An apartment makeover inspired by A Room With A View exhibit at the MET museum

Let's Talk About A Room With A View...




The Metropolitan Museum of Art
on 83rd & Fifth Avenue



 This exhibit at the Metropilitan Museum of Art

a “Rooms with a View:

The Open Window in the Nineteenth Century” inspired me. 

The exhibit focuses on the the romantic notion of window views in painting and drawings.  It's on display with guided headset tours until July 4 --

you must go!  

There are many oil and works on paper, featuring European and Russian artists. 

 During the period of 1810-1820 these artists shared this unusual perspective.  The importance of the view outside the window is illustrated in all of these paintings, and what I love are the glimpses of homes and everyday life with people working, playing music, tutoring, eating -- a complete array of NESTING at its finest during this timeframe.  While some rooms are modest (almost mundane scenes and decor) others depict ornate spaces and events. The exhibit is almost hypnotic as you are sucked into these worlds.  What is quite original in all these pieces is the incredible light and illumination of the window.  I appreciate how the view is made the focal point in each work, bringing each one of these unique works to life and threads the collection together.  What an important moment in our art history and it got me thinking about a new project I'm working on.  As we are in the throes of construction the amazing vista outside the window at this point in time holds a special importance, and highlights the value on what we look at everyday...

take a look at a former Herring Factory built in the turn of the century surrounded by historic buildings and a beautiful view.  As you can see we are in construction.  I will post some after shots in a few months to let you see what transforms

Are you inspired?

Of course we're adding furniture, paint, nice wood floors and lighting but even in the wreckage the view is compelling and reminds me of these paintings!  We've decided to use the view as a frame in the home and keep the decor simple. 

The construction and design won't be complete for a few months, so stay tuned!

Stop back next week

for weekly investigations into June's topic:

Summer possibilities

in 

decorating & entertaining