Sustainable and handmade pieces, bold backsplashes and brightly colored walls: While ArtHouse3 art advisor Kathy Gibson caters to trends like these that her clients seek out — her most common technique is covering a wall from floor to ceiling with various pieces — she believes passing fads and arbitrary guidelines won’t help you cultivate a artfully appointed home.
Gibson’s best tip? Ignore the rules.
“When I’m working with someone, I try to learn what they want to accomplish in their home and figure out the best way to show that,” she says.
Paying attention to the use of a space and an individual’s style before purchasing a piece is crucial. Looking in a magazine or buying fine art simply for the sake of owning fine art will not always result in the best look for your home. What will, however, are the pieces that speak to a person’s character. Whether it is historical artwork, kids’ artwork or even family pictures, personal mementos will be the items that breathe life into a space.
The personal touch in nearly every home that Gibson gets her hands on is local art.
“Because I know and have worked with multiple local artists, I can usually just go and round up some artwork that a client might be interested in or I’ll find local pieces that are similar to images of ones we’ve looked at,” Gibson says.
But for those of us who aren’t art advisors with con-tacts across the Bay, local art can be found in newspapers and magazines like this one, online, at marketplaces and festivals, art studios and art programs at the universities in the area. The key is to stay attuned to one’s surroundings and happenings in Tampa.
