Art At Home: The Dining Room
Image Credit: Sergey Krasyuk for ELLE DECORATION SPAIN, Interior Design: Anna Erman, Artwork by Alexander Sitnikov.
If home is where the heart is, then the heart of the home is definitely the dining table! Ask just about anyone and their strongest memories from childhood will centre around meals with family and friends. Dining rooms everywhere set the scene for life’s most important conversations; a significant space where we come together for all different reasons and occasions.
This year more than any other, our dining tables have become classrooms, offices, meeting rooms, at-home bars to replace nights-out and more. With this emphasis on versatility in mind, it’s important to create a space that feels right. We’ve worked with several clients this year looking for a show-stopping piece of art to enhance their dining area - but most are unsure where to start.
Our lead art advisor Mariella Franzoni, PhD walks us through the process with some tips and expert advice…
Image Credit: ADSpain, Interior Designer: Serge Castella, Artwork by Aythamy Armas
Where to begin?
“Whether you are a new art buyer inspired by art without any particular genre in mind, or a committed and experienced art collector, you still want to choose and arrange artworks in your home in a way that is harmonious with the space. The dining room is where many art collectors display the main pieces of their collections, the ones they feel most proud of.
The special importance of this space in the house has inspired interior designers and architects to continuously re-think and re-design its shape, function and decoration, according to the changing needs of society over time. The dining room only competes with the living room as the prime area of the house for displaying the most important pieces of your art collection!”
Image Credit: César Béjar Studio, Imperfect Diptych by Roy Lichtenstein
Setting the scene for conviviality: how to choose and place art in the dining room?
“Beyond getting to know the client, from their existing art collection to their passions and professions, I like to take into consideration the architectural and design characteristics of the space, from the height of the ceiling to the natural and artificial light, the furniture, the colour palette and textures - and, of course, the client’s budget.
To those who wonder what is the best art genre for a dining room, I reply there is none! The perfect art genre is the one that reflects your personal taste, interests and what you love. The piece you place in your dining room will inevitably draw the attention of your guests, provoking conversations - although I suggest you aim to please no one else but yourself!
This brings to mind a client of mine a few years ago, who told me that her guests complained about having dinner next to an artwork that they perceived as “ugly and unsettling”! Yet she herself was so much in love and identified so strongly with that piece that she decided to keep it in the dining room anyway. This is the beauty of the subjectivity of art!”
Image Credit: Manolo Yllera, featured in AD Spain, Gärna Art Gallery, Piece by Fernando de Ana
Image Credit: ADSPAIN, Interior Design: Gabriela Comella and Roman Sarrió (architect), Painting by Gabriela Comella
Image Credit: Gärna Art Gallery, Photograph Esencia #2 by Lucia Gorostegui
To match or disrupt? That is the question!
“Understanding the design and mood of the space is of vital importance. Whether you are searching for a piece that teams with and perfectly complements the colour palette, or prefer to unsettle the design harmony with a brave piece that takes the atmosphere and experience of the room in a completely different direction.
In the houses of prestigious art collectors, we are just as likely to find artworks that elegantly blend into the colour scheme, as we are rooms filled with pieces which break it with bold and cheeky colours or formats. In both cases, it is a matter of creating a dialogue between the artwork and the space.”
Image Credit: Design Hunter Mexico, Interior Design: Lucia Marina and Isabel Maria
“If the white wall behind the painting is considered part of the artwork, as the blank space that makes art stand out, by extension the room itself is part of this dialogue in which art speaks to the space and the space engages back. Art has the power to deeply impact our experience of a domestic space, both for those who live in it and for their guests.
Even the most concept-based or experimental art piece can play with and talk to a domestic space and its decor in a very intelligent way. Creating such dialogue is one of the most intriguing parts of the advisory process for me!”
Image Credit: Design Hunter Mexico, Interior Design by Sofia Aspe, Artwork by Gabriel Orozco
A common art misconception is that in order to tie in with the function of the space, pieces intended for a dining room should depict food or dining scenes! Often something less literal, with subtle hints can be extremely effective. Many artists are reinventing contemporary still life photography, drawing and painting, including Malagosia Jankowska and Quintana Martelo, who we work with. Or alternatively something very catchy, pop & fun, like the work of Javier Jaén.
Still Life (2021) by Malgosia Jankowska (watercolour and ink on paper)
I🍦NY by Javier Jaén
La Locura del Ver, 2016 by Jose Maria Sicilia, Chalcographic ink, paper, silk on wood
For example this textured piece from the series "La locura de ver”by José María Sicilia would be a beautiful choice above a dining table. Considered one of the most important artists in Spain, the artist assembles materials like silk, fabric nets and pictorial elements in a sophisticated way, bringing in organic forms like flowers.
These multimedia works are meaningful as well as beautiful, with years of research on the nature of light and its interaction with sound; and sonographic technology is used as the starting point to create cartographies of lines and shapes through drawings, painting, collage and embroidery.
The delicate porcelain wall sculptures of artist Myriam Jiménez Huertas would also be a truly special choice for a dining area. Her works have a calming softness yet the striking textures make for an instant talking point.
Image Credit: ELLE DECORATION SPAIN
A Few More Useful Tips:
In a dining room, artwork is ideally hung slightly lower, to be able to appreciate it the most while seated. Elegant triptychs look beautiful above a sideboard in a dining space and gallery walls work well inside an alcove or breakfast nook. A sculpture on open shelving can also be an excellent talking point.
If you would like to schedule a consultation with one of our expert art advisors, please get in touch - we would love to hear from you!
Keep an eye on the blog for more of our upcoming “Art At Home series” filled with inspiration, advice and art placement ideas for each of the different rooms of the home.