A lovely Room with an additional Touch

There is nothing to complain about this room. I simply love it. I love the window and how it has been adjusted to the door so that you have different shapes. I love the colours which are serene and very soothing but not dull. A very relaxing room but for all that the stencil on the wall looks to me a bit lonely...

 original image source www.homesolute.com

...therefore I would add a small unintrusive acrylic painting on the wall that perfectly fits into the colour scheme and design - if this was my room:

The painting belongs to the Reminiscenses series, a painting series that was created from my photo documentary about the Olympic Student Village in Munich, torn down a few years ago in order to be re-constructed.

In order to create a kind of memorial for the beautiful and often funnily painted walls which are now all lost I took hundreds of photos from the village. But this was not enough for me - I also decided to create a painting series from the most impressive and beautiful parts i.e. walls, doors and windows. The peeling paints and especially the marks all the vines left on the plaster created wonderful patterns and structures. There is an extra photo series only about these wall motifs which you will find here.

"White Wall"
(from the Reminiscences series)

acrylic, 26" x 18"

©Petra Voegtle

 

 

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 mmm

The perfect Painting on this Wall

When I saw this picture for the first time it occurred to me immediately that I had the perfect painting for this wall. The wall firmly screamed for even more orange colours...

 (original image source: homesolute.com)

The above image is probably only from a showroom but if this vignette were part of your livingroom or a hotel lobby (even more then) I would place this 3-panel silk painting right on this wall. Isn't it made exactly for this place - what do you think?

The painting consists of 3 silk panels which could be hung separately even as each one is a complete image in itself. The semi-surrealistic motif has been inspired by the awsome canyons you can find on the North American continent.

  "Canyon"
(from the Magic Landscapes series) 
40" x 63", Triptych, silk
©Petra Voegtle

I have added some details of this painting to show you the colour hues and textures in close view:

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A Living Room with a Landscape

The colours of this living room are lovely. The light through the French window is wonderful and turns the room into a serene and calm scenery. The classical carpet is just the right counterpart for the dark wooden floor. The plant in the corner adds a very nice lively component. And although I like the art piece on the wall which matches the colours of this room beautifully I find it could need a bit more movement, a bit more focus, something that draws your attention. Otherwise this room looks a tiny bit too bourgeois...

The following painting (I would hang instead) came into my mind when I saw this room. It adds a whiff of mysticism and adventure to this room, opening the view into something distant.

The painting I have hung here virtually as an alternative to the original art piece is a silk painting from the Magic Landscapes series and is called The Valley - inspired by the breathtakingly green valleys of the Hawaiian Islands.

"The Valley"
(from the Magic Landscapes Series)
silk, 21" x 40"
©Petra Voegtle

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Volcano Landscape in a Moroccan inspired Living Room

Moroccan flair - what could be more inspiring than the colours, patterns and textures of Moroccan interior. I simply love the deep colours which bathe in an opulence that is always reminiscent of fairy tales and dreams of 1001 nights.

The colours especially touch the senses, purples, dark blues and then the shimmer of brass and silverware seem to emanate something vibrating that seduces you to forget about everything else...

 with courtesy of http://www.livingetc.com

While the vignette of this wonderful living room does not tell me how large the room actually is I feel I would add a painting on the wall, that repeats all those voluptuous colours:

The landscape is painted on silk which certainly would complement the brocades of the pillows.

"Haleakala"
(from the Magic Landscapes Series)
silk, 21" x 40"
©Petra Voegtle

This silk painting has been inspired by the breathtaking landscapes on the Hawaiian Islands, especially the Haleakala National Park. You can read more about it here if you like and what's so special about this painting.

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Please - add more Excitement to the Living Room

The first object that caught my eye in this vignette of a living room was the small tv - not one of these pretentious huge screens that just jump unpleasantly into your face everywhere. Instead it nuzzles decently into one corner of the room. The first time where I feel that the tv does not disturb the whole interior. Very nice!

 with courtesy of http://www.livingetc.com

The second object that caught me eye were the panels on the wall and I thought - no - this is much too dark and boring. What a shame. This room needs a bit more excitement. The chandelier though is breathtaking - therefore I felt the silk painting, I would hang instead of the 2 panels, would add the mystery that complements the crystal chandelier.

