire.
Here in a heart of a pretty village, surrounded by a countryside lives Sarah with her husband, two children and a dog Stanley.
In Sarah’s own words:
We are lucky that the village has a great community, quality independent shops, good pub and café bar and we even have an art gallery.
I live in an Edwardian house which we bought 6 years ago and are slowly renovating room by room. We try to do a lot of the work ourselves (it’s handy having a builder for a husband!).
I would describe my style as eclectic, a mixture of modern, vintage and thrifted finds.
- What inspires you when decorating your home and what has drawn you to your style?
I am inspired by Instagram, Pinterest and interior magazines. I’ve always loved fashion and I am a bit of a magpie, I think this crosses over into my home.
I like print and pattern, dark, colour and texture.
-Would you like to share few tips on how you choose art for your home?
My tip for others would be buy what you love, be inspired by others but go with YOUR heart.
- Do you choose art to go with your home décor or other way round?
When it comes to art, I don’t have a particular style. I always buy what I love, it maybe something that catches my eye, has meaning or creates a memory or simply because I find it beautiful or creates a reaction. I have a fondness for strong females in art but also love florals and botanicals and typography.
- How do you arrange your wall galleries and how to you choose the frames?
If I’m planning on doing a gallery wall I tend to buy a large piece of art which I absolutely love and then plan the others around it. I do the same with my frames, I collect a mixture of what I like. This maybe ornate, modern, vintage, I do have a bit of a thing for gold ornate frames! One thing I rarely use is a border, I prefer to fill the frame. I also upcycle a lot of frames, whether new or old, spraying them to the colour I want (more often than not, black or gold!)
I buy frames from second hand shops, Ebay and Ikea.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed your 18th visit with Lush Eclectic Art into the world of interiors and that you found the above tips and ideas inspiring.
For more home décor inspiration please follow Sarah on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/fallingforfilberts/
Next time I’m taking you to a stunning 1930’s home in Derbyshire...
Have a lovely day x
Shop Sarah’s Lush Eclectic art here:
(click on the picture)
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I’m very exited to be taking you to the part of the world which has been on my bucket list for ages – Scotland! Today we are going to north east tip of Aberdeenshire to a fishing town with stunning views over the beach. Here lives Kerry with her hubby of 24 years Simon, 3 kids who have flown the next, and their youngest daughter is still at home. They also have 3 cats.
In Kerry’s own words:
How would you describe the type of your home and your style of décor?
It’s a 4 bedroom semi-detached Edwardian house, with tons of original features. Style of décor would definitely be maximalist but not cluttered.
- What inspires you when decorating your home and what has drawn you to your style?
For years I chose to decorate how I thought other people thought I should decorate. It wasn’t until I gave myself permission to be authentically “me” that I really fell in love with interiors.
-Would you like to share few tips on how you choose art for your home?
Ooo I love choosing art! The vast majority of art in my home is from second hand shops, I love to rummage around in dusty corners looking for treasures! I am very picky and selective when it comes to buying “new” prints, they really have to resonate with me. I say go with your gut, and only buy something you love, otherwise you’ll tire of it quickly.
- Do you choose art to go with your home décor or other way round?
Art to go with home décor for sure. But sometimes I see something and buy it without having a place in mind for it.
- How do you arrange your wall galleries?
I’m am SO slapdash when it comes to gallery walls. The only one I’ve planned out before hanging was the living room wall beside the tv.
- How do you chose a frame for the art and where you get your frames?
For the second hand ones, I usually just leave well enough alone and leave them in their original frames, though I may paint the frame if it’s colour is really not matching where I’m planning to hang the picture. For new prints, I tend to buy the frames from second hand shops as well! I have bought a few from pound shops and Ikea.
- Any other tips when it comes to styling art in interiors?
Just go with your gut instincts.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed your 17th visit with Lush Eclectic Art into the world of interiors and that you found the above tips and ideas inspiring.
For more home décor inspo follow Kerry on Instagram here:
https://www.instagram.com/twyxhouse/
Next time I’m taking you to Cambridgeshire.
Have a lovely day.
Shop Kerry’s Lush Eclectic art here:
(click on the picture)
]]>This week I’m taking you to a historic market town in Hertfordshire called Berkhamsted. Here we are visiting 1950’s 3 bed terraced house which belongs to Kirsten. I love this bright home where Kirsten is expressing her creative personality with colour and I love the mix of contemporary art with colourful furniture and antique pieces.
In Kirsten’s own words:
I live here with my partner Steve, cat Georgie (who pretty much rules the roost) and Steve’s 3 boys stay every other weekend. When I first viewed the house 10 years ago (I hadn’t met Steve then), there were many reasons I fell for it but the views at the back of the house looking out over fields was a massive selling point for me. I never tire of those views and the ever changing skyline throughout the seasons.
What inspires you when decorating your home and what has drawn you to your style?
When it comes to my style I think I’m still very much finding my feet when it comes to décor and I don’t think I have a particular style, I just bung things together and hope for the best, but I do love colour - whether that’s paint, wallpaper or accessories and it’s just been a slow process of decorating each room when budget allows. I’ve always loved interior design and even as a teen my bedroom was a very important space for me to express my creativity. I have been very much influenced by my parents over the years, my Dad is very creative and he painted the most amazing tree mural on my bedroom wardrobe doors when I was a teen and my Mum is a very stylish house proud Dane, so we spent many holidays in Denmark perusing their fabulous home design shops. Also one of my favourite places to visit in Denmark is the beautiful Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, which is set in stunning surroundings on the coast….well worth a visit if you are ever visiting Denmark!
Would you like to share a few tips on how you choose art for your home?
Instagram has also inspired me a great deal, I’m relatively new to it and couldn’t believe how many fabulous interiors accounts there are and also how lovely the community has been. I have found so many amazing artists through Instagram, @lush_eclectic being one of them. I just love art - the colours, the stories behind the piece, the emotions in the art and especially the emotions they provoke when you look at the artwork. I tend to buy work that just makes my heart sing (cliché I know but true).
Do you choose art to go with your home décor or other way round?
I always buy art that I love, never to match my décor, and I never buy it knowing where it will go in the house, which is unfortunate as I am rapidly running out of walls now. My partner often says that the walls will probably fall down if I hang anymore prints up! Looking around I do seem to be drawn to paintings of women, I love that defiant look in the eyes of strong badass women, or a quirky tongue in cheek portrait that makes people want to stop and stare at it, not knowing whether they actually like it or not. My 2 most treasured pieces would be a painting that belonged to my Danish grandparents that holds very special memories for me and a stunning print by Louise Dear that my partner bought me for my 50th birthday. We visited her gallery and workshop in Brighton and spent 2 hours chatting to her which was amazing.
How do you choose a frame for the art and where you get your frames ?
When it comes to framing prints, if they are a pretty standard size then Ikea and The Range can’t be beaten on price and if they need to be made to measure, I sometimes use a local framer, or Easyframe are good value and quick to deliver. When I find a lovely charity shop frame, I can’t normally resist it despite not having a print for it as yet.
How do you arrange your wall galleries?
My gallery walls are definitely more luck than anything, I love a mixture of styles all thrown together. I did once put all the pictures (and a couple of plates) on the floor to see how they looked, moved them about a bit until they looked good together and then took a photo of that arrangement, so it was a kind of plan for getting them on the wall that worked quite well. Other times it’s been more organic, just adding prints as I find them.
Any other tips when it comes to styling art in interiors?
I’m definitely no interior stylist, I just buy what I love and worry about where it will go later, then have a faff about with the art, putting it around the house to find it’s ‘home’. I do move some pieces around every now and again, which then makes pieces feel like new again (and is fun to see how long it takes my partner to work out what’s changed in the room!)
