by Courtney Dabney
It's a new year. Why not spend a little time rethinking the frame around that flickering fireplace? Two local designers walk you through the process of assembling the right pieces.
Since WRARE opened in 2011, it has become the go-to place for those in search of funky statement pieces with a rustic, vintage and reclaimed feel. The store is packed with unique and whimsical conversation starters.
Doug Pleskovitch, along with partner Adrian Wright of Wright At Home, curates the ever-changing and eclectic menagerie.
In this mantlescape, Adrian Wright and his team, including Pleskovitch and design assistant Anthony Marcus Black, chose to make a bold statement with these giant marquee letters burning brightly.
Fresh cream moldings pop against the raffia-colored walls in this 30s-era home. "The monochromatic arrangement highlights its nostalgic appeal. Black can be a bold accent color used to shift your focus, but in this case, it reads as a neutral and simply disappears," Pleskovitch says.
Pleskovitch says, "Scale and proportion are what makes this design work. People are often afraid of incorporating large scale pieces, but we filled every inch of space here. Don't be afraid to go all the way to the front of the mantle and fill up the space."
"Asymmetry is a personal preference, and layering items is what makes it work," he says. "Think of it as a single unit of artwork, created by layering items in front of one another. By overlapping elements, you allow the eye to move across the space, creating one overall composition. The design reads as one big thing, rather than a bunch of little things placed together."
Karen Chidiac is both owner and creative director of House of Holland Interior Design based in Southlake. Karen is currently a design consultant with Frost Interiors in Dallas. She knows that a well-thought-out design is not only functional, but also focused.
In this mantlescape, Chidiac fearlessly confronts a bold and elaborate cast stone fireplace. "You will notice that one of the books I chose to include front and center was on Hearst Castle, which is what I think this regal mantle evokes. It is a grand and dominant feature in the room."
The seasonless composition actually seems to embrace a favorite painting by artist Dario Campanile of red pomegranates. "The painting is based in tradition, yet it's quirky and unexpected, which sums up my design philosophy. I anchored both corners with tall elements. The antique clay olive jar and the burnished metal and glass lantern both make a statement in terms of size, and they help to frame the artwork without fighting for your attention," says Chidiac.
"The height and scale of the end pieces are crucial to balance the weight of this stone mantle, but they were intended to recede. Everything surrounding the painting is a complement to it, not a distraction from it," she says.
Chidiac says, "I added blue-and-white porcelain pieces to lighten up the design and repeated the color scheme on both sides to provide balance, not formal symmetry - which would be identical on either side - but rather flow and cohesion."
Chidiac always tries to include a mixture of both feminine and masculine into her design, which appeals to her varied clientele.