And this is the complete silk painting Underworld from the Magic Landscapes series:

"Underworld"
(from the Magic Landscapes Series)
silk, 40" x 21"
©Petra Voegtle

And check out this post if you like - with quite a few photos of real caves.

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SMALL SPACES: Garage converted into a living Space

In modern cities living spaces have become rare and expensive. Additionally the number of single parent families is increasing in western countries which means you need even more space for more individuals. No matter whether this is a desirable development (in fact it isn't) it is happening and solutions have to be found because cities cannot supply endless space for a decent living. But there might be a lot of space which is not utilzed any more for various reasons.

A while ago I found this very interesting article via freshome.com and I thought I would love to share this with you if you haven't seen this yet:

"Garage conversions are very popular nowadays. It is amazing what some can do out of an old rusty room and today we have yet another project that proves impossible is nothing. French architects at Fabre | de Marien managed to completely transform a 41 sqm garage located in Bordeaux into a welcoming living space." (continue to read here)

With some plants and more decoration you could even convert the external part of this wall into a welcoming space that certainly sets oneself apart from the ugly surrounding and might even inspire the neighbourhood to do something similar.

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A bit more Drama please...

This is probably only a showroom scenario and not a real room yet but if this is going to be part of your living room ensemble you would definitely need more drama in that place. The painting that has been placed on the wall originally does meet the colour composition as a whole but looks a bit dull.

(original image source www.homesolute.com)

As an alternativeI would choose this triptych painting that turns this wall into a dramatic landscape and adds a lot of movement.

The painting is a triptych, painted on silk. The 3 panels could be hung individually as well as closely together as they are painted to form one unit.

 "Canyon"
(from the Magic Landscapes series) 
40" x 63", Triptych, silk
©Petra Voegtle

For more room examples where this painting has been used check this link.

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The Painting is too small...

There is not much to say about the complete room but you can get a pretty good feeling from this vignette. There is simplicity, no ornamental schnickschnack and it seems to be a room full of serenity. And no doubt this fireplace defines the atmosphere of this room.

The only "problem" I have with this vignette is that the original art piece above the mantle nearly disappears.

 (original image source: www.housebeautiful.com)

As an alternative I would hang a larger painting such as the one below. It also adds a bit more drama and effect to the room, repeating nicely the colour of the fire mantle.

The acrylic painting is called The Rain Dancer and depicts one of my favourite models, Pete, the pigeon patron from our feral pigeon family, while he takes a shower in the rain. If you look closely (click on the image to enlarge) you will see all the droplets in his plumage and the content look in his face. Pigeons love to bathe or to take a shower in the rain.

"The Rain Dancer"
(from the Pigeons series) 
18" x 26" acrylic on cotton
©Petra Voegtle

If you would like to learn more about pigeons, how intelligent and funny these birds are, simply amazing creatures - then please check out my blog/diary Pigeon Tales. I can tell you that you will not be disappointed. There are lots of funny and sweet photos, little videos and stories about their adventures.Additionally you will find a lot of interesting links about birds and pigeons especially.

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A Gathering above the Fireplace

I had this photo for quite a while in my files and never found an idea what to hang instead of that dark something above the fireplace. Although this room is much too dark for my personal taste - I love light light light - I like it somehow but not that black strange thing - a wreath? - above the fireplace. This makes the room even gloomier.

Instead I would love to hang a painting such as this one, called The Gathering, from my pigeons series. This might be a strange choice but if you look closely at the painting it adds a lot of wit and a smile will appear on your face - I am sure of this.

(original image source getdecorating.com)

The painting depicts a mother pigeon and two of her sons, Willy and Joey, all members of our balcony pigeon family and about whose adventures you could read in my diary the Pigeon Tales with many amusing and also sad stories, diligently collected and written down since several years now.

"The Gathering"
(from the Pigeons series) 

26" x 18" acrylic

©Petra Voegtle

If you would like to know more about this painting and series please check this link.

