Do you wonder how to make the magic happen in a room, where all the colors, textures and pieces fit together just right? Maybe you’ve tried it several times and somehow the end result was off, but you couldn’t figure out why? Did you spend a lot of money buying pieces you loved but were not happy with the way everything looked together? Is there some magic formula to make it happen? Why yes, there is! Start with the art!

I may be a little biased, because I am both a designer and an artist, but it works for me! All designers have their own way of doing things and this is what I do. I start with the art and build my color palette and the rest of the room around it.

Make Magic Happen When You Start with the Art

Start with the Art

So, what do I mean by art? It does not have to be what you typically think of. such as art you hang on the wall, although it could be. It could be a great rug, which is art for your floor. Maybe you have a fantastic view, which is built in art on your windows. It could be an inspiration piece such as a beautifully designed piece of furniture or a wonderful antique. Or even an architectural element such as a gorgeous fireplace could be the “art”.

Consider the colors, textures, the style and mood your art conveys. Take cues from the art to build the rest of the room to harmonize with and highlight the art. Often, I use more than one piece of “art” and work with the combination. Here is an example where I used three sources of art to build the design for this beach house.

Make Magic Happen When You Start with the Art

The Primary Art- The View

In this Edesign, the main source of art is the view. The view is so beautiful and there is so much of it in the large expanse of glass, the view can not and should not be ignored. The view sets the color palette of various shades of blues, whites, and browns. It also sets the tone of a coastal style that is relaxed and peaceful. It adds texture, from soft and flowing from the sand and water, to hard and angular from the rocks.

The Secondary Art

To highlight and harmonize with the art in the view, the next pieces I looked for were the rugs, or the art for the floor. The main rug pulled in the colors from the view with the addition of a light purple and a touch of green which expanded the color palette. The colors from the rug and the view were used to determine fabric colors for the furniture and the wall color. A second rug highlighted the dining area and used mainly blues.

Supporting Art

Make Magic Happen When You Start with the Art

And finally, I selected supporting art for the walls. The main art is the view of the ocean on 2 walls. I created fractal art designs of the “Sea” for the third wall and for the accent pillows. The colors and design match the ocean views and the blues in the two area rugs, tying it all together.

“Sea #2” Framed Art by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

“Sea” Framed Art by Northern Lights Hom Staging and Design

“Sea #3” Framed Art by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design.

Sea 2 fractal art pillow by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design — Sea #2 fractal art pillow by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design.

Shop This Look

The remaining pieces all harmonize with and support the “art” and of course the function of the room. Some of the products may contain affiliate links.

Get This Design as a Virtual Zoom Background

Do you like this design? Why not use it as a virtual background for your Zoom calls? Click on the picture to download it and submit a vote for me in the MYZOOMROOM contest! See more of my virtual designs in my blog article, Up Your Game and Look Great on Zoom.