I hope that you’ve enjoyed your 16th visit with Lush Eclectic Art into the world of interiors and that you found the above tips and ideas inspiring.
For more home décor inspiration follow Kirsten over on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/kikiloveshome/
Next time I’m taking you to Scotland.
Have a lovely day x
Shop Kirsten's collection on Lush Eclectic Art here:
(click on each image)
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Hello,
I’m feeling quite rejuvenated by the harvest season... or is it the fact that kids are back at school?
The start of the season has been very good to me and there is a lot of exciting things happening behind the scenes of Lush Eclectic.
You can say that I’ve been away with the fairies but in a good way.
Don’t we all need a bit of a fairy tale in our lives from time to time?
And if you like a magical elements in your life, you will love this week’s home tour with ART IN THE WORLD OF INTERIORS article as I’m taking you to a truly whimsical house in a home county of the Cheshire Cat...
Once upon a time there was a Victorian detached home in a small village. It was a stunning and spacious house full of stunning period features and whimsical home décor. Here lived Cat with her husband Dain and their two sons Dexter, 3 and Barney, 2.
What inspires you when decorating your home and what has drawn you to your style?
At first I drooled over dark interiors accounts on Instagram, I loved how striking the dark coloured papers and paints were, especially in period properties. The drama they create with tall ceilings and sash windows is so beautiful and appealing! We usually pick one thing when we’re decorating, it might be a chair, a piece of furniture or an art work and we’ll pull the colours of the room from there as a kind of mood board.
Would you like to share a few tips on how you choose art for your home?
I think when you see a piece of artwork you just know when you’ve got to have it in your home, you connect with it, especially portraits for me - if I see a face that’s intriguing or has something familiar then it’s coming home with me! I imagine it’s like Harry Potter picking his wand.
Do you choose art to go with your home décor or other way round?
A bit of both! When doing our bedroom we knew we wanted dark and pink and Fierce Foreigner had been on my mind for a while, as to where she would go so I bought it before I’d started decorating as I knew it would work!
How do you arrange your wall galleries?
We’re a bit unorganised with it, we’ll store up lots of art and prints we like then when we’ve got enough they go up! We try to stick to the same distance between all the frames, no idea if that’s the right way! We don’t worry about the styles or colours clashing, the more random the more interesting it is to look at!
How do you choose a frame for the art and where you get your frames?
We don’t tend to spend much on frames, we’d rather spend more on beautiful artwork and have cheap frames, it’s the art doing the work. We get cheap/plain frames from eBay and occasionally vintage ones from antique shops.
Any other tips when it comes to styling art in interiors ?
If you’ve seen a piece of art and you think about it again without buying it then you definitely need to go back and buy it! Artwork is really important as it gives something you can’t get from just decorating with paint or wallpaper, especially portraits as they bring life to a space.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed your 15th visit with Lush Eclectic Art into the world of interiors and that you found the above tips and ideas inspiring.
For more home décor inspiration follow Cat over on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ourvictoriandetached/
For adding some whimsical and stylish element to your home visit Cat's home décor online shop Wild One Interiors:
https://wildoneinteriors.co.uk/
Next time I’m taking you to historic market town in Hertfordshire.
Have a lovely day x
Shop Cat's Lush Eclectic Art here:
(click on the image)
]]>Today we are climbing up the hills of Bristol to have a chat about home décor & art with Beckie.
]]>1890’s Victorian Terrace – home of Beckie aka @haveyouseenmyarea
This week I’m taking you just a short drive away from where I live as we are going to Bristol – the city famous for balloon fiesta, suspension bridge and street art and music scene (among so many other things).
Today we are climbing up the hills of Bristol to have a chat about home décor & art with Beckie.
In Beckie’s own words:
I live in a 1890s Victorian terrace home in Bristol, about 1 mile from the city centre. I’m lucky that it’s right on top of a hill, so I have amazing views and very big skies. I used to live in the countryside and was worried about moving back to the city and losing the big skies. Lucky for me, I found just the right home. It is a 3 bed house, although we have converted the loft to make a 3rd bedroom.
How would you describe your home décor style?
I don’t have one particular style - but I do like to be bold and make a bit of a statement. I like to try and be sympathetic to the style and period of the property. So my style in my Bristol house is very different to the style in my little cottage.
(Above picture) Beckie's Bristol's home style vs her B&B cottage (below picture)
How do I choose art for my home?
I am always in the market for art, as I love gorgeous pieces, but I am very selective as I don’t want to have a picture just for the sake of it. So with me, it’s love at first sight. When I see a piece of art I like, I fall head over heels in love – there will be something about each piece I own that just speaks to me.
How do I choose frames for the art?
I always choose the art first and then I look for a frame. Although, I knew that in my gallery wall I wanted to have a lot of gold, opulent frames that really honoured the art within them.
How do I arrange my gallery walls?
My gallery wall is a work in progress, but I wanted it to look like something that could be finished at any time without leaving obvious gaps. I already had many pieces, most of them very personal, with a very personal meaning and I wanted to add new things. But only when I fell in love. I did arrange my pictures in their frames on the floor first, but in the end I mostly put it on the wall intuitively.
What inspires you when it comes to home décor?
I think my taste in décor and taste in art is similar, which helps a lot when choosing pieces. I’m lucky that a lot of my art looks just as good in a light room, as it does in a dark one. I like to have regular changes and so this helps with that.
My tips when it comes to styling art in interiors
My tip would be to look at the space you want to fill with the art and choose pieces to suit. If you have a large, blank wall – do you want to have 1 or 2 large pieces to really make an impact, or do you want to have an eclectic mix and a gallery wall? I have also used paint blocking behind my art to frame it and make it appear larger, with great success. I love experimenting with both my décor and my art purchases.
For more home décor inspiration follow Beckie over on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/haveyouseenmyarea/
If you are looking for a romantic and boutique holiday stay, take a look at Beckie’s own Air B&B which is an 18th century cottage in Somerset:
I hope that you’ve enjoyed your 14th visit with Lush Eclectic Art into the world of interiors and that you found the above tips and ideas inspiring.
Next time I’m taking you to a small village in Cheshire which is a home of a very creative family...
Have a lovely day x
Shop Beckie's collection on Lush Eclectic art here:
(click on each picture)
]]>Here in a Victorian end terrace lives Julie who’s home we are visiting today.
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Eclectic Victorian – home of Julie @sarumvillavictorianhome
On today’s home tour with ART IN THE WORLD OF INTERIORS I’m taking you to a beautiful market town in Suffolk surrounded by meadows and river walks.
Here in a Victorian end terrace lives Julie who’s home we are visiting today.
In Julie's own words:
I live with my husband and our gorgeous Bichon Frise in Suffolk. We bought our home 6 years ago and literally gutted every room as it was very run down.
The style of decor is different in each room, so eclectic and glam ....I’m very bold with decor and not afraid of taking chances.
What inspires you when decorating your home and what has drawn you to your style?
I get my inspiration from Instagram, Pinterest and interior magazines. I am definitely inspired by glamour...old fashioned glamour ...I love Art Deco, gold and dark interiors, I can express myself through my home.
Would you like to share a few tips on how you choose art for your home?
I chose Art by simply being drawn to a print or a piece of art, but also (being a mother of two daughters), who I admire because they are feminine and feminists. I love the art of women. I think as a child of the fifties it’s important to me to admire powerful women with a story to tell and to support women and I can do that in my life and in my choice of art.
Do you choose art to go with your home décor or other way round?
I chose art because I love it.
How do you choose a frame for the art and where you get your frames?
I have bought frames from lots of different places, mostly eBay, or from the artist and sometimes from framing shops. I have also bought from charity shops and painted them. I chose the frame depending on the art and the colours in the art. I do like baroque style frames as they look so glamorous.
