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Take art 1 2 by Kay Hill


12


A beautiful piece of art can fi nish an interior to perfection. But how do you choose something so personal or deal with a client’s taste that jars with your elegant interior?


INTERIOR DESIGN ITSELF is very personal, so getting to know a client’s taste is vital. But choosing art means getting to know them even better. “It’s about teasing out a brief, which is what you do with the whole design,” says Anna Burles, founder of creative design house Run For The Hills. “You are trying to get under their skin and into their head and tease out whether they know anything about or love art, and what they have already.” This process can result in a variety of outcomes, from the client who becomes so enthused they start preparing their own Pinterest board, to the ones who don’t have a clue because they’ve never thought about it. Particularly challenging are those who struggle to express an opinion. “Sometimes they still say they like everything,” says Burles. “In these cases we might take elevations and mock up what a piece would look like.” Hazel Collins of Hazel Collins Design adds: “If they have a collection I will work with it, if not I will fi nd out where their passion lies and suggest artworks that resonate with them. When we dig we usually fi nd something, even just one piece that can give colour and design direction from which we develop our scheme. “


Simone Suss, founder of Studio Suss,


notes: “At fi rst people can be quite guarded about what they like, but once you have built up some trust they know you are familiar with their taste and are able to guide them. Choosing art is defi nitely part of the service we offer – it has a big impact on an interior.”


For some clients, art can also be an investment. Designer Hollie Bowden, feels that’s outside her remit: “The concept of art as investment is certainly worthy, but doesn’t really come into question when I am designing a home. The price tag on your collection shouldn’t sway how you feel about it. Art should stir the emotions and add soul to your home. In the same way that you would choose a sofa that you love to curl up on, you need to buy art you are comfortable with and love to look at.”


Ana Engelhorn, founder of Ana Engelhorn Interior Design, says: “People buy art for different reasons, so this is a point I like to discuss right at the beginning. Are my clients looking for something that will create an emotional reaction in them? Do they want an investment? A safe bet? Do they like to support up-and-coming artists in the hope that in fi ve or 10 years’ time they might have something very valuable in their hands or simply something that is a bit different? Art is extremely personal.”


“Buy what you love and you can afford,” stresses Hazel Collins. “There’s never any guarantee something will increase in value, although many clients have done well with artworks and, at the top end, it can be one of the most lucrative investment markets. But can also be very dangerous!” According to Suss: “If we are working with clients to buy art, whether it’s a good investment is a consideration – but you never know what’s going to happen. We say never buy


1 Companies such as Desenio offer ready- made collections of prints that can swiftly transform a show home or budget scheme


2 Hollie Bowden loves to use three- dimensional pieces, which she feels require a different set of skills to display correctly. Different lighting, more space and the appropriate plinths are all things to consider. The seven-bedroom villa in Ibiza, Es Cubells, provided plenty of scope for imaginative use of sculpture. Photos by Mike Whelan


3 Carefully chosen paintings and three- dimensional works help to create a soothing environment in this Mayfair apartment designed by Hazel Collins. Photos by Ben Sage


4 At fi rst, Anna Burles’ client was uncertain about this oil on canvas called Monks (in the rain) by Ta Thimkaeo she chose for his kitchen, saying it looked like a bunch of carrots. She persuaded him to live with it for a little while before making up his mind and in the end it became his favourite piece. Photo by Katya De Grunwald


5 Ana Engelhorn was able to use art on a grand scale in this period home in Chelsea, from traditional paintings to exciting modern three-dimensional works like the sculpture of books coming out of a wall by Alicia Martin, and a pig-man fi gurine that the client absolutely adored


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