Floor Show

In a corner, under a table, along a wall or under a window – open floor space is prime territory for accessorizing. “Floor art” is fun, fills awkward, empty spaces and it’s another way to bring your personality to life in a room. Like to travel? Maybe you’ve picked up some large-scale urns, vases or baskets that will sit on the floor, hand-carved wood animals from South Africa or a stack of beautiful handmade paper boxes from Asia.  Architectural details, sculptures and framed artwork are good choices for floor art, too. These unexpected pieces can be great conversation starters, too, if they have a good back story!

Photo Courtesy of Sweet Peas Design

I’m such a fan of this technique that I used it several times in my own condo in Chicago. Above, I placed a collection of five antique wooden spires along the window wall in the dining room to introduce  organic and architectural interest to the room.

Photo Courtesy of Sweet Peas Design

Mixing up shapes, colors, materials, and sizes is important for floor art. In my living room I filled in a couple of empty corners with a pair of sleek yellow ceramic vases, right, and two, circular wooden sculptures, left.

Photo Courtesy of Sweet Peas Design

In my bedroom, I assembled a textural collection of objects that called my name - a vintage suitcase, upended as a pedestal, a portly urn and a sweet little tree for a bright splash of green.

Photo Courtesy of Sweet Peas Design

I had so much fun pulling these clients’ treasured crafts from South Africa and Asia out of the storage and into their living areas. While some pieces are mounted on the walls or placed on tables, we found floor space for the carved wood hippo and giraffe, who spends all day gazing out the window. You don’t often see pieces like these!

Photo Courtesy of CasaVogue.globo.com

The bed on the floor is not really my style, but I’m still fascinated by this boho-chic urban loft, especially the collection of artwork on the floor. The mixture of shapes and media, the wooden beads and the rugged fists with lace cuffs, are thought-provoking against the urban backdrop outside.

Photo Courtesy of Sweet Peas Design

To help define this cozy reading corner in a client’s master bedroom, we arranged a trio of engaging accessories beneath the window. I love the way the clear golden vessel reflects and transmits the sunlight and brightens the mood, while the two solid pieces provide architectural interest and heft.

Photo Courtesy of ApartmentTherapy.com

Placing framed art on the floor might be outside your comfort zone, but it is effective. Because these pieces are just leaning against the wall, they are easy to relocate or mix-and-match as new pieces are collected. Just be sure to secure them in some way so they don’t slip! Of course, you have to be cautious about where you place all floor art. Avoid high-traffic areas, and if you have small children and/or rambunctious pets, you’ll have to forget about the fragile stuff for a while!