Any other tips when it comes to styling art in interiors?
With regards to styling art, I advise to buy what you love - there will always be a corner in your home that it will fit in.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed your 13th visit with Lush Eclectic Art into the world of interiors and that you found the above tips and ideas inspiring.
For more home décor inspiration follow Julie over on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sarumvillavictorianhome/
Next time I’m taking you to Bristol.
Have a lovely day x
Shop Julie's collection of Lush Eclectic Art here:
(click on the image)
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It’s not a secret that I have a soft spot for the traditional English home décor and I’ve always been a fan of antiques.
If like me, you appreciate the traditional English home, you might be pleased to know that the home of the Queen - Windsor Castle is just a stone-throw away... but it’s another traditional home which we are visiting. After all, the queen does not have Lush Eclectic art...
Traditional Class – Home of Neha aka @nehasawant24
On today’s home tour with ART IN THE WORLD OF INTERIORS I’m taking you to a village of Crowthorne located in the Royal County of Berkshire. Here in a spacious, airy and bright home lives Neha with her husband and their 6 year old son.
In Neha’s own words:
I work full-time as an IT professional. In my free time, I love to cook and host friends and I am passionate about antiques and vintage. I love colour and eccentricity and my home reflects that. We moved to our new home last year and I am slowly trying to put my stamp on it and inject a little bit of my personality into what used to be a very modern home.
How do I choose art for my home?
I am passionate about home décor and art brings layers and attitude to a space. I don't seem to have any set rules for choosing art. It's a very intuitive process for me. I choose art at a heart level. If my heart leaps at the sight of a piece, then that's the right art for me - much like your art! I wasn't much into portraits till I came across you on Instagram. I fell in love with “The Fierce Foreigner” and your quirky colourful work inspired by powerful women.
How do I arrange my gallery walls?
I try and lay out all the frames on the floor and start with the largest piece and then fill in the space with smaller pieces. I also try and hang frames a bit low at eye level and usually choose a mix of ornate and plain frames. I also try and use the same colour frame and as I collect more pieces to go on my gallery wall, I sometimes take everything down and redo.
How do I choose frames for the art?
I love gold ornate frames and usually buy from eBay or charity shops.
How would you describe your interior style and home?
It's hard to pick one word to describe my home style. My living room is a very traditional English style filled with antiques, Persian rugs and porcelain. Whereas my other reception rooms are quirky and colourful and filled with vintage and thrift shop finds.
What inspires you when it comes to home décor?
One of my favourite rooms is our guest bedroom where I experimented with dark walls and Marta’s art looks great against the dark blue walls. The art has injected a lot of mystery and quirkiness in the room.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed your 11th visit with Lush Eclectic Art into the world of interiors and that you found the above tips and ideas inspiring.
For more home décor inspiration follow Neha over on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/nehasawant24/
Next time I’m taking you to Suffolk.
Have a lovely day x
Shop Neha's Lush Eclectic art here:
(click on the picture)
If you could capture an essence of summer in décor - which elements spring to your mind...?
This weekend on the home tour with ART IN THE WORLD OF INTERIORS I’m taking you to South London. Today we are visiting a home with a décor that instantly makes me think of summer. Bright and sunny colours, bold patterns, a pinch of gold and a maximalist décor creates a very feminine and welcoming atmosphere.
Bold & Colourful Maximalist – home of Dulcineia aka @kazsa25
In Dulicineia’s own words:
What inspires you when decorating your home and what has drawn you to your style?
Colours, patterns, textures, shapes, everything that catches my eyes.
Would you like to share a few tips on how you choose art for your home?
My daughter really enjoys artwork, prints etc and although we have very similar tastes, it’s always nice to see what she will show me.
Do you choose art to go with your home décor or other way round?
It depends, if there is a piece I absolutely love and feel I need to have I’ll have to make it work somehow. Other times, I will look for a piece to complete a space that is already decorated.
How do you arrange your wall galleries?
I normally start doing some sort of “draft” on the floor to see how I can arrange the frames together. I then ask my daughter to assist me by holding the frames up on the wall, while I check whether it’s all coming together well. She now greatly exaggerates, that she’s developed one rather disproportionately muscular arm thanks to the time spent holding frames!
How do you choose a frame for the art and where do you get your frames?
I purchase my frames from TK Maxx, IKEA and eBay. I like to base my choice for the frame on the actual artwork, the wall colour/paper.
Any other tips when it comes to styling art in interiors?
I think styling art in interiors is so fun, it is great to play around with the artwork, frames and the background. Once you feel like it’s right, it’s great seeing it all tie a room together!
I hope that you’ve enjoyed your 11th visit with Lush Eclectic Art into the world of interiors and that you found the above tips and ideas inspiring.
For more home décor inspiration follow Dulcineia over on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/kazsa25/
Next time I’m taking you to Berkshire...
Have a lovely Sunday x
]]>Hello, how is your weekend so far?
Here in Somerset the summer came briefly for a few days, just to go back to cooler weather with a bit of wind & rain. Weather like this used to be my fav for a lone morning venture into the charity and antiques shops – these are the only shops which I’ve actually missed during the lockdown. I just love the excitement of finding little treasures with a history or my next upcycling project.
And if like me, you are a bit of an old soul, you will enjoy this week’s home tour with ART IN THE WORLD OF INTERIORS.
Vintage & antiques loving maximalist – home of Tara aka @intaradesign
On today’s visit I’m taking you just over an hour drive from where I live. Here, in a Victorian terrace house near Bath lives Tara with her boyfriend and their sprocker spaniel Mya.
In Tara’s own words:
We are within walking distance of towns and villages, surrounded by rolling hills, as well as the canal which is just over 5 minutes walk away.
My home is a little Victorian terrace. When we bought it it was lacking in character, which was a shame. I always wanted a period property with period features, so I have set my sights on bringing back the character, from reinstating the fireplaces to filling my home with antiques. I would stay my style is definitely MAXIMALISM - more is more right?! I love art, so I have filled my home with collections that I love including quite a few of Marta’s designs, as well as a few of my own paintings. I really love the idea of repurposing something, so inside my house you’ll find quirky things with a totally unexpected use, such as my copper jam saucepan as a sink, a 1950’s washing machine as an outdoor fridge or a steamer trunk as a log store - I can't help myself!!
What inspires you when decorating your home and what has drawn you to your style?
I love wandering around flea markets and antique shops - my creative mind just whizzes around and I start seeing objects in a different light and how I can repurpose them. An inspirational lady for me is definitely Angel Adoree and I was lucky enough to be invited to stay with her at the Château De La Motte Husson not long after they moved in ….. we talked for 3 days straight about creativities and shared ideas and tips.
Above: visit to Château De La Motte Husson know from the TV series "Escape to the Chateau"
Below: Tara's hallway wall decorated with butterflies inspired by Angel's staircase at her chateau
Would you like to share a few tips on how you choose art for your home?
Tbh with you if I like it I buy it and although that sounds simple it's really important…. your home is for you!! You shouldn’t be decorating your home or buying art for anyone else but yourself if no-one else likes it so what? It’s your home, you have to live there. That said I do really like art that provokes that gives someone something to talk about whether that be for good or bad.
Do you choose art to go with your home décor or other way round?
It’s a bit of both and neither I suppose, as if I like it I buy it then find somewhere to put it… although I have also created art with a specific room in mind I think with having such an eclectic home I’m not limited to what art I can or can’t have.
How do you arrange your wall galleries?
