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something you don’t like as an investment!” Maria Lindgren, creative director at Covet Noir, has noticed that getting art right can be a great way of ensuring continuing business. “Our clients are looking to invest in art and curate a collection they can add to over time. They often come back to us a year or two after we’ve completed a project for a refresh of accessories and consultation on new art to add to their collection. We believe artwork shouldn’t be bought as an investment only - the ideal is to find pieces that bring pleasure as well as a potential investment, however, we feel that the emotional connection needs to take priority. Art needs to be seen and enjoyed,” she says. Difficulties can arise when the client already has an extensive collection to be designed around, or worse, when they have invested in (or inherited) a statement piece that clashes with what the designer would like to achieve. The former, says Engelhorn, can be fun: “I have a client right now who has a lot of their own art. It’s an extra challenge that I embrace. You have to find a spot for everything, which is much more time- consuming than finding something new, but in the end it’s very satisfying.” Hollie Bowden agrees: “It’s important to get to know a client’s art. This should inform the scheme, so none of their pieces should feel out of place.” In the latter case, designers have to balance the integrity of the scheme against upsetting the client. Maria Lindgren tries to be firm: “We normally incorporate our client’s own art in the mix with a newly curated selection. At the early stages of a project, we chat through what pieces they potentially want to keep so we can consider this when developing our proposal. We do, however, say early on that we don’t want to limit our creative vision by being tied to using a specific artwork for a specific area, so we ask them to be open-minded about finding the right space and location. But we will always try to incorporate it somewhere. If we feel really strongly about a piece not working with our new designs, we kindly advise our clients to consider not using it and either put it into storage or to sell it if it doesn’t have sentimental value.“ Collins tries to find a place for everything: “I love to work with a client’s collection or special art piece. It is part of them and tells their story, adding depth, integrity and soul to the finished result. The starting point for me is the art – it leads the way. That said, if a piece they have is really jarring with a scheme, we might relocate it. There’s usually a place for things, and ultimately these non- sequiturs are a reflection of someone’s personality and journey and make a space interesting.” Suss agrees: “We’d try to find a place for it somewhere. Art has such a big emotional impact, it’s about how you want to feel when you are in the room; but if the client really likes a piece, we design around it – they are the ones living in the house.” Designers all have favourite ways to buy


art. “It’s a journey,” says Collins. “I have travelled the world looking at artists and artisans; commissioning work, making bespoke pieces, arriving at markets in the early hours on wet and windy mornings searching for something that catches my eye. There are auctions every day both nationally and internationally and we love the


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6 Venues such as Cockpit Arts, where you can meet makers like Frances Pinnock, are ideal for commissioning new pieces, or visiting with clients. Photo by Jamie Trounce


7 For this family home in NW7, BIID member Simone Suss created a living area with an Ibiza vibe, curating a large number of the client’s existing artworks into new locations as well as finding new pieces for the project


8 Sarah Myerscough, whose latest exhibition is shown, works closely with interior designers and encourages them to make the most of the expertise of gallerists


search and pulling it all together to tell a story.” Bowden also enjoys the thrill of the chase: “Some of the most interesting pieces I have sourced for clients were found items, or unique pieces from markets in the middle of nowhere. Mixing higher ticket with more economical pieces is nothing to be afraid of. Art is democratic – as long as you love it, it doesn’t matter if you paid £50 or £50,000.” “Depending on the client,” says Engelhorn,


“I will choose art that fits the interior and their taste or I will take them to galleries so we can choose together. Most will loan you pieces so you can try them out in their intended places before committing to them. If you’re investing money in a work of art, it’s important to have this option. I make it my mission to try to see two to three galleries a month; you have to immerse yourself to be aware of what is happening.” Gallery owner Sarah Myerscough, formerly an art consultant, says interior designers can benefit from close relationships with galleries: “They are better off working with someone who knows a lot about art. Gallerists have a good store of knowledge


and can be as useful as any other specialist – like lighting or AV consultants.”


Myerscough advocates buying something original. “I’m all for the idea of ‘fewer and better things’. If you have a small budget buy one or two key pieces with a lot of presence and character – it’s much better than buying a whole wall of prints. If you are looking for established artists, fairs with a good reputation and a selection process - like Masterpiece, PAD, Frieze Masters and Frieze - mean you can be sure everything is vetted and accredited. Fairs give you an overall picture of the market, but the ones without selection can be a jungle! For lesser-known artists, try the end of year shows at the more successful art colleges such as the Slade, Royal College or Chelsea; that’s a good way to find young artists and introduce clients to exciting talent of the future. You can go to a college and buy from students with all that creativity and potential for the same price as something cheap and manufactured – it’s much better to support young artists.” Lindgren has noticed that clients becoming more interested in provenance. “They are


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