Mandeville Canyon Interior Design logo
March 22, 2016

Show stopping artwork

Finding the right artwork for your home is a difficult task. Sure, you could throw a picture of just about anything on your wall, but I prefer for it to have some meaning. At a minimum, it has to be something you love to look at every day. Perhaps it's a place you love, or somewhere you dream of visiting. Maybe you have a hobby that can be beautifully and artfully showcased.

Lucky for me, I am working with some lovely clients who have a passion for horses. These clients knew that they wanted to represent these incredible animals inside their home, and I knew just how to accomplish that! I have been itching to use some pieces from one of my favorite companies out of London, Trowbridge Gallery. And this tryptich by Alice Gipps is the absolute perfect piece!

I like for artwork to have a visual impact. Alice Gipps has accomplished that in the most stunning way. Her passion for horses combined with her passion for photography has resulted in a perfect marriage. She's captured the beauty and elegance of these animals that is very difficult to achieve.

Of course, those who know me know that I love it when art and nature collide, especially when the artist uses organic and textural elements in a new and surprising way, as Karen Burgess has done here. This is actually a close up of bedrock and sandstone. But I love how abstract it is, as it makes the piece feel more modern and leaves the mind to question what it's looking at.

Photography is a personal art form. It's literally how the photographer sees the world through their lens. So often I'm surprised that I, myself,  haven't seen the world in the same way a photographer has. I have found the works of local artist Jay Schadler to be some of the most stunning pieces of art and photography combined. His unique use of mix media literally turns a picture into a piece of art.

I always recommend looking to your local talent for unique and meaningful pieces of art. Often times, they will create something specifically for you. What's more stunning than that? If you are local to the seacoast of New Hampshire, I urge you to visit Jay Schadler's Gallery in Portsmouth, NH.

Another one of my favorite artists is long time friend, Rose Bryant. Rose's work has such an immediate and universal appeal. Her paintings allow so much imagination and personalization. Here are a few of our favorites that we have had the pleasure to display at our clubhouse design in Wells, Maine.

And sometimes you need to have a few "go to" ready made sites to add those finishing touches. We love these sites for their ability to customize, fun and vibrant design, and ease of use:

Surya is one of my "go to" sites for many things, one of them being art. With a wide offering of just about any style and size, you can be guaranteed to find something that works for you. I literally designed this summer cottage around this Octopus artwork. I just fell in love with it the minute I saw it and I still love how it looks in this seaside cottage!

Bad Dog Editions. These guys offer everything from Photography, Abstract to Transitional and everything in between. Sometimes I love to use abstract pieces because they are the perfect springboard for a color scheme, without committing to a "theme".

One Kings Lane is also a great resource, offering art to suit just about every style of décor and every price point!

Serena and Lily is also known to offer some of the prettiest pieces of art for the home in many different styles and sizes.

Just remember, before you hang that next piece of art, try to make sure it has some sort of symbolism or meaning to you. At the very least, make it something you love!

Transformations Worth Sharing

Clients who have experienced the transformative power of healthy interior design

Renee possesses a rare combination of artistic creativity and intuitive design. Her warmth and compassion extended beyond working with us to understanding the style and feel of our home and how we live in it. We felt fortunate to work with and get to know Renee and absolutely love the updates she made to our home- from windows and walls to artwork and furniture!

Jim P.

Renee is an absolutely wonderful designer. Very talented and easy to work with! She will transform your room or outdoor space into exactly what you want, only better!

Karen S.

Talented, creative, dedicated, great communicator. Renee is such a special person.

Marla W.

We have worked with Renee Carman at this company for almost 2 years. Renee is professional, personable, and a pleasure to know. She is very helpful and will go the extra mile to please her clients. Renee has excellent expertise and knowledge of interior design. We have a beautiful home and highly recommend her.

Lisa W.

Renee possesses a rare combination of artistic creativity and intuitive design.  Her warmth and compassion extended beyond working with us to understanding the style and feel of our home and how we live in it.  We felt fortunate to work with and get to know Renee and absolutely love the updates she made to our home- from windows and walls to artwork and furniture!

Kate S.

Renee was a pleasure to work with and has great vision. We were doing a total rehab of a recently purchased property and she was able to look at a gutted out '50s cottage and turn it into a beautiful mid-century modern home. She understood our budget and timeline and was good about narrowing all our options down to just a few choices. This expedited the process, made it less difficult and more enjoyable. Once the rehab is done, we look forward to working with her again and finish the rest of the rooms.

Bill H.

Renee at Mandeville Canyon Interior Design was simply wonderful to work with. She was able to understand what we were looking for in terms of color, function and design from the moment we first spoke. She's easy to work with, goes above and beyond and delivers an outstanding design.

I highly recommend Renee and Mandeville Canyon Interior Design. I don't think I will attempt to decorate another room in my house without the help of Renee!

Pam O.

Love working with Renee and Mandeville Canyon Interior Design ! I had the opportunity to collaborate on a large scale design project recently and the results were fantastic! Creative, resourceful and one of kind design ideas made this design opportunity with Renee "one of a kind" Have a large or small project? You won't be disappointed!!

Mary S.

Renee not only has an amazingly creative eye, she also directed a massive renovation for us this past year that included the challenges of operating during the pandemic. She put together a team that had an incredible work ethic and brought the project in on-time and on-budget. She's a great listener. When we threw ideas at her, she was never dismissive; quite the contrary, she made them better. Her patience, attention to detail combined with her whacky sense of humor meant we were all able to smile while producing a home that we love. A great talent and a great lady.

Ann R.

Rene is amazing!  Great customer care and wonderful attention to detail.

Holly M.