Probably very unconventionally, I’m constantly adapting and changing my gallery wall. When I buy new art I adapt my wall so that it fits and I look at the shapes and the positioning of what I have and where it can go… I don’t like too much of the same so many of my frames are different (traditionally gallery walls have the same frames) I also mix media by adding objects and plants into my walls. I have some artwork taped to the walls with washi tape so that I can move them around easily. Others I hang with a good old fashioned nail. However when I am creating a gallery wall for a client, I will take a slightly different approach, usually because I will have the chosen art work already… I will make a template of each of the pieces of art and arrange them first on the floor to see what arrangement works best, then a photograph will be taken and the templates will go up on the wall in the chosen formation, so that each nail can be placed in the right place for each piece of art.
How do you choose a frame for the art and where you get your frames?
I have a complete mix of frames, from frames that I have made myself from old bits of architrave, to bought frames. One of my favourite ways to hang posters is actually using wooden trouser hangers as it gives depth to something that would just be a piece of paper otherwise. I also have a lot of quotes hung on clipboards that I've painted. I really like the glass envelope frames that you can place things inside as you don’t just have to place pictures or prints in them you can place fabric, threads or flowers in them. I would however say that the majority of my frames are from Wilkos - they are super cheap (usually under £5) I like the simple clip frames or will go for the black gloss frames when I have a striking piece of art and don’t want the attention of the art to be taken up by the frames.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed your 10th visit with Lush Eclectic Art into the world of interiors and that you found the above tips and ideas inspiring.
For more home décor inspiration follow Tara over on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/intaradesign/
Next time I'm taking you to London!
Have a lovely Sunday x
Welcome to ART IN THE WORLD OF INTERIORS - a cycle of short features where we will be visiting fabulous homes around the world and their owners who are passionate about art . Each home which we will visit is unique, with it’s own style & character. From castles, through to period homes, cottages, flats, new-builds, terrace houses to semis, from cities, towns, villages and country sides across the globe… I would like to invite you to join me in this inspirational journey where we will explore different ideas and styles in interior design and we will explore various ways of styling art in your home.
The sumptuous art of glam-cycling – home of Sarah aka @relovedmcr
On today’s visit I’m taking you to a leafy suburb of Bolton, just a few miles outside Manchester. Here in a woodland enclave and surrounded by the Lancashire hills lives Sarah – the furniture artist behind @relovedmcr.
I’ve been admiring Sarah’s creativity, style & character for a few years now and I’m very excited to show you around her extraordinary & sumptuous house.
In Sarah’s own words:
My home is a three story new-build town house, only about 12 yeas old. I bought it 6 years ago, the first house I bought post-divorce! First time I have ever lived in a new build home, so I have tried hard to inject it with character and soul in the absence of pretty period features.
I live here with my two sons, although my partner of ten years also stays here part time when he is not looking after his own kids!
- What inspires you when decorating your home and what has drawn you to your style?
I’m inspired by so many things…fashion, travel, art, my partner, my kids….I worked for many years in fashion and beauty PR, and spent hours backstage at international runway shows watching the make up artists, stylists and designers creating magical art close up. It’s perhaps one of the reasons I’m not afraid to experiment or play with colour and texture in my home.
I’m drawn to vibrant colour and texture, as a means to imbue my home with character and glamour. The house doesn’t have great bones, in that there are no elegant windows, high ceilings or mouldings etc, so I always plan my décor with an eye on elevating the space with vintage and found items. I often decorate around one or two very special items, particularly furniture or accessories that I have had for a long time and that mean something to me.
As as an avid glam-cycler, I love taking charity shop finds and transforming them into pieces that suit my own aesthetic. It might be through hand-painting, gilding, gold leafing, or recovering with fabric or wallpaper. Customisation is the key to creating my interior. I rarely buy off the high street, and when I do, I mix it in with all my one-off eclectic pieces. I dislike the idea of my home looking like others’ – even the ones I truly covet and admire! Individuality is hugely important to me.
- Would you like to share few tips on how you choose art for your home?
Ah! That’s easy! I’ll list my criteria:
1.I utilise original art which has been handed down or gifted to me by family. I’m fortunate to own several paintings which belonged to my grandparents, which are very old-fashioned pastoral oil paintings in their original gilt frames. I adore them.
2.My gorgeous partner is a talented artist and designer, although he only paints as a hobby. I have bits of his large acrylic on canvas works dotted all over the house.
3. I only buy “new” art or prints from independent artists who I admire, such as yourself Marta! Over the last 20 years, I’ve bought several original paintings and sketches from friends of friends and more recently from artists I’ve got to know through Instagram.
4. I occasionally buy vintage art found in charity shops – although mostly I buy for the frames alone!!!
5. I buy stuff that resonates with me, evokes a memory or that simply I enjoy looking at. I don’t care what the monetary value is, or what others think of it. If I like it, and it’s within my budget….I might well buy it.
6. Black and white photos of your loved ones always works for me. If you enjoy faffing around with a camera or phone, you can create your very own photographic artworks on a minimal budget.
7. I don’t buy mass produced artwork from the high street. I’m not a snob about it, but I just don’t feel the need to when there is such a rich source of art to be found in all of the above ways!
- Do you choose art to go with your home décor or other way round?
Both! Sometimes the art can dictate the room décor, and other times, vice versa.
I don’t necessarily view “art” as a painting or drawing. I see certain items as art on their own right. For example, I bought a 1920s lace dress in London about 15 years ago, which I’ve never worn. I think it’s so beautiful, I just have it hanging on my bedroom wall draped with feathers and a pearl necklace. To me, it’s art!!! I stare at it often from my bed and get so much pleasure from looking at it.
- How do you arrange your wall galleries?
I don’t have any gallery walls as such…I don’t think I know how to put one together! Instead, I hang art as a singular piece on a wall, which I think probably makes a bolder statement, or perhaps group three together.
- How do you chose a frame for the art and where you get your frames ?
I gravitate towards gilt, baroque style frames for most of the art I own, but some canvases I have left without frames, just because I think they work better without. My partner’s work is quite urban and gritty, so in the main, I use simple wood frames that he makes himself.
- Any other tips when it comes to styling art in interiors?
My main tip would be to choose whatever you love, and not worry about whether it can be perfectly curated into your scheme. If you only take home what you really covet, you will find a place for it!
- Can you tell us more about the furniture pieces which you create?
I started revamping vintage furniture many years ago as a hobby, and it wasn’t until I left my PR agency role in 2016 to go freelance that I had time and head space to develop it as a business. I don’t feel there is any great technical expertise to what I do....but I do think there is a skill in selecting the colours, patterns and finishes with particular pieces perhaps. I get a lot of pleasure interpreting my customers’ aesthetic aspirations, helping them to arrive at pretty pieces which will work with their unique décor. Always with my own stamp on of course!! I never compromise....I would rather not work on a piece if the brief is not in sync with my style.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed your 9th visit with Lush Eclectic Art into the world of interiors and that you found the above tips and ideas inspiring.
For more home décor inspiration follow Sarah on Instagram here:
https://www.instagram.com/relovedmcr/
Next time… the clues of where I’m taking you are: hot springs, Roman baths dating to ancient times, medieval heritage and stately Georgian architecture…
Have a lovely day x
features where we will be visiting fabulous homes around the world and
their owners who are passionate about art. Each home which we visit is
unique, with it’s own style & character. From castles, through to period
homes, cottages, flats, new-builds, terrace houses to semis, from cities,
towns, villages and country sides across the globe... I would like to
invite you to join me in this inspirational journey where we will explore
different ideas and styles in interior design and we will explore various
ways of styling art in your home.
A house that was bought in serious need of modernisation. The carpets were dated, the bathroom had a pink suite. but it had big rooms, beautiful views and LOTS of potential – the home of Evija aka @fromevijawithlove.
This week I am taking you almost equidistant between England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, to the Celtic Isle of Man where you will find rugged coastline, medieval castles, plenty of mountains, forests, cute towns and villages.
