Dreaming of Art

All Photos Courtesy of Sweet Peas Design

We were thrilled to team up with artist Casey Matthews and Chicago Luxury Beds for the 3^rd Annual River North Design District Fall Gallery Walk. All 17 showrooms and their artist/designer vignettes may still be seen through October 8. We created a pair of stunning bedroom vignettes at Chicago Luxury Beds highlighting Casey’s colorful,  abstract art. I discussed the philosophy and goals of the gallery walk with Sylvia Perez on Fox 32's Good Day Chicago here.

We chose a warm and cool neutral palette for the Seferra bedding, above and below, and layered in contrasting wood, metal and acrylic elements, such as the polished stainless steel accent table from Donghia next to the bed. The chandeliers, from Circa, are so different from each other, but equally eye-catching. In the photo above you can see the “birdcage,” which would be a luxurious home for any of our feathered friends! Below is the "porcupine" chandelier, a spiky fixture that can't be ignored! We didn’t forget about bare feet on a cold morning, either – just imagine how soft those Organic Looms mohair rugs, in both vignettes, would be!

After we paired up two of Casey’s paintings for this sitting area, we couldn’t resist adding a pair of acrylic “chain link” floor lamps and the cantilevered chairs in neutral upholstery. Beautiful balance, and so relaxing!

We love to make corners special. The high-gloss chest from Golden Triangle, below, is a shapely pedestal for the butterscotch lamp.

In this artsy corner, below, we used a polished stainless steel table as modernistic support for an aged Chinese architectural fragment called a column capital, made from an auspicious Chinese mushroom - yes, I'm not kidding! - and borrowed from Golden Triangle. I can’t decide if it reminds me of a jester’s hat or the horns of an exotic creature, but either way it’s creating an interesting dialogue between Casey’s artwork and the accessories on the acrylic bedside table.

We’re always looking for interesting ways to display art, such as placing it in front of the shelves on a bookcase, above, where it pulls together all of the other objets d’art. Whenever possible, we include a small table and chairs or stools in a bedroom, too, such as this acrylic table, which we designed. It’s a handy spot to check email, read and enjoy the artwork.

I hope you can stop by and see the entire 3rd Annual River North Design District Fall Gallery Walk!