Interiors

Design Direction: Start With Art - Styling Snowy Art with Katherine Melvin

byTeam GM

3 years ago

As the temperatures begin to cool and with the holidays on the horizon, we’re getting excited about styling all of our snowy prints. We love how interior designer Katherine Melvin styled Top of Aspen Mountain in a seating area in her home. It can sometimes be difficult styling wintery art in a way that works all year long, but Katherine made it look perfect. Get inspired and pick up some tricks from Katherine below.

Hi everyone, I’m Katherine! I’ve had a heart for design since I can remember. I was blessed to have a family that taught me to appreciate travel as well as the value of loving & taking care of your home at an early age. I remember flipping thru my mom’s design coffee table books and tagging along at rug stores, and constantly thinking I want to do this someday. Fast forward to university days, I found myself totally in love with my art history and design classes and then doodling house plans in the margins of my English notes. I spent some time abroad studying architecture and that further deepened my desire for a design career. Several wonderful internships and jobs in the industry affirmed my desire to pursue this path & it's been a fun journey ever since! At present, my team and I work primarily in residential design. We come alongside clients as they build their new dream home, renovate a home, or decorate their existing spaces. We love being involved in the project from start to finish, and take great joy in seeing the finished project come to life.

How would you define your interior design style?

I like to interpret the classic, southern style I grew up around thru a more fresh, simple, and welcoming lens. I want people to feel welcome and refreshed in our spaces— that often looks like a nature inspirited palette (i like to call them garden shop tones), slipcovers, natural materials, and inviting patterns. That being said, although the base of my style leans towards the casual and simple, I adore the little, thoughtful details that make a home personal and happy. I swoon for the touches of lovely fabrics, special collections, art, and investment pieces that have a story — i.e. that lamp passed down from your grandmother or the piece of art you found traveling. I firmly believe that it is the little touches of the things that you love that make it special to both you and others. Because of this, one of our primary design philosophies is to get to know our clients well and understand how they live and what they love in their homes. Our hope is that the spaces we design for them reflect those elements in a beautiful way.

Pillow | Lamp | Chairs | Table | Garden Stool | Vase

What drew you to Top of Aspen Mountain from Gray's À la Montagne Series?

My eye was first drawn to the Top of Aspen Mountain because of the subject of the photograph. I’ve always loved to ski and I love how Gray Malin’s photo encapsulates this love. The moment he captured reflects such a familiar scene to skiers in a beautiful, artistic way. I love how a photograph can take you back to a memory or a feeling in such a pointed way. Furthermore, I was drawn to the colors of the photograph— like the rooms I love— the photograph has a neutral backdrop with fun pops of color sprinkled throughout.

What did you pick out as the most important elements of the print to incorporate into the space?

Because the photograph has a lot of contrast between the snow and the skiers, I placed it in a room that is more soft in nature. I love the juxtaposition between the print and the space in the room. Because the room has a more soft palette, the print pops even more! I often think clients get tied up in wanting everything to match or to make sense. However, I believe the best rooms don’t necessarily follow all the rules. I love to mix high and low, dark and light, soft and hard. I think these opposites create interest in rooms and draw in the eye. Most importantly, I like to remind clients that the most common denominator in any room is that they love the items within!

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone who wants to design a space and start with art?

I think art is one of the most personal items within any space. Watching my clients select art or being introduced to their existing art is one of my favorite parts of any project. Perhaps its my art history roots coming out, but I believe the art a client loves reflects them deeply. I tell my clients to first and foremost select a piece of art that they love, and then the room will follow suit. I think this gives the client the freedom and confidence to select something they will love.

Anyone else feeling like they could curl up there with a good book? We definitely are! Shop Snow Photography on graymalin.com.

Keep up to date with Katherine on her Instagram and website.

Cheers!

Team GM