It’s architecture includes Georgian neo-classical, Victorian stained glass, Edwardian baroque revival and mock castles plus the traditional Manx Cottage which would have traditionally consisted of two rooms, with flagstone floors and rafters made from driftwood.
The Isle of man is famous for the TT motorcycle road race, but it’s also known for having adorable cats with no tails. It has food, culture, views and a beautiful train station with loads of amazing retro posters.
I am taking you to the home of Evija who is studying, working at a law firm and enjoying the idyllic life on the beautiful Island, spending time with her husband Shaun and their baby girl Coco. Whenever she can she is painting, making, creating, sewing, drilling and upcycling… You name it, she has probably tried it!
Originally from Latvia, Evija moved to the Isle of Man after falling in love and leaving everything to follow her heart.
In Evija’a own words:
On choosing art…
I don't really have a "recipe" for choosing the right art for the house, it has taken me a long time to find and collect the pieces I have and absolutely love. I would always say go with what you like and buy what makes you happy and don't follow trends. There are so many great artists out there! Charity shops, auctions and print houses all offer artwork for affordable prices. Don't think you have to buy everything all at once, I always find that the right art always finds me and it takes time to collect.
On Travel and Art…
I have also started to collect pieces from our travels as it will always have the association with the place we visited, a memory of a beautiful time away. The latest painting I acquired from a trip was from Venice. I started talking to an amazing artist as we were walking through Venice and watched him create a piece on the spot using chalk. I bought a painting from him and listened to his stories and watched in awe as he quickly sketched a beautiful Venetian scene using simple black chalk.. He turned a white piece of paper into a beautiful artwork in front of my eyes. He gifted me the piece he had just created, I will always treasure it.
On her wall galleries...
I usually have a good idea of the pieces I want to put up, but always end up getting more artwork that I need so I can play around with them. I like to visualise as I go along and normally don't have an exact layout planned. In the beginning I would use paper templates, but now I just go for it! I start by putting the main piece (usually the biggest) just off centre and then work around it. It's all trial and error really. I try to keep similar colours and tones although I don't like to have a gallery wall that's too "matchy". Each individual piece is special in it's own right. I like to match modern with traditional and play with various colour palettes.
On framing Art...
IKEA is great for affordable minimalist frames, but I usually tend to reuse old frames I have found either in charity shops or amenity sites. I have found so many old paintings with gorgeous gilded frames that have been put on a burn pile! I clean them up and restore them, sometimes painting them to match the decor. Most of my frames end up black or gold.
On choosing Art for her home...
Each piece in our house has a story and most of them have a meaning. I love finding new art online, Instagram is absolutely amazing for finding new artists, I have come across so many wonderful artists on there, Etsy is great for prints too and charity shops or Ebay are good for vintage art and posters. I like something a bit different, I love moody paintings and interesting portraits, something a little quirky. Sometimes if I can't find something that I like I paint it myself. I love doing abstracts and it is a great way of reusing an old canvas or artwork you have at home and breathing a new life into them.
On which comes first - Art or Decor...
I have redecorated so many times so it is definitely the case of art dictating the decor. I usually buy pieces I love on the spot. I see something and it is like I have to have it - there is no plan! Sometimes I will look at 100 paintings before one will have an effect on me and I won't be able to forget it. Whether it goes with my decor or not, I am sure it will find it's right place one day! It helps that I keep moving things around to keep things fresh.
On styling tips...
Art is such an amazing way of bringing character into your home. Select pieces you love looking at and put them around your house where you will see them all the time. Surround yourself with pieces that make you happy and don’t be afraid to move things around. I had this gorgeous painting in the hallway and it looked amazing, but once I’d moved it to our living room gallery wall and the whole wall came to life!
On her interior style and home...
It is very hard to describe our home as it is a bit of a mismatch. I love dark colours especially black and love playing with contrasting colours. I’ve been adding a touch of pink here and there but it’s slowly taking over the whole house! Our home is filled with upcycled furniture, old books, artwork and plants! It's a mixture of modern and eclectic I would say.
On finding home décor inspiration...
I am terrible at planning and never have a design worked out from start to finish. Each room in the house normally starts with an idea and then develops as I start working on it. I see something on TV, in a magazine or online and it kind of goes from there. I love to collect things and am always in and out of charity shops trying to find that one special piece. When it comes to decorating our house I’m changing things constantly.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed your 8th visit with Lush Eclectic Art into the
world of interiors and that you found the above tips and ideas inspiring.
For more home décor inspiration follow Evija over on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/fromevijawithlove/
Next time I’m taking you to Machester...
Have a lovely Sunday x
Marta
Shop Evija's Lush Eclectic Art:
(click on each image)
Hello and welcome back to the ART IN THE WORLD OF INTERIORS series.
I hope that you are having a lovely weekend with some much welcomed sunshine. This week I’m taking you to a part of England which I fell in love with at the first sight 6 years ago -so much so that I moved here over 4 years ago leaving London & Cambridge behind. I immediately fell under the spell of the beautiful countryside with some scenic views of the hills, rocks, woods and the sea.
Hello and welcome back to the ART IN THE WORLD OF INTERIORS series.
I hope that you are having a lovely weekend with some much welcomed sunshine.
This week I’m taking you to a part of England which I fell in love with at the first sight 6 years ago -so much so that I moved here over 4 years ago leaving London & Cambridge behind. I immediately fell under the spell of the beautiful countryside with some scenic views of the hills, rocks, woods and the sea. The beautiful architecture and charming Victorian seaside towns, the artistic atmosphere of Bristol, the bygone era feel of Bath , the whimsical atmosphere of Cheddar Gorge and of course the cheddar cheese and the famous apple cider!
This week I’m taking you to Somerset.
Here in a tiny rural village about equidistant from both Bristol and Bath, lives Christel with her husband, their son David and daughter Liv, a 6-month old kitten called Shadow, and as Christel says : a family of rapidly reproducing dust bunnies and a frankly obscene number of houseplants.
Originally from Norway, Christel loves this location as she is close enough to partake in the hustle and bustle of urban life when desired yet perfectly quiet and peaceful for countryside living the rest of the time.
In Christel’s own words:
We live in a semi-detached stone cottage dating back to 1802 -- my décor is dark, moody and chaotic, much like my mind (my husband refers to my style as 'Victorian Freakshow' which I think is really rather rude!) This wasn't always the case mind, were we to travel back a decade in time I was all over that whole sleek, minimal monochrome look that has since become popular. These days there are only two areas of the house that still have a 'hangover' from that style period of mine; our microscopic porch and my six-year-old daughter's bedroom. The latter mostly because she has yet to develop her own style and request any changes!
As a Scandinavian I have always been conditioned to appreciate all things natural; and I am drawn to wood, leather, greenery- and those play a fairly large part in my décor style I guess. Bar that, it is a pure fluke, I am both fickle and impulsive and that can result in some fairly bizarre combinations at times. I have no specific decorating style, I am naturally drawn to stuff that is "slightly odd". I am not very good at colour though, I have become braver post-monochrome but I tend to subconsciously stick to few colours in each space. Our main living space (living room / dining room) is dark green, full of plants, wood, some exposed brickwork, many of my books and some pieces of art that I really appreciate - from the two tiny paintings of Lizard Point and Cadwight Cove that I picked up during a summer trip to Cornwall to the antique gorilla poster rescued (albeit not by me!) from a school, a couple of photographs by the talented Pati Robins, an Ibride print and of course, my very first Lush Eclectic print - Attitude with a splash of gold!
I choose with my heart. I always used to think that I didn't "get" art - when I was much younger I found it to be a dreadful bore when I was dragged along to a gallery or an exhibition, worse still being "forced" to learn about "the greats" in school. I'd joke that I was dreadfully uncultured and that I had zero eye for or appreciation of artistic talent. I have since learned that I just need to find the pieces that make me smile, laugh or cry! I don't often look for new art, partly because I am completely out of wall space but art still finds me, I sometimes find myself drawn to something and end up having to find a place for it -- something that occasionally results in a wall being rejigged (thank goodness for command strips!).
