Red Indian Promo by Canadian Watercolour Artist Brent McGillivray

Yes, believe it or not spring is just around the corner! Whether the groundhog sees his shadow or not spring will be here before we know it. It is time to start planning those spring decorating projects for your home or cottage and using a piece of art as your inspiration is a fabulous way to ensure that you love the room when it is complete. While many people choose art to suit a room, I find it better to do things the other way around and as you will see from the reference articles below designers agree.

I am not an interior designer and struggled for years to find a way to love the colour of my walls after I had painted them. I was constantly struggling with trying to imagine how they would look. An interior designer suggested that I pick a piece of art that I love and use it as the inspiration for the room. It worked beautifully for me and I’m sure can work for you as well.

Fishing East Coast Style by Canadian Painter Tracey Lee Green

One major benefit of doing this is that the artist has already put together the palette of colours for the room for you. You simply need to decide which colours will be accents and which will be the more prominent colours for the wall and larger pieces of furniture. Whatever you choose you know they will not clash because they already look amazing in your selected piece of art.

Butter Dish by Canadian Potter Charlene McConnell

Another benefit is that you can take the piece of art to the paint store and have the colour consultant there match the colours for you. You can even buy sample jars of the paint selected and take it home to paint a larger “patch” to see what you think. I actually took pieces of drywall that were left over from our construction and painted them. I was then able to see them in the room I was considering using them on and know if I liked them. There is nothing worse, in my opinion, then trying to decide if you will like a whole wall of the colour of the tiny little paint swatches.

October Morning by Canadian Painter Gary Chapman

So, why not browse www.MadeInHaliburton.ca and find that inspiring piece for your decorating needs? Here are some reference articles from interior designers to consider as you move ahead:

http://www.art-decorating-ideas.com/1172/how-i-use-art-in-decorating-by-anne-mccord/

http://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/decorating/master-bathroom-decorating-design-00417000073793/page26.html

http://www.casasugar.com/Art-Decor-Inspiration-22271697

Raku Vase by Canadian Potters at Studio Rose