ART: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

Studies after studies have highlighted the benefits of art in interiors but for Lisa Bayne, CEO of The Guild/Artful Home, Art is what she found in her dream work environment during a visit to the Level Playing Field Institute in San Francisco. "Wherever you turn within LPFI's offices", Lisa recalls, "there is art, all of it extremely tactile. At the entry gathering spot, rather than a traditional corporate coffee table, the founders have placed a Josh Urso "Knoop Table", letting you know immediately that this is no cookie-cutter sterile office experience."

So why don't more companies share Lisa's vision of art in the workplace? As Lisa points out: "Most of us spend more of our waking time in our offices than in our homes, and the benefits to the soul of being surrounded by art most certainly have productivity benefits to the workspace."

So, what can you do?

Bring in an art consultant: According to Lisa, there are benefits to working with art consultant:

• Will work with you to select and place art.
• Represent the interests of the art buyer.
• Normally not affiliated with specific galleries or institutions.
• Compensated through a percentage of the art-acquisition budget.

• When artwork is integral to the structure of the home, as with custom kitchen tile or a wrought iron balcony railing.
• When coordination is needed between the artist and other design professionals
• When installation is complicated, as with heavy atrium sculpture or custom millwork.
• When art from several sources must coordinate, both functionally and aesthetically."

Location, location, location.... If sourcing is all you need, The Guild/Artful Home is a wonderful place to start. With access to thousands of North America's finest artists, already juried and vetted, for immediately available one-of-a-kind and  production work in all media, as well as custom and commission artwork, with all details handled by their experienced in-house art advisors. Visit artful home's website for details regarding The Guild's Design Professional Program.

THE PO!NT: When it comes to art, there is more than meets the eye. If you like the idea of weaving more art into your project, here are a couple of resources to help you achieve that:

1. Learn: Join Design Arts' ARTworks continuing education seminar as we unravel the ambiguous aspects of specifying Art and demonstrate how your practice and clients can benefit from the Art you incorporate in your projects.
2. Source: The Guild's Design Professional Program.
3. Keep Up: artprice.com just published a report on the latest art market trends