- Do you choose art to go with your home décor or other way round?
Neither. I mean, I am fairly conservative in terms of colours so it is perhaps hard for me to pick something that would completely clash -- but I choose entirely based on gut feeling and emotion. Sometimes I cannot resist a piece and find myself struggling to work out where it will go.
Our attic space houses my desk for when I work from home, and the other side of the room doubles as a guest room for when friends or family stay overnight. It also occasionally houses artwork for which I need to find a space.
It is currently playing host to Sun Goddess - another of my absolute favourite Lush Eclectic pieces and one that I feel deserves to be in the spotlight but for now, until I decide just how to change things around to incorporate the piece, it is acclimatising upstairs!
If we head back down the stairs we will find another Lush Eclectic piece as we come down the staircase from the attic; ‘Defend The Sacred’ - one that always gives me pause as I find it powerful and strong.
- How do you arrange your wall galleries?
My wall galleries have been fortunate accidents; I might have started out with one or two pieces and gradually added or moved things around as my style has evolved and my collection grown!
This is my ten-year old's "gallery wall" in his room; it has some nerdy stuff (he loves maths), some pops of colour (yellow!) and features your gorgeous Greta piece!
Another (hard to photograph!!) gallery wall can be found as we head back downstairs:
This gallery wall includes Silence, which is also in my top 3 Lush Eclectic pieces - it is different and holds a great deal of appeal to me. The large drawing is Norwegian stockfish hung up to dry; dried stockfish is a huge delicacy in northern Norway and I absolutely fell in love with the drawing years ago and my father kindly gifted it to me for my birthday some years back.
When we get to the bottom of the stairs we have made it to 'the den' - where the Boy Wonder spends his time playing video games and where I rarely get a look in other than to water my plants before he wakes up! This room has no fewer than three Lush Eclectic pieces, can you spot them all?
- How do you chose a frame for the art and where you get your frame?
I am a sucker for inexpensive frames from Ikea and Amazon; because I am fickle and prone to changing my mind and my artwork I tend to opt for lightweight frames that I can safely and securely attach using command strips! Though I have been known to reuse a frame found at a car boot sale or in a second hand shop too!
- Any other tips when it comes to styling art in interiors?
Now, I am neither a stylist, interior expert or photographer but I would say to follow your gut. Surround yourself with what makes you happy, make your home the happiest it can be because if you are anything like me it will be the place where you spend most of your downtime, where you curl up with a cuppa and a book, where you host friends and family be it for a dinner or a proper knees' up, where you escape for peace and solace when you feel under the weather and where you unwind after a long day/week at work. My home is far from picture-perfect but it is where I feel the happiest and most at ease. Strive not to follow the latest trends but follow your heart instead!
Another favourite of mine is Fierce Foreigner, she graces my kitchen wall for most of the year although she comes down in December to make room for Pati Robins' Bad Santa (they share a frame and I literally just take it down and swap them around come December!).
I have a few more Lush Eclectic prints throughout the house!
"Shit Art" graces the wall of the downstairs loo (another tiny and a hard to photograph space!)
Cuban Girl (black & white version) in the bathroom.
And my bedroom has no less than five gorgeous Lush Eclectic pieces gracing the walls!
(If eagle-eyed you will spot the empty A5 frame above 'Bite Me' - I need to fill it with something but have yet to figure out exactly what to put there).
I hope that you’ve enjoyed your 7th visit with Lush Eclectic Art into the world of interiors and that you found the above tips and ideas inspiring.
For more home décor inspiration follow Christel over on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/christeldahl/
Next time we are sailing on the sea as we are going to an island…
Have a lovely week x
Shop Christel's collection of Lush Eclectic Art here:
Hello, what you've been up to this weekend?
I've been working on customising some art prints orders with 24 carat gold and I'm still doing up Lush Eclectic headquarters aka my new office after a change of plan and ripping down busy and colourful wallpaper which only lasted few weeks...I'm going back to my original design in favour of calmer, loft / industrial style... and if you are a fan of industrial vibes and calmer colour pallets with touches of natural textures, you are in for a treat today...
So grab a cuppa and enjoy this week's ‘ART IN THE WORLD OF INTERIORS’ article from the cycle of short features where each weekend we visit fabulous homes around the world and their owners who are passionate about art. Each home is unique, with it’s own style & character. From castles, through to period homes, cottages, flats, new-builds, terrace houses to semis, from cities, towns, villages and to country sides across the globe… I would like to invite you to join me in this inspirational journey where we will explore different ideas and styles in interior design and we will explore various ways of styling art in your home.
1970's house transformed into a monochrome & industrial sanctuary– the home of Vic aka @our_home_in_kingstone
In today’s visit we are going to a small village called Kingstone in Herefordshire. Here in a 1970’s 4 bedroom detached house lives Vic with her husband, two daughters, two dogs and two cats.
I’ve been following Vic on Instagram for a couple of years now and although we are on a different spectrum in our home décor styles – Vic loving monochrome, industrial style where I love colour, pattern and period features, we both share the love for thrifty DIY and upcycling furniture. Vic’s spirit, sense of humour and character attracted me straight away as well as she is one of those kick ass women who is not afraid to speak her mind, be honest and share her experiences and struggles of daily life while sharing her passion for interior design.
In Vic’s own words:
For me Instagram is a beautiful distraction from my real life. I first joined when we moved into our house a couple of years ago and fell down the rabbit hole of beautiful homes.
I'd never seen such an array of different styles and designs.
It’s a wonderful place to shut out all the noise of reality and just lose yourself.
It’s also a fabulous place to find art. Without Instagram I'd never have found all these incredible pieces I now have in my home.
I just choose things that I love. Anything that makes my eyes and heart happy. I love being able to "shop my home" and changing them all around. It is also a nice surprise for my husband when he gets home.
Everything in my home is done on a tight budget, so where I'm happy to spend money on art I love, when it comes to frames I always choose cheap ones. Asda, Poundland and B&M are always great places to get them from.
The gallery wall going up my stairs has built up slowly over the years. Whereas sometimes I monopolise the rest of the house with what I want, I wanted everyone in my family to be able to choose art that meant something to them. We've all had some input into it and all of the pieces have some meaning or importance to us.
Due to my mobility deteriorating and the stairs now being difficult for me to navigate, I often joke that it is also nice to have a great view when I am going up and down.
I think that's the key to making your home look nice, choose things that represent your personality. If you go for latest trends then I think you'll just tire of them because they're not true to you.
I think now more so than ever our homes have become an extension of who we are. Just like clothes, we express ourselves more in them.
Instagram really ignited my passion for DIY and upcycling. There's so much inspiration about and I love having a project to focus on. Despite being in a wheelchair I like to show that you can still make and paint things. Yeah, it might take me longer than an able person but I enjoy the sense of achievement once done.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed your 6th visit with Lush Eclectic Art into the world of interiors and that you found the above tips and ideas inspiring.
For more home décor inspiration follow Vic over on Instagram here:
https://www.instagram.com/our_home_in_kingstone/
Next time we are visiting a rural setting in the county famous from Cheddar cheese and apple cider...
Have a lovely Sunday x
Marta
Shop Vic's collection of Lush Eclectic Art here:
]]>On today’s visit I’m taking you to Cheshire to the most opulent and fabulously OTT rental home I’ve ever seen.
In a historic town in Runcorn, there is a magical home which from outside looks like any other Victorian end of terrace, but when you come inside you immediately enter a colourful and opulent space which is home to Fee and her family.
