Creating the Artful Home: the Aesthetic Movement and Its Influence on Home Decor covers the history of a movement that emphasized "art for art's sake"-and the influence it had on home decor. The Aesthetic Movement in America lasted just a few decades (1870-1900), and served mainly as a bridge between the high Victorian sensibility and the radical shift to the Arts & Crafts style. The movement germinated among artists who used opulent color, decorative patterning, and lavish materials simply for the aesthetic effects they could evoke. It was commonly held that a home that expressed an artful, harmonious soul would instill high aesthetic and moral merit in its inhabitants. The Aesthetic Movement in America helped to popularize the idea that everyone should be able to enjoy beautiful, well-made homes and furnishings-not just the very wealthy. Artful homes could be composed from brilliant antique store finds, discriminating department store purchases, and gems hand-made by the ladies of the house. It was the moment when people embraced the idea that only a beautiful home could be a happy home. Karen Zukowski delves into the movement's establishment, evolution, and main characters, and shows how today's homes can incorporate Aesthetic principles: Through suggestion rather than statement, sensuality, massive use of symbols, and synaesthetic effects-that is, correspondence between words, colors and music. How influential designers such as Clarence Cook and Charles Eastlake popularized the idea that beautiful homes with tasteful furnishings could be available to practically everyone How today's designers, manufacturers, and retailers deploy the very same stylistic markers of the Aesthetic Movement: rich color, layered pattern and texture, mixtures of historical motifs

A beginner's guide on how to start your own art collection on any budget—to create a unique home that reflects your individual style. A work of art—whether it is unexpected, groundbreaking, or one of a kind—can personalize your interior and transform it into a place like no other. But actually purchasing a signature piece—or even crossing the threshold into a gallery—can be a daunting act. How can you develop your own taste or gauge whether you’re making a worthwhile investment? Drawing on a decade of experience at Christie’s, Olivia de Fayet and Fanny Saulay know that the world is full of artistic talents waiting to be discovered and they want to reframe who can access original works. On a mission to make art accessible to everyone, they compiled their advice into this step-by-step guide that takes the guesswork out of purchasing, guiding amateurs to cultivate an eye and to select favorite pieces. They cover everything you need to know about starting your own collection, from how to find artists and galleries to how to define your collection, along with advice on purchasing, framing, hanging, maintaining, and conserving the value of your artworks. With tips for designing unique interiors with paintings, sculptures, photographs, and other decorative objects, this essential book will give art aficionados the confidence to select pieces they will love forever.

Offers advice on finding, displaying, and caring for imaginative pieces ranging from tea pot collections to mixed wall art.

This is Home is a back-to-basics guide on how to create authentic wholehearted interiors. It's about living simply – finding the essence of what makes you happy at home and creating spaces that reflect your needs and style. Filled with clever ideas and creative spaces it shows that you don't need a huge budget to create a beautiful home. This is Home provides examples and case studies of places with a global and timeless feel that haven't always been renovated in the traditional sense but are true homes. Featuring eight case studies from Australia, the US and Europe, and nearly 200 color photographs, This is Home will inspire you with beautiful, authentic places you want to be – today. Chapters include: The big picture: how to determine your decorating personality, and what's authentic for you. Starting over: let go of the past and create a home for the person you are today, with a focus on decision-making and the art of editing. Living for now: Work out a budget for your time and money using your values as a guide. Where you can spend and save when it comes to creating lasting interiors. The Art of ingenuity: Think creatively, not expensively, when it comes to making changes at home. Going beyond the usual suspects can help you to create a home that's distinctively yours. The poetry of space: Successful spaces are all about addition and subtraction, positive and negative. How to create balance within a room while reflecting your decorating style. The feel of a home: Create interiors that make you feel, and have an emotional connection. How to introduce decorative elements that make for authentic interiors. Surrounding spaces: Key ideas to consider when creating your place in relation to its environment - from the surrounding landscape to local community. Maintaining the focus: Ways to evolve what's important for you and keep focussed on your aesthetic and lifestyle. Happy renewal: How to keep your home fresh without exhausting or expensive overhauls. Rest and revive: How our homes can function as a place to rest our bodies, rejoice in our relationships and restore our values.

Discover a new source of inspiration for your crochet hook...the beautiful work of today's modern makers! Follow popular crochet blanket designer Rachele Carmona through her unique collection of crochet blankets inspired by the work of popular independent artists. The Art of Crochet Blankets will help you create your own colorful crochet blankets as unique works of art for your home! Inside this one-of-a-kind crochet blanket guide you'll find: • Details on how to translate art to hook with 18 bold and unique crochet afghan patterns influenced by the works of their feature artist. • Modern quilts, fabric designs, tapestry weaving, digital art, and more become the source of one-of-a-kind projects for a more artful home. • Biographies and beautiful photos profiling 6 inspiring modern makers--Tula Pink, April Rhodes, Maryanne Moodie, Fransisco Valle, Maud Vantours, and Caitline Dowe-Sandes. Discover the inspiration that lies beyond the world of crochet with The Art of Crochet Blankets.

With his unique and refreshing perspective, Szekely shows educators how to use ideas from home art and play activities as the basis for a school art program that is meaningful to children. The author presents memorable descriptions and inspiring moments from a lifetime of studying children's home art--all to introduce readers to a wealth of art teaching possibilities. In these pages we learn what happens when children entering the art room are treated as colleagues, bringing their own ideas to an art curriculum that doesn't overshadow them with adult art plans and teachings about adult artists.