Settees……at the Dining Table

Adding a settee, upholstered bench or a sofa in a dining area can create an understated elegance feel.      The soft, feminine tufted curved sofa in Mariette Himes Gomez's  NYC apartment does just that, as seen on Harmony & Home from Architectural Digest.

Whether in a formal dining room, a nook or an open kitchen, when paired with a rustic or dressy table, settees add comfort and style which reveal an appealing, inviting gathering spot which to linger in.  Southern Accents as seen over at Tobi Farley

Having a settee in a dining area can evoke either a casual or formal sense, depending on the approach and style in what other items it is paired with.  But, without a doubt,  it seems to always convey that welcoming come on over here to sit down for awhile mood. Phoebe Howard skirted low back tufted armless settee with mahogany Duncan Phyfe table.


Architectural Digest   Photography by Scott Frances   Mariette Himes Gomez  “I prefer having a less formal dining room,” says Gomez. The round table, which was formerly owned by the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, is set with English drabware, “the sort of very simple things I like.”

Scott Laslie's uses a settee with a modern lines that blends nicely in this bold black and white dining area.

 Photography by Tria Giovan

 Photographer Michael Partenio The rich gray shapely settee and curved details of the chairs both with bold contrast play nicely off of each other creating a sophisticated space.

In this dining area, Phoebe Howard’s classic but with a touch of a modern twist, has softened the space with the introduction of a clean lined tufted settee which visually de-clutters the room and allows your eye to take in the creative details placed throughout. 
  Victoria Neale’s lovely fresh inviting dining room at the Green House Charity Works House used an Edward Ferrell high back settee with contrast stripes and a flirty mini skirt which is paired with a simple elegant David Iatesta chandelier.   

Anyone that knows me, knows I am obsessed in love with Barry Dixon.  The man, all he does, touches and creates in my book are always fabulous.  Which is why I am sharing 3 different images of the same room at his historic Virginia residence, Elway Hall that he shares with his partner Michael Schmidt.

“The important things in a room are the essence of what you hold valuable. "Things that define who you are. A room should start a conversation before people actually start exchanging words."  ~Barry Dixon Photo credits: Michael Schmidt, Virginia Living & Tria Giovan

Curved, straight, shapely, skirted, leggy, nail heads, tufted, high back, low back, the options are limitless.  With so many choices, consider a professional design service such as Interior View to assist you in finding just the right settee and take the first steps to creating an inviting pleasing space which to enjoy.  

Amazing Art & The Artists

Two different artists, two different styles….each creating sensational art worth gazing at to enjoy, savor and take in all the beauty they possess.  

Think of all the beauty still around you & be happy.  ~Anne Frank  

Kevin Fitzgerald:  Has been painting for over 30 years, born in Washington, D.C., Kevin was drawn to painting from early childhood.  Citing the 19th century Romantics and Tonalists as inspiration, the work is both assuaging and triumphant in depicting the divine landscape. Fields, farms, marshes, and ponds all comprise the working vocabulary of a painter who glorifies the Great Mid-Atlantic region. 
There has yet to be a piece that artist Kevin Fitzgerald that I have seen that hasn’t moved me on some level or another.  The feeling when seeing one of his paintings, each one has evoked a strong sense of connecting to the stunning pieces they are.  Someday, someday, oh someday……I will be lucky enough to have one of his beautiful works of art gracing one of my walls where endless gazing would occur.  For now, I breathe in the beauty of this man’s talents through galleries and other fortunate people that are in possession of his amazing art.     
   

 The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection. ~Michelangelo  
  

If you love his works as much as I do and you are lucky enough to be around Old Town Alexandria, Virginia on Friday March 12, 2010 from 6:30-9:00 pm, do stop in at the super fabulous Principle Gallery for
Kevin Fitzgerald’s – Exhibit   He is a pure pleasure to meet and converse with & you’ll be happy you stopped in to have the opportunity to see him and his art in person.
all images courtesy of Principle Gallery 208 king street Alexandria, Virginia 22314  phone: 703.739.9326

 

Janet Slom an artist, resides in Westport Connecticut.  She has a gift, one where she is very much connected to her art, and paints from her heart and soul.  The very first second I glanced at her art, I sensed an intense and amazing feeling of serene beauty in which her soul radiates and is poured into each piece.

Her journey in life, her inspirations and her energy she creates ethereal paintings, aptly called, Heaven & Earth.
  The paintings abstractly interpret the moment when sunlight, earth, and sky meet in a stunning gorgeous burst. “Everyday I go for an early-morning walk just as the dawn breaks, and the beauty is so overwhelming, it is profound,” says Janet about the series. “It is a reminder that all we really have is this moment.” 

Please do take a moment to take in, inhale, embrace if you will, her majestic descriptions,which are almost as beautiful as her art is, her words regarding the meaning & the feelings in which she creates some of her series.    
The idea of mindfulness and capturing the essence of a given point in time is a recurring theme in her work.  In Abbracci, or “hug” in Italian, loosely painted figures embrace passionately or fondly, and for Janet the series is about the beauty of not only being embraced but also embracing the moment. “Whether it’s drawing a model or showing
the dance of light on the water, it’s about pondering all of that childlike wonder and gratitude and seeing this very moment because   it’s all very fragile and very fleeting. It’s quick.”

Her works seem to captivate, entrance you, which seem to have this magical glow.  

 
Westport Magazine - February 2006 by Suzanne Gerber
A renowned artist and teacher who has shown her transcendental abstract paintings on several continents, Janet paints not from her imagination so much as from her soul. Which is not surprising when you learn that Janet the artist has her roots in Janet the dancer and Janet the student of yoga and meditation. Today those seemingly disparate threads have been woven together in her life and her art.   Lately, Janet’s work has begun to change on a profound level. She’s in the middle of a life change, leaving her past behind and starting anew. Not surprisingly, her art is reflecting this transformation, which she likens to “living in the blankness of a canvas.” Petite and impassioned, when Janet speaks, she sounds like she’s reading. But because her inner and outer worlds are so aligned, the words come out perfectly crafted, like her soul has been rehearsing them forever.

  
“Art is a universal language that communicates through the heart of creative expression.  When the work touches another deeply, it is a celebration and a gift.” ~Janet Slom

I have been forever changed in such a way after having connected with these artists and their art.  When we view art, it should move us, connect with us on some level, speak to us, invoke a feeling, touches us deeply……do you have a favorite art piece or artist that makes you feel those things?