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On today’s visit I’m taking you to Cheshire to the most opulent and fabulously OTT rental home I’ve ever seen.
In a historic town in Runcorn, there is a magical home which from outside looks like any other Victorian end of terrace, but when you come inside you immediately enter a colourful and opulent space which is home to Fee and her family.
Fee is a small business owner running Henrietta’s Attic, which is a home décor shop selling customised furniture which Fee lovingly creates, plus anything for your home from soft furnishings, to decorative items, art, things old and new or furniture paint for your own projects. It is like a magical Aladdin's cave which any interiors enthusiast will enjoy.
Since the lockdown when shops were closed, Fee enjoyed focusing on her home rather than the shop which usually takes up all her time and head space for inspiration.
In Fee’s own words:
My love has always been about the opulence and the grand interiors. I often just focus on the interiors whilst watching TV, getting lost in the background of the actual programme as I'm in awe of the period features and the colours of the darkened walls and distressing. Charleston house is a massive inspiration and other heritage properties. I love anything gilded or gold leafed. And I definitely have the weakness for old mirrors. I would fill a house full of them if I could.
The mirrors you find in beautiful period homes, the gold ornate picture frames inspired me to create a distress gilded coving to compliment the high ceilings and the ceiling mural made such a difference to how my rented property feels now.
I’m lucky to have a fab landlord who is more than happy for me to do all the alterations.
All the redecorating which has been done adds additional value to the property.
We live in an old end terraced situated in the historic old town of Runcorn facing the beautiful church which seems to be my preference, I like to have the church in my view from my bay window giving a beautiful outlook.
My style is very much over the top with an eclectic mix. I love period features and period furniture and I’m certain that I was born in the wrong era.
With my love for painting furniture (hence why being a paint stockist) I get the best of both pleasures as I can paint and keep an item and when I get fed up or fancy a change I'll put it in the shop.
My whole living space is painted in Aubusson blue and Athenian Black by Annie Sloan. My choice of art is just what I fall in love with when I see it. It has to be mesmerising so I'm drawn to it almost like a magnet. I’ve noticed that my whole room is full of beautiful eyes and expressions which I guess makes me feel not alone in my room.
I guess that's why I love all Lush Eclectic’s amazing and stunning characters you have created... they work so perfectly because I'm drawn to the gorgeous colours you use.
Don’t get me started on Frida as I am obsessed about her! I love the colours and the happiness she brings.
I am a bargain hunter and true believer in finding second hand items for my home and then giving them a little makeover.
I would love to find a chesterfield sofa to complete my room but with having two cats, I would never be able to settle in case they were to scratch it.
About Fee’s home décor business:
Henrietta’s Attic is designed to be a “home-from-home”, a colourful and relaxed environment, to showcase high quality, locally made products. Now, we all love our furniture here, but we also think that half the fun lies in dressing that perfect signature piece. We have handmade bits n’ bobs sourced from throughout Cheshire, ornaments to draw the eye, vases, framed art, more to discover with every glance. We also stock wall art of varying sizes from local artists and mirrors with ornate frames (to pop against a carefully chosen wall colour perhaps?). Many of our stocked items are one-offs or limited prints, check our Instagram and Facebook for regular updates on current stock.
Owner, Fee, AKA The Revamp Tramp is our Annie Sloan colour expert; she has a huge passion for painting, with a focus on furniture restoration. From the start of her first project (jumping in at the deep end with a 6ft dining table and chairs!), Fee knew she had found her calling. Having used Annie Sloan products for five years, Fee decided her passion needed to be her profession. As an Annie Sloan stockist, she is qualified to teach ‘Introduction to the Annie Sloan Method (Techniques 1)’. Whether discussing creative thoughts with seasoned painters, designing a commission piece, or sharing painting techniques with newcomers to the craft Fee is in her element. Pop in to have a browse, to ask any product or technical questions, or simply chat about your latest restoration.
Fee has been working very hard recently on a big shop transformation and although I had a sneak peek of the ‘work in progress’ I can’t wait to see how it looks now.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed our 5th visit with Lush Eclectic Art into the world of interiors and that you found the above tips and ideas inspiring.
For more home décor inspiration follow Fiona over on Instagram here:
https://www.instagram.com/therevamptramp13/
Next time I’m taking you to Herefordshire where we will visit a 1970’s house which has been transformed into… well you will have to wait and see...
Have a lovely Sunday x
Marta
Shop Fee's collection of Lush Eclectic Art here:
(click on the picture)
On today’s visit I’m taking you to the South Coast of England to an Victorian terrace house of Agi who lives there with hubby and two young children. The ever-changing home of the owner is a prof what a difference home décor styling can make, with a play of different textures, colours and space arrangement.
In Agi’s words:
I would describe my style as eclectic, colourful and fun. I think the house is the most important place in the world and it should reflect the personalities of people living in it while being as comfortable as possible. I think life is too short to stick to one particular interior style hence I cherry pick from loads of different aesthetics and come up with my own eclectic mix.
As you know I'm a huge fan of art and almost every wall in our house is covered with art prints. I suppose I've always loved art, but then I have a very relaxed approach to it. I think anything can look fab on the wall! I just have to love it and it has to evoke some emotions.
I used to frame literally everything, starting with cool wallpaper samples, fabrics, postcards, pics from magazines, etc.
Since I've started my adventure with Instagram I've discovered loads of amazingly talented artists whose work adorns the walls of our house now and my obsession with artwork just got bigger and bigger.
In regards to frames I usually go for the cheap options that I think work as well as the higher end ones. Most of my frames are from IKEA and The Range. I also love shopping for picture frames in charity shops/ boot sales. You can find some gorgeous (often vintage) frames for as little as 50p a piece.
We have several larger gallery walls in the house and all apart from one were kind of put together as you go, rather than carefully planned. I just seem to work better that way. I have no rules for matching the art with the room colour, etc. It just has to 'feel right'. Some gallery walls are untouched since the day I first put them up on the wall while others are being constantly rearranged and art swapped over as they just aren't exactly what I want.
I've only ever done one carefully planned gallery wall in our house (it's in our dining room) and it's been rather stressful. Don't get me wrong I absolutely love it and I'm sure it was worth the effort but it took me days to decide on which prints to use and where to put each individual one so I'll probably stick with the most spontaneous way of arranging art in our house.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed your 4th visit with Lush Eclectic Art into the world of interiors and that you found the above tips and ideas inspiring.
Follow Agi in Instagram for more home décor inspiration :
https://www.instagram.com/agi_at_59/
Next time I'm taking you to Cheshire to see what must be one of the most opulent and beautiful homes you've seen.. and you would never have guessed that it is a rental! Have a lovely weekend x
Marta
Shop Agi’s collection of Lush Eclectic Art here:
(click on each picture)
]]>Welcome to ART IN THE WORLD OF INTERIORS - a cycle of features were we will be visiting fabulous homes around the world and their owners who are passionate about art. Each home we will visit is unique, with it’s own style & character. From castles, through to period homes, cottages, flats, new-builds, terrace houses and semis, from cities, towns, villages and country sides across the globe… I would like to invite you to join me in this inspirational journey, where we will explore different ideas and styles in interior design and we will look at various ways of displaying art in your home.
Today’s visit is to a home like no other… Once you’ve seen it, you will instantly recognise this style anywhere. Think about home of a flamboyant Great Gatsby, colourful, filled with pattern and art in all shapes and forms. To top it up it is a large Art Deco Mansion like no other.
Come on in and let’s meet the owner...
Hello, can you tell us about yourself and what you do?
My name is Siobhan Murphy, I live in Castleford, West Yorkshire with my husband Nick and my ragdoll cat Benji. We live in a beautiful art deco home that was built for a lady GP in 1936 who used it as her practice for over 20 years. I studied fashion and accessories and have a real love affair with colour and pattern. I love the creative process of designing and making something, turning something plain and bland into a riot of colour and theatre.
