Chicago Interior Designer, Jordan Guide

Versailles Hall of Mirrors

Living Room Mirrors with Window Mullions

 

Eclectic Hallway Floor Mirror

This eclectic hallway featured in LivingEtc casually displays accents and artwork on the floor and walls.  Because of the polished concrete floors, this home has the perfect museum-like qualities perfect for random collections with unique presentations.  It is very important to note that when leaning floor mirrors in high traffic areas you should always  use safety wall fasteners.

Dining Room Framed Wall Mirror

This oversized dining room mirror looks to have been custom framed or finished in the same material as the dining table and chair legs.  The color scheme is very subdued, but designer Patricia Gray other touches of detail create interest and balance that so beautifully reflect in the mirror.  As you can see, the mirror allows the cove-lit tray ceiling to double in size, as well as reflect the textured details in the metallic drapery and layered crystal light fixture.

Graham and Green Floor Mirror

This unique mirror by Graham and Green is trimmed in an antiqued gold finish.  Placement in the corner by the window scatters the natural light around the room and reflects the light from the floor lamp light in the evenings.

Square-Cut Mirror Panels

These square cut mirror panels offer amazing light reflection, but they also seem to give off their own imperfect texture as well.  Because of the visible seams between each panel we can see a somewhat distorted reflection of the room behind us, without loosing the interesting details within the furniture and accessories.

Oversized Bathroom Floor Mirror

This oversized ornate bathroom mirror marries the streamline ultra-contemporary bathtub and epoxy floors with the baroque wall paneling.  A match made in (glowing white) bathroom heaven.

Dainty Living Room

This petite living room featured in House and Home strategically positions the floor mirror inbetween the radiator and hallway opening.  This placement allows the mirror to reflect the opposite end of the living room to enhance and expand the soft look and feel of the decor.

Jordan Guide Luxury Interior Designer

Wall Art Collage

The origin of the Art Collage has spanned the last few centuries and  reemerged in the early 20th century as a novelty art form.  The French term collage was coined by Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso from the root word “coller” meaning glue.  The  “collage” was used to describe modern art paintings portraying diverse groupings of images within a canvas, or to describe various groupings of  newspaper and magazine clippings that were glued to a variety of mediums.  We now see collages within blogs, fashion magazines, interior design websites and countless other outlets, all of which still attempt to portray and connect a series of relative ideas to tell a story.  Most recently, the interior design trend of using collage of frame pieces of art has solved many design faux pas’.   Over the years, we all collect family photographs, children’s artwork, framed mirrors, fine art, love letters, sketches, wall sculpture,  etc.   Sure, we can try to find an open wall to randomly place individual keepsakes,  but that tends to look scattered and in turn, compromises the scale of a room, the walls and its vocal points.  You can begin to understand the impact of the collage by drawing from these examples and implementing in your own homes or offices.

Colorful Framed Art Collage

Staircase Framed Art Collage in Subtle Tones

By grouping these random artworks in their unique frames, you can simply take a countless number of art pieces to create one cohesive art installation.  It will not only serve your decor, but will also be the new talking piece of your home.

Dining Room Framed Artwork Collage

Max Azria's Home Displays Framed Collages

If your art frames are less than par, you can choose to reframe them, or unify all of your frames with a new coat of paint in one or a few shades to coordinate with the room.   At this stage, you may also want to consider re-matting the photos in consistent shades or on antique papers or patterns.  You may also chose to reprint all of your photos in black and white, or all in sepia to blend together.  This gives the grouping consistency if you prefer a unified look.

Consistent Black and White Framed Collage

Antique Paper as Photo Mat with Sepia Photos

For an eclectic look, leave your frames and art as is or repaint and re-mat in an array of desired colors.

Foyer Console Artwork Collage

Framed Art Collage Wraps Bathroom Walls

Contemporary Bedroom with Eclectic Framed Art Collage

Now that you are hooked on the idea of framed art collage, your first step will be to choose a suitable display wall and measure the wall area where the art collage will be arranged. Use masking tape to create a collage boundary on the wall and also create another masking tape area of the same size on the floor.  Gather your art pieces and begin playing with layout ideas within your floor tape boundaries.  Decide if you will be modifying the photo frames, mat board or reprinting the photographs. Tweak the artwork arrangement (if necessary) after your modifications.  Photograph the arrangement as an installation reference, review once more and begin your installation!

Ritz-Carlton Residences, Chicago blog contributor, Jordan Guide, ASID, NCIDQ No. 021998 of Jordan Guide Design is a high-end luxury interior designer based in Chicago.

Varied Stripe Thickness

Fun and flirty, dramatic and sexy… stripes are proven to be one of the most known patterns used in decorating our homes and textiles throughout the ages.  So much in fact, that a book was recently released by Michel Pastoureau titled The Devil’s Cloth, A History of Stripes.  The book is more in tune with the fashion world of stripes, but that was most likely the method in which we acquired the idea to begin decorating our domains with it.   Pattern breathes life and character into the surfaces that they cover.  Regardless of how we wear them or place them in our homes, stripes and all patterns alike are essential in the world of decor and self expression.

Eclectic Multicolored Stripes for the Bathroom

Staggered Stripes often work best in larger spaces since they can handle a break in room flow… they also make for great optical illusions!

Blow Up Hall 5050 Hotel Staggered Floor Stripes

Bold Staggered Wall Stripes

Staggered Striped Rug

Bold statements can be made in the home office or corporate setting.

Handsome Horizontal Home Office Wall Stripes

The LEGO Group Striped Conference Room

Mark Hotel NY - Rectangular Striped Lobby Floor

Take it from celebrity designer, Todd Oldhams own home in the UK.   His personal (and somewhat quirky style) allows stripes to serve as a playful  backdrop to his dining room.  Nice touch!

Todd Oldhams Home feathured in UK Elle Magazine

Can you ever have too many stripes?  They even covered the baseboards!  Brave.

A Hallway Covered in Stripes

Whether you have chosen to introduce stripes into your life through  paint, rugs, tile, fabrics, artwork, wallpaper or clothing, you have  boldly contributed to the history of pattern and vitality of design.  Cheers!

Jordan Guide Luxury Interior Designer

Jordan Guide, ASID, NCIDQ No. 021998 of Jordan Guide Design is a high-end luxury interior designer based in Chicago.