The little black cocktail dress has always been right for any sophisticated gathering, but black is now making a scene at home.   Black not only makes all the colours placed around it 'pop' but it also relaxes our souls. Black gives the eye a place to rest.   Giving the eye a place to rest in a vividly coloured room is extremely important. If a highly coloured room, as lovely as it may appear, has no visual anchor, it will leave all that visit this space feeling restless and uneasy. Every room, regardless of its colour scheme, needs at least three black elements to provide the visual anchor that our eyes require.  For those of you who need to know how the colour black will affect your chi, Feng Shui practitioners say that black is the colour of mystery and seduction. Shades of black will also aid relaxation and unearth emotions, and that shades of black will enhance our careers.  Taking your rooms to a new level is easy; simply add some black.

Clutter Therapy

Keeping organized is one of the most challenging tasks we face but a simple bulletin board can help.  Pick up a couple of cork bulletin boards and remove the cork from the frame.  Then paint the frame in your color designed to match the room’s décor. Gold, copper and silver leaf finishes will add a little sparkle to an otherwise dull frame.

Cut a piece of fabric, wallpaper or gift-wrap the same size as the cork. Using spray adhesive attach the fabric to the cork. Place the cork back into the frame. Hang the bulletin board as you would a framed piece of art any where you need to display a calendar, notes to family members, concert tickets, etc. I hang one at my back door, home office, children’s rooms and the kitchen for stylish and organized art.

Instead of push pins, Using a hot glue gun, glue small toys, tassels or ornaments onto the backs of brass tacks, these stylish pins will look as good as they work.

Feng Shui

Ancient Chinese writings tell us that the best scent for attracting love in the month of April is Cherry Blossoms

WALL ART

Imagine the walls of any room without  art!  A room whose walls are a blank canvas, void of decoration: no framed prints, no wall sconces, no mirrors hung to bring colour, light and style to a room.

Paintings, prints, mirrors and wall sculptures will add style, colour and personality to a room. 

Wall Art is often the inspiration for a room’s colour palette and decorating scheme. The style of wall art chosen for a room should be in harmony with the decorating style and mood that you wish to achieve.

For example, to achieve a cool and contemporary styled room, strong, bold contemporary art pieces will work best. Good contemporary art choices are figurative sculpture and abstract paintings.  In this style, less is more; a few large pieces of wall art will work better than a collection of smaller pieces.

A traditional piece of wall art with heavy gilded framing looks best in a room of similar genre. Good choices for this traditional style of décor are floral wreaths, landscape paintings, botanical and a pair of ornate wall sconces.

Furniture, accessories and the rooms colour palette should also support and compliment the artwork. The room’s wall pattern and colour must be considered, as this is the backdrop for the artwork.  Small prints will be visually lost on a heavily patterned wall. Stark, plain walls beg to become a home for large and boldly coloured pieces.

When selecting artwork for your home first, be sure that you personally enjoy the piece, and that it ‘works’ or is in harmony with the style and theme of the room. Then consider the canvas onto which the artwork will be hung.

When empty walls call for artwork, one of the first ideas that come to mind is usually a framed print. A framed print hung behind the sofa, large piece of furniture, or above the fireplace mantel, gives height and more visual weight to this focal point. When selecting your piece of artwork for either of these spots remember the size formula: the piece should be no wider than the mantel, sofa, or furniture piece below it, or narrower than half its length. To maintain visual continuity the artwork should be hung between three to six inches above the sofa, mantel or furniture piece. If hung too high the artwork appears to be floating on the wall, and there is no continuity or flow between the sofa or mantel and your wall art.

Some framed prints look best when displayed in groupings. For example, framed botanical prints are more visually impressive as a grouping than when hung singularly.

To achieve a perfect grouping cut out templates of your prints from old newspaper. Then arrange your templates on the wall with masking tape.  Keep the arrangement tight usually no more than four inches between each piece. The most eye pleasing arrangements will align the top, bottom, or sides. Another option is to create a triangle or arch shape. When the perfect grouping has been arranged, pound in your nails, remove the paper templates, and hang your prints.

Artwork should be hung with the best vantage or viewing point in mind. Recall your last visit to a gallery. Most pieces are hung so that the center of the piece is at eye level. We should never need to strain our necks to view a piece of artwork. If we are most likely to view a piece or grouping standing, then hang the center of the piece at approximately five ½ feet. If the viewing will most likely be from a sitting position, lower the piece to about four feet. If viewing will take place on this wall from both a standing and sitting position, consider a grouping that can work up the wall. This way you cover all the bases.

When hanging a grouping of framed prints or photos, you must maintain a common bond between each piece. If the bond is not the subject matter then use the same color frames and matting to create continuity.

Framed mirrors can also replace prints and artwork on a wall. All basic formulas regarding size and hanging height remain the same. Your only additional consideration should be the reflection itself. The mirrors reflection become the visual image so be sure you reflect an object or view that is worthy of the status. Try hanging a grouping of small to medium sized mirrors in a hallway, or on a wall, that does not receive a lot of light. The effect can be stunning and enlightening.

Often, the most effective artwork is unconventional. Try hanging a grouping of old iron grates, a pair of weathered barn doors or a slab of rock. Antique garden tools or a collection of birdhouses is cost effective and original on a wall. Old windowpanes can be fitted with a mirror to complement a French Country setting. Use your imagination, and be creative. The beauty in us is often in our flaws and unique characteristics; the same is true for artwork. Artwork chosen with care and affectionately hung will make your walls and home simply sensational!

Cheryll Gillespie is a nationally syndicated Design and Décor columnist.