No place like home to display cherished artwork

   ONE of the more reliable methods to enhance the look of a home is with artwork, be it paintings, posters, photographs or sculptures. It might take some work to get everything just right.
   "There are no rules, and there shouldn’t be rules," said artist Carol Hanson, a founding member and current adviser to the 1860 House in Montgomery. "Art is a question of personal taste. Any artist will tell you that you should really buy art that you love, more than just a piece that might look good over the couch. The chief criteria is to love a piece."
   Ms. Hanson’s thoughts are shared by interior decorator Joy Anderson, owner of Joy Interior Design in Montgomery. Ms. Anderson began designing in Los Angeles in the 1970s and worked in New York City before opening her shop at the Route 518/Route 601 intersection seven years ago. "I personally love to design around art," Ms. Anderson said. "It’s like dream weaving. In my opinion, art is probably more important than furniture, because it sets the mood. If you love a piece of art, there are ways of supporting it in other areas of design. You can take that piece and make it work for you."

Staff photo by Mark Czajkowski

Above, a soft painting hanging over a fireplace serves as the inspiration piece in the living room of Carol Hanson’s Montgomery home.

Staff photo by Mark Czajkowski

Ms. Hanson also enjoys the lively colors in the framed Matisse found in her bedroom.

   Ms. Hanson, whose works can be found at numerous area shows as well as a Nantucket, Mass., gallery and the Nassau Club in Maryland, says art appreciation is an acquired taste.
   "The more you look at art, the more your eye becomes educated," Ms. Hanson said. "Go to museums and galleries and just look at (the work) and see what you like. Decorating your home with art is like anything else. The more you know, the more comfortable you are with it, the better you will do with it."
   "You get emotional reactions from art, not only to the colors but to the style and the subject matter," Ms. Anderson said. "Be it impressionistic, modern or classical, you will have a personal reaction to it. When you feel that excitement, you know it’s right."
   Once you begin to acquire personal preferences and it is usually a work in progress for as long as you own the home don’t be afraid to showcase it. "I’m a believer in having well-lit art," Ms. Anderson said. "It’s very important where you hang it. You want low-voltage lighting so the colors will pop out. When you start with art, you then allow the paint on your walls to support it, usually in the subtlest of ways. "It’s the same with the furniture. I have a client right now whose fabric we chose related to a piece of art. Furniture comes and goes, it often wears out or it can be trendy. But art is handed down. I have a 14-year-old daughter growing up with our family art. The people in the art have become part of our family, and that’s something she will always remember growing up."
   Ms. Anderson brings up a key point. Depending on the subject of your artwork, it can go beyond decoration. It becomes part of your life, sometimes even a second family.
   Take the case of local collector Carolyn Hoyler, who lives in a Georgian colonial in Princeton. Ms. Hoyler has decorated her home with small statuettes of Staffordshire dogs, which she has always loved. She also owns an original engraving of the wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert she purchased at auction. "It has a lot of character to it and has a lot of characters in it," Ms. Hoyler said. "But I like the people and the faces. I got attached to the characters, I bought a book about the wedding, I’ve studied their lives and it’s fascinating. It’s opened a whole new world of history to me."
   There are, though, exceptions to becoming buddies with your painting.
   "I prefer people whose faces you don’t recognize, because you can relate to them a little better," Ms. Anderson said. "Unless it’s a person or an animal who you just find charming."
   If you prefer landscapes to people, that is another way to go.
   "Decorating a place that evokes memories of a favorite vacation place is wonderful to do," Ms. Anderson said. "My whole family room looks like Martha’s Vineyard because I love it there. People should walk into their home and say, ‘Why should I bother to go out, I’d rather be here.’ Art is a great way to do that."
   Be it people, places or things, feel free to display a little bit of everything. It could be contemporary art mixed with primitive a painting of a clown and another of a Buddhist monk. Once again, it comes down to personal taste. Don’t worry if guests don’t like it, because you are the one who has to look at it every day.

Staff photo by Mark Czajkowski

"In an old rustic house, primitive art and antique old paintings look nice, but there is no rule that says it’s what you have to have," says Ms. Hanson.

   "If people have outrageous art, they’re not going to be surprised that everybody doesn’t like it," Ms. Hanson said. "One thing people are afraid to do is mix contemporary art with antiques and an Oriental look. It’s not for everybody, but it’s a very sophisticated look. In an old rustic house, primitive art and antique old paintings look nice, but there is no rule that says it’s what you have to have.
   "Primitive art goes well in almost any place except maybe a formal French decorated room. It can go well in a contemporary house too; it makes for a nice contrast."
   And contrasts seem to be the trend these days. "The generation today is very eclectic," Ms. Anderson said. "Pieces are handed down from generation to generation and are still bought in our own time. There are ways to mix these things in the most wonderful ways. It is easy to walk that thin line from mishmosh to well thought out. At the same time you don’t want it to look contrived. You never want the home to look overdecorated. It’s got to be a place to live and you should have the freedom in your own home to let your eye look around without banging into the walls.
   "You want to have depth. I love series of art, but at the same time, when you have too much going on at once, it takes too much away from the importance of a piece. You’re basically dressing your home. It’s like if you have a beautiful necklace, then you put it on a print dress. You don’t notice it. Sometimes less is more."
   It is advisable to move art from room to room whenever the urge hits so that areas are constantly evolving, even if you have not made any new purchases.
   Whatever artwork you display, be particular in the framing. Ms. Anderson warns that sunlight can fade art, so it is best to go to a professional framer who is endorsed by the American Society of Interior Designers. Saving money on a frame may seem smart for the short term, but without the right protection a painting can fade and it becomes more costly in the long run.