Thinking Off the Wall ASK THE artsperts by Kristine Meek and Juliana Meek

Dear Artsperts,
I have an open kitchen, but don’t always want to look directly into my kitchen. Do you have a solution?

Signed,
Open Floorplan

Dear Open,
Open floorplans are on-trend and have been for the past few years. There is a convenience to open spaces and, in general, people enjoy the look and feel of large open spaces in their homes. However, there may be times when you don’t always want to see immediately into the kitchen. Especially if you are having a dinner
party and maybe don’t want guests to see the activity happening in the kitchen.

We do have a solution using art. Most open concepts have large kitchen islands. One use of the island would be for a sculpture to be placed on the island. Your eyes are more apt to be drawn to the sculpture than the kitchen behind. Depending on the material of the sculpture, this may be a permanent solution as stone sculpture is too heavy to move. An aluminum sculpture would be a lighter alternative if you need flexibility with choosing to have the artwork up or needing the counter space.

Another solution is to use a painting. That might seem unlikely since a painting can’t levitate. However, it is possible by framing the work in a thick contemporary flat frame and adding corners to stabilize the work. This concept also allows flexibility in that most paintings on canvas are light enough to easily move off the counter.

Our Dad came up with this very solution when our mom wanted to host a dinner party, but didn’t want guests to have to see into the kitchen. Another concept our dad created is a rotating art centerpiece. A triangle of three panels with a small work of art on each side. He created this concept for when our Gallery hosts dinner events.

These concepts are ways to think “off the wall” to incorporate paintings in your home in unusual ways. Plus, it will make a fun topic of conversation during your dinner party!

Sincerely,
The Artsperts                    www.harmonmeek.com

Painting by Miguel Saludes framed in such a way it could be placed on a countertop and stable enough not to topple. The painting can be put up or taken down easily depending on when the owner wants an open kitchen . The centerpiece is a rotating display with three small watercolors by Richard Segalman’

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