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A Touch of Exotic in the Living Room

My attention was drawn immediately to the gorgeous window arches of this room and the amount of light that would be guranteed by this fact. I absolutely love large windows because then you have a plethora of possibilities for decoration, even converting half of the room into something like a sunroom - especially with plants. But this is not the theme here.

The room has been kept very simple - what can be seen from the photo section here - which leaves the opportunity to add some major objects and of course a  sophisticated piece of art such as this large silk scroll rather than the original picture which looks a bit depressing in this context (see below). The scroll would definitely add an exotic touch to this room.

 original image source and with courtesy of 

http://www.livingetc.com

The silk scrolls has been inspired by the dramatic stone architecture in India. If you would like to read more about the "making of" this extravagant piece and see a lot of large detail images please check this link.

"The Palace" 

( from the Ornaments series)

75" x 23", silk scroll
©Petra Voegtle

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Dreams of 1001 Nights and still alive

What do you think about ethnic interior?
I can only say I love it and will always love it. It tells you stories about foreign countries and their people, about their cultures and about their way of living. It can build bridges over time and space, bring back memories of happy times, even spurt your interest in growing your knowledge about all these beautiful objects which have been and still are created on this world. Ethnic interior is inspirational and you can always combine it with modern and/or classic interior.

It can create a very special aura and will reflect your personality if the objects are authentic, which means you should have been at least in contact with those foreign cultures in one way or other and not collected it simply from a retailer. Fakes do neither have a soul nor do they spread the magic of travelling memories. It is just not enough to have a bamboo table from a superstore in your living room to become reminiscent of  a culture that has been cultivated for thousands of years. If you cannot afford the real thing leave it out. Plastics just don't do it.

Back to my favourite ethnics: Moroccan.
The following photo is from one of my favourite books Moroccan Interiors and I could drool over it again and again. I chose one of the more simple rooms featured there and had to add virtually two of my ethnic paintings which depict motifs from the Sahara. They are from the Magic Symbols series.

(click to enlarge the image)

(original image source "Moroccan Interiors", TaschenVerlag 1995)

The paintings are painted on silk and reflect the rock paintings that have been found in the Tassili N'Ajjer, which is a part of the Sahara and belongs to Algeria. The size of the Tassili is twice the size of Switzerland and is one of the largest national parks of the world. Unfortunately it is not easy to access due to the political situation.

These cave and rock paintings are so fascinating because they seem to be timeless. Although thousands of years old they reveal a modern elegance and have been inspirational to countless artists.

Tassili I, Tassili II
(from the Magic Symbols series) 

40" x 13" each, silk

©Petra Voegtle

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Purple - the Colour of the Senses

The colour purple means something special for me. On one hand it is the colour of the holy, spiritual and was reserved to be worn by royals only and the high ranking clerical staff. In some countries and way back into history purple was and is the colour of mourning.

According to Feng Shui rules purple should not be used too often and especially not on walls because it could trigger blood diseases. The only possibility to use purple in a room is for healing purposes - remember the amethyst being one of the strongest healing crystals. Purple has alway been associated with mystery.

But purple has also been connected to poison and rage, it has been an attribute of homosexuality, is associated with contrition and all kinds of extremes. Btw - Dior created a perfume called "Poison" which was filled into a wonderful dark purple glass bottle. I find these components of psychologically tinted attributes extremely interesting. This might also be the reason why the bourgeois, the bores and deadheads of this world consider purple being flagitious, voluptuous, euphuistic and simply vulgar - at least in the times when I was a child. Purple was not a colour a decent girl would be wearing. Today a ridiculous interpretation! Thank heaven the times have changed...

But some tiny bits and pieces of this former interpretation may have survived in a rebellious mind because I find this colour extremely inspiring and juicy. Isn't it the forbidden that intrigues us most? And what do you think about the colour purple?

 original image source and with courtesy of 

http://www.livingetc.com

And what would go best in this room with the wonderful purple sofa? One of my favourite paintings Haleakala, inspired by Maui's dream landscapes.