What inspires the décor and styling of your home?
I can take inspiration form a variety of sources, a room design can start with a colour, a wallpaper sample or something random like a beautiful silk scarf or a place that I have visited. For example my master bedroom was inspired by a trip to the Beverly hills hotel on our honeymoon 5 years ago, I had always had a huge love for the Martinique wallpaper and the interior designs of Dorothy Draper so I know I wanted to create a botanical inspired bedroom with a nod to the Beverly hills hotel too.
I have a huge collection of interior design books – I’m currently reading ‘Making Living Lovely by the 2 lovely gays’ and it’s a great read filled with amazing tips. I also read a lot of interior design magazines and of course Pinterest and Instagram are a huge source of inspiration – in fact sometimes I feel so overwhelmed with ideas that I don’t know where to begin. I do love a mood board and most of the time I start with a mood board to define my colour palette and style for the room – these are not set in stone though and I like to tweak and redefine the scheme as I am going along.
I get a lot of my art inspiration from people that I follow on Instagram. I like to mix one off original oil paintings and acrylics with prints, postcards and posters. Even though we have moved from a 1970’s semi detached house to a 1930’s Art Deco mansion I have actually kept quite a few pieces of art including my Lush Eclectic prints which are now in my reception room. It sits alongside an original oil painting of me depicted as a 1930’s gangsters moll!
I love portraits of women and my home is filled with beautiful, strong portraits of women including a portrait of the lady doctor who had chatelaine built.
How to arrange gallery walls
I think the most successful gallery walls are the ones that feature a variety of artwork. A mix of vintage and new. Old masters style paintings against neon and graffiti. I also like texture and a variety of shapes and sizes, colours and frames. I never plan my gallery walls I just start with one piece centrally then work my way around ensuring there is enough tension between the pieces to give the gallery wall a cohesive look.
How I choose frames and Where I get frames from?
I’ve got friends with a framing company in Leeds called Flagship Framing that have a beautiful selection of frames and they also help me decide on colours and shapes, with some of my art we have even double framed it to provide maximum impact. It makes such a difference having your art professionally framed and I would always recommend buying less but spending more on the framing. Another tip is getting special art glass that reduces glare and is really good when taking photos for your Instagram!
I hope that you’ve enjoyed your 3rd visit with Lush Eclectic Art into the world of interiors and that you found the above tips and ideas inspiring.
For more home décor inspiration follow Siobhan on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/interiorcurve/
Next time… I'm taking you to the South Coast of...
Marta
Shop Siobhan’s collection of Lush Eclectic Art here:
(click on each picture)
]]>Welcome to ART IN THE WORLD OF INTERIORS - a cycle of short features were we will be visiting fabulous homes around the world and their owners who are passionate about art. Each home we will visit is unique, with it’s own style & character. From castles, through to period homes, cottages, flats, new-builds, terrace houses and semis, from cities, towns, villages and country sides across the globe… I would like to invite you to join me in this inspirational journey, where we will explore different ideas and styles in interior design and we will look at various ways of displaying art in your home.
If like me you have a little obsession with Escape To The Château TV programmes, you are in for a special treat as this time I’m taking you to France on a virtual visit with ART IN THE WORLD OF INTERIORS.
Today we are visiting the home of Clotilde who is an owner of a dreamy château in France.
Just imagine living in your own castle surrounded with green acres of land, a woodland and a stream nearby. Surely this must the an ideal location for the lock-down.
Clotile’s château is eclectic, where traditional style is mixed with modern pieces, colour, handmade rustic decorations and art. You will notice quirky touches such as a row of vintage cinema chairs or staircase walls entirely covered with music notes. This home is far from a pompous stately home stuffed with antiques which you cannot touch, au contraire – this is a beautiful, warm and lived-in modern home for the whole family but with an eclectic style.
Clotilde says:
Living in a castle is just a dream, I repainted it myself and decorated almost the entire castle respecting the history of the place.
I brought colour, life, and modernity.
I love the mix of style, the eclecticism and classicism.
I love art, music, sculpture and painting.
My choice of art is made by the emotion it gives me.
Your art is wonderful, your painting gives me truth , sensibility, emotion and sensuality it’s like a poem, it’s just amazing !
Do you buy art to suit the interior with colour or theme or do you buy the art because you love it and then you find a place for it in your castle? How do you decide where the new painting will go ?
Often it’s a crush, sometimes I see something that speaks to me and will be perfect for a room!
What inspired you to create your wall which is covered in music pages?
The wall which is covered in music notes because in our family we are all musicians ! My two daughters play piano and my sons play saxophone and cello.
I play myself guitar and we all went to a music conservatorium, so I think this wall is a reminder and an evidence for us to what we do … and I love collages.
In my last home I did a wall with old comics and another wall with only flowers which I’ve cut out of magazines!
I always have a lot of ideas and I love to paint, I like being creative making lamps and a things for decorating my home.
For more inspiration follow Clotilde on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/soclodesign/
I hope that you’ve enjoyed your 2nd visit with Lush Eclectic Art into the world of interiors and that you found the above tips and ideas inspiring.
For more home décor inspiration follow Clotilde on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/soclodesign/
Next time… just think about The Great Gatsby...
Shop Clotilde’s collection of Lush Eclectic Art here:
(click on each picture)
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Welcome to ART IN THE WORLD OF INTERIORS
a cycle of short features were we will be visiting fabulous homes around the world and their owners who are passionate about art (my art to be precise). Each home which we will visit is unique, with it’s own style & character.
]]>Welcome to ART IN THE WORLD OF INTERIORS
a cycle of short features were we will be visiting fabulous homes around the world and their owners who are passionate about art (my art to be precise). Each home which we will visit is unique, with it’s own style & character. From castles, through period homes, cottages, flats, terrace houses to semis, from cities, towns, villages and country sides across the globe… I would like to invite you to join me in this inspirational journey where we will explore different ideas and styles in interior design and we will explore various ways of styling art in your home.
On our first trip I would like to take to a seaside town in Northern Ireland, to Victorian terrace house of Peggy Bell. This stunning theatrical and deliciously opulent and colourful home is a perfect backdrop for an impressive art collection. Peggy loves indulging in her creativity and her need to self-expression with fun décor mixing charity shops finds, colourful soft furnishings and made over antique furniture.
Peggy, how you arrange your wall galleries ?
I usually pic one focal picture a bit larger than the others and put that in the central position. Then I take the smaller pictures and kind of spiral them around it, making sure there is a kind of loose symmetry. When using side-on portraits, or portraits where the eyes look off to the side, I prefer that they are looking towards the room rather than at a wall, so that no one is huffing and facing a wall!
If I'm doing a larger gallery wall, I try to keep things contrasting to keep the eye moving around it, so I throw in a few round or oval frames to break up all the straight lines, and try to put contrasting colours side by side, or contrasting themes e.g. portrait beside flowers or nature scenes.
How do you chose a frame for the art and where you get your frames ? Any other tips ?
I tend to pick up frames from charity shops and respray them if they aren't gold, unless I need a specific size, in which case I search online. I tend not to use border inserts as I feel it can distract from the colour story of the gallery, but that's just personal taste! I match the size of the frame to the picture, then try to put contrasting frames side by side, e.g. ornate beside plain.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed your first visit with Lush Eclectic Art into the world of interiors and so that you found above tips and ideas inspiring.
Follow Peggy on Instagram to get more interiors inspiration:
https://www.instagram.com/interior_alchemy/
Next time we will escape into the chateau as I’m taking you to France!
Shop Peggy's art collection from Lush Eclectic here:
(click on each picture)