Houzz Tour: An Art Lover's Inviting Abode
Get Ideas for an Easygoing Art Collection from Arthound's Kate Singleton
A love for art rules Kate Singleton's life. "Art is so personal," she says. "People often get turned off after walking through galleries or stores with art that they don't like. The great thing about online art shops is that there's such a wide variety. It's really opened up the world of art for people." Writer and founder of Arthound.net, Singleton spends time perusing art online every day. Her art consulting project, Art Matching, helps clients find inexpensive and high-quality art.
Her easygoing approach to collecting art is clear in her personal collection, displayed in her eclectic and inviting apartment in the Carroll Gardens neighborhood of Brooklyn. "I think of myself as being modern, but on the warmer side," says Singleton. "I like things to be livable. I really don't like really modern spaces that require you to live in a certain way — spaces that are too stark and cold. I like my home to be inviting and relaxing."
Her easygoing approach to collecting art is clear in her personal collection, displayed in her eclectic and inviting apartment in the Carroll Gardens neighborhood of Brooklyn. "I think of myself as being modern, but on the warmer side," says Singleton. "I like things to be livable. I really don't like really modern spaces that require you to live in a certain way — spaces that are too stark and cold. I like my home to be inviting and relaxing."
The exposed brick walls in this apartment were a huge selling point — and they work beautifully with Singleton's amazing art collection. Here, Singleton put three pieces on the main living room wall: "Baby Deer" by Sharon Montrose (bottom right), "Stacked Upon" by Jaclyn Mednicov (left), and "Pores" by Anastasia Ugorskaya (right). A perfectly suited splurge — the Chi Chi Kari rug by Madeline Weinrib — sits on the living room floor.
Kate and her husband have lived in this apartment for two years. Unlike past apartments they've lived in (and most available apartments in Brooklyn), this one had been renovated a couple years before and was move-in-ready. A charcoal Paramount Sofa is a great structured seating piece for the living room. A vignette from Singleton's art collection rests on the left wall, including "Icebergs" by Cate Woolner (top middle), and "Trucks" by Shane Neufeld (bottom middle).
A spine bookcase is a functional and compact solution for a large book collection in a small apartment. One of Singleton's two Maine Coon cats (Yoko and Darwin!) finds a sun spot on an oversized green chaise
"I absolutely love art," says Singleton, "but I don't recommend trying to purchase a piece for a space. This is the main reason I haven't added an oversized piece to my collection yet. When you don't own a home, buying a piece that works specifically for where you live now can be a big mistake." This oil painting by Charles Tersolo, one of the largest pieces that Singleton has, is still small enough to work in numerous settings.
One of Singleton's absolute favorite pieces lives on her coffee table. It's a crushed coffee cup, sculpted out of beautiful Carrera Marble by Chris Mitton. It's very subtle, and it's not that big. "Our coffee table is white, and so is the sculpture, so it has that understated white-on-white look," says Singleton. "I get a lot of amusement out of that piece. It's by a classically trained sculptor, which is part of what makes it so fun. People pick it up and are so surprised at how heavy it is!"
A small work area with an art wall is connected to her living room. Singleton searches high and low online to find art that will fit her home, and cites Etsy, Giant Robot, and Enormous Tiny Art as some of her favorite resources. "To me, my home is very functional and not very decadent, but it has style. That's what I was going for. It was really a matter of collecting things piece by piece, and getting all of our furniture and accessories together in a way that we loved. "
Some of the best parts of Singleton's apartment are the hidden treasures placed here and there — pieces that are used, but aren't necessarily on display. This chartreuse bootie from bouquet on Etsy works wonderfully as a bookend on top of a CB2 shelf — it adds a unique touch and brilliant pop of color.
In the entryway, Singleton displayed a mixture of hand-me-down and antique mirrors with purchased original artwork. The white wall shelf is a simple and functional piece from CB2. "Most of the product in my home is from Design Within Reach, Blu Dot, Ikea or CB2. At times, I've also done well on Craigslist, but it's always a gamble."
This small piece ("Untitled" by Cameron Cundiff) is a muted but sophisticated addition to the apartment's entry. "The wall art in my home really sets a tone for the rest of my house," says Singleton. "Often it really contrasts with the furniture in our home, but I feel like it really completes the look and feel of the space. I want everything to be connected, and visually interesting in a way that isn't overwhelming."
Two simple but graphic pieces by artist Dan-ah Kim add another pop in the otherwise simply designed entryway. "In terms of bringing all of my art together, it's been a bit of trial and error," says Singleton. "I have to try a few locations out before each piece lands in a place."
The apartment's kitchen is on the smaller side, but works perfectly for the couple (and their two cats). The kitchen table is Room & Board, but was a lucky Craigslist find. The chairs are from CB2; the simple but bold light fixture is from Lights Up!, and the print on the far wall is titled "Let's Go In Together" by Betsy Walton.
A small wall piece, "Abbot Shoppe" by Stacey Durand, echoes the window view of Carroll Gardens. This neighborhood is a wonderful Brooklyn fixture. It's primarily Italian-American, so there are loads of cute restaurants and delicious corner stores. "I live in a very interesting part of the neighborhood, but I feel like my apartment meshes really well with the atmosphere around it," says Singleton.
The bedroom is Singleton's favorite room in the apartment. Unlike most New York apartments this size, this floor plan has the bedroom at the end of a long hallway that takes you away from the rest of the house. Singleton chose a simple Min Bed for the bedroom and several feminine-looking pieces of art, such as "Iris" by Cendrine Rovini, shown here.
A simple art wall makes use of collected prints and a drawing (middle) by Ariana Couvinha. This creative display is not only unique, but the simple materials save framing money.
A Pottery Barn nightstand is accented by a swing-arm mini Tolomeo lamp. The bedroom is simple and soothing, with pops of color and style — much like the design of the entire apartment. "The most important thing when putting together this space was designing it in a way that felt like us, and was comfortable," says Singleton. "It took at least a couple of years of us living together, and watching our style evolve. "
How adorable is the piece above the bed? An Etsy find, it's titled "Singing Cat" by Ashley G.
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