"Haleakala"
(from the Magic Landscapes Series)
silk, 21" x 40"
©Petra Voegtle

This silk painting has been inspired by the breathtaking landscapes on the Hawaiian Islands, especially the Haleakala National Park. You can read more about it here if you like and what's so special about this painting.

More room examples you can find here.
 

Living with white Interior and a little Colour Intrusion

What makes people want to live in a completely white interior I ask myself? Is it the longing for the pure per se or is it rather a trend thing or lack of inspiration or...? I really don't know but I find it a bit creepy. It somehow reminds me of hospitals, of sterilized environment, of OP rooms (as they were equipped in the past) and of people who always want to have everything under control. Am I so wrong?

I love light rooms because I live in a country where the sun is rare. Often the weather is turning the sky into something undefinably grey and your longing for sunlight becomes an obsession. So the only chance to fill your heart with a bit of lightness is to keep your rooms light. But white without some colour infusion is not the right recipe.

On a white background you can see each little spot, each little im-perfection, each little fluff. You cannot leave kids alone in a white room, not to speak of pets and when your grand-pa decides to eat chips while watching an old film you will inevitably find the crumbs on your perfect white fluffy carpet... So not a place to really live in?

So what could happen if you just add a little colour to your white interior would be this example (of course you would still have the crumbs on your carpet but...):

(sorry - lost the original image source)

The acrylic painting belongs to the Reminiscences series, a painting series, that was created from my photo documentary about the Olympic Student Village in Munich, that has been torn down 2 years ago in order to be re-constructed.

"Blue Door"
(from the Reminiscences series)

26" x 18", acrylic

©Petra Voegtle

In order to create a kind of memorial for the beautiful and often funnily painted walls which are now all lost I took hundreds of photos from the village. But this was not enough for me - I also decided to create a painting series from the most impressive and beautiful parts i.e. walls, doors and windows. The peeling paints and especially the marks all the vines left on the plaster created wonderful patterns and structures. There is an extra photo series only about these wall motifs which you will find here.

More about the painting itself and the whole series you can find under this link .

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A Painting that complements the Cushions

From time to time I find this funny - looking for a piece of art that complements other accessories. Hm - I don't have a problem with that even if I consider myself a serious painter. I feel that art should be on a wall and if someone is looking for a great decoration piece - fine with me.

I do not paint for mere decoration, my work is reflecting my interests, my emotions, sometimes anger but more often joy, fascination and admiration. And most of all my work is coming from memories and impressions I have had the luck to see somewhere on this world, be it in the neighbourhood or on the other side of this planet.

 original image source and with courtesy of 

http://www.livingetc.com

"Red Door"
(from the Reminiscences series)
26" x 18", acrylic
©Petra Voegtle

If you would like to know more about this painting Red Door please see this link. If you would like to see more paintings of this series please see here.

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Adult Content in the Living Room

I love this room for its simplicity. I absolutely love the floor and that it was not destroyed through paint whether it might be trendy or not. Wood can be so beautiful especially when it is old and talks of many years of usage. It can be even more beautiful when it is cared for as in this room. I also love high ceilings in old houses and I love old houses because they have character and personality. You probably have guessed so...

I also love the simplicity of the furniture that gives this room  its personal character - so if this were mine I would not have changed a single thing besides... Well, I must admit I have  certain weakness for little extras, which are not common, which can be a bit provocative so I would have chosen a different wall piece than the original one, such as this...

 original image source and with courtesy of 

http://www.livingetc.com

The mural is a heavy, hand carved, sculptured wall piece, named Mithunas, which means "lovers" and which took me more than 6 months to finish (inspired by India's temple ornamentations in Kajuraho. This mural is however my own original design).
If you would like to see more details please check this link on my website or click on the photo below.
The mural has been treated with a varnish that is my own recipe so that it looks like old ivory. This increases the preciousness of this art piece and makes it look like an ancient carving. Finally it has been polished with beeswax that makes the wood smooth and shiny.

 "Mithunas" 

55" x 46" x 7", 70 kg

hand carved, pine
©Petra Voegtle

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