Everyone loves popular color trends when they decide to remodel their home or renovate! It's fun to change your decor every once in a while to keep up with current popular color schemes. A very popular color for home decor, especially for this autumn season, is gold. Gold represents a meaning of success, achievement, and triumph. We often associate the color gold with money or wealth, but the color gold has so much more to tell us than just wealth. Many people have linked the color gold as a way to feel empowered and choose to think gold can give off a vibe of positive energy. Some also believe that gold can bring good wisdom, understanding, and enlightenment.

 Represents a Meaning of Success, Achievement, and Triumph!

Often we see gold metals for the winner of a race so we connect the color gold and it's meaning to the winner's metal. This color draws attention to itself, it is eye-catching, passionate, and confident. Gold is a color that is often overlooked when choosing decor because of the flashy and wealthy vibe it shows. Decorating an office with gold art, or neutral colored prints with a gold frame, can give one a sense of empowerment and success. Getting gold art, art with a gold frame, or art on canvas with gold painted sides is not only suitable for your office. These will also raise your feeling of success in a library or study room. 

Perfect Decor for Autumn Season!

Not only is gold great decor for offices, classrooms, libraries, and study rooms, but it is also great for general home decor during autumn season! Decorating your home with paintings and photographs of golden autumn trees and the golden kissed sky during sunset is a great way to bring the beauty of autumn into your home with out having crunchy leaves. Gold autumn decor helps a room pop with color and come to life. Golden touched autumn art is especially a great decor choice for those who find themselves who favor autumn over other seasons. If autumn season is your favorite, why not leave the autumn decor up year round to keep your favorite season around!

Although gold is a popular color to decorate, you want to make sure to not overdo it. Having too much gold decor in your home can be overwhelming since gold is such a bold color. If the room is painted a solid color that compliments gold, just decorating with gold is perfectly fine! But remember, gold is a loud color that does not need help standing out and making a statement. Too much gold decor can ruin the statement you want to make. If done correctly, gold decor can be the perfect inspirational art, or the perfect seasonal art!

With Oktoberfest kickoff closing in, we wanted to talk about decorating home bars and entertaining areas with animal art, specifically. It’s a great, subtle way to convey the feel of Old World Germany traditions year round. Of course one of the animals that should be at the center of the decorating scheme is the dachshund.

Dachshunds have been a part of German culture for centuries, and according to the American Kennel Club, their roots go back to the 1600's. At the time, many German huntsmen used the dogs to capture foxes, badgers, rabbits and feral pigs. In later years, they were entered into dachshund races during October celebrations and other competitive events, which continue around the world to this day.

On top of that, there are companies that manufacture dachshund themed wine, beer and bar supplies. Among them are Dachshund Riesling, III Dachshunds Beer and Maitland-Smith. The dog themed bar supplies include brass wine holders, shot glasses, steins, highball glasses, bottle openers, coasters and more. Thus, incorporating wiener dog themed animal art into a home bar or Oktoberfest décor scheme makes sense.

There are two pieces of animal art that must be mentioned when talking about Oktoberfest and home bar decor. One is Stephen Fowler’s Dachshund Wine print and the other is Ryan Fowler’s Dachshund Brewing Co. print. They both resemble vintage advertising signs and prominently feature the dog's image. Because they do have the appearance of commercial art, they could be paired with artist Brian Rubenacker's Dachshund Wieners.

 For a more whimsical look, there is also Tracy Flickinger’s Hot Dog. It features a cartoon image of a female dachshund enjoying a cocktail while dressed in a pink feather boa. Additional decorating options include actual photos of wiener dogs and work by artists like Dean Russo and Serena Bowman. A combination of these prints will make the perfect décor for Oktoberfest as well as everyday décor for your home bar.

At its inception, the pop art movement brought relief to those that had grown tired of works created by abstract expressionists. From there, it went on to become one of the most popular art forms of the rebellious 50's and free-wheeling 60's. Today, designers’ passion for decorating with pop art featuring Andy Warhol helps to keep the love affair going.

Warhol, for those readers that may have not been around during the early pop art movement, was born in the 1920's and died in the winter of 1987. His work was renowned the world over. The colorful, iconic images that he used helped to convey what was going on in pop culture, whether the activity was ultimately controversial or not. As such, his artwork often stirred strong feelings in fans and critics alike.

When decorating with pop art featuring Andy Warhol prints, there are several schools of thought to consider. For instance, some interior designers like to display Warhol’s art in areas that match the picture’s subject matter. Others prefer to put the artwork in unrelated, unexpected spots that help jolt viewers out of their rote activities. There are also those that focus more on the colors and patterns inherent in Warhol’s artwork than the actual subject matter.

Take Andy Warhol’s Knives, c.1981-82 picture as an example. It could be hung up in a contemporary dining room or kitchen that has pops of black and cream coloring throughout. On the other hand, it could also be placed in a study or office with his series of Guns artwork and Skull, 1976 to show a love of mystery novels and forensic sciences.

There are other Andy Warhol prints on the market today that feature the artist’s quotes and images. One of our favorites is the one titled, Think Rich, Look Poor. It would look great on display in a bedroom changing area or walk-in closet. As would prints like It Takes a lot of Work to Figure Out How to Look So Good, Diamond Dust Shoes and Two Female Fashion Figures c. 1960.

To learn more about decorating with pop art featuring Andy Warhol, please contact us today. We have many prints of the artist’s work in stock as well as several other pop art prints of note.

Barn Owl Primitives started out small. Christi, the creator, started out making handcrafted Christmas gifts, specifically hand-painted, door-hanging snowman, when money was tight. Friends and families became her first customers but, then, the word got out…and friends of friends started placing orders as well. Since snowman is rather synonymous with winter, Christi started other ideas that weathered seasons: word art that are perennially appealing. Barn Owl Primitives was born and “signs to decorate your life” becomes her signature motto. Since then, her Barn Owl Primitives has birthed various categories of word art:

Family Rules

It’s true every family has its own rules, but some rules seem to be universal. Short of repeating yourself often, it would be neat to have these rules written out and place in strategic places as reminders. Need help to maintain order in the playroom? Enlist the help of Playroom rules word art – all the gentle reminders conveniently placed on the canvas (or neatly framed) – a great way to reinforce rules without nagging. How about kitchen rules? Barn Owl has a series of that too: Sit up Straight or simply entitled “Kitchen.”

Encouragement

We could all use a little “pep” talk now and then, a little pick-me-up encouragement. What better way to motivate yourself or others than a word art décor? Whether you want to be brave (or reminded you’re brave), strive to be real or just want to love and be loved, Barn Owl primitives have a range of selection to cater to your needs.

Holiday Signs

Want to create a festive mood? Or get into the holiday spirit? Holiday word art can help you do that without really trying too hard. Hang one up and allow the magic to diffuse the room with that seasonal joy and longing, a little nostalgia or warmth. Christmas, Halloween or just to welcome a new season, take your pick. Order up some holiday cheer, it's that time of the year.

Sports

Know a husband, a father, a son, a brother or a friend who loves sports? They live, eat and breathe sports and you may experience a little neglect when the sports season is on? They would love one of the word art on sports. Football or soccer, these word art will make great gifts for sports fans.

Using Barn Owl Primitives word art for decor is a great way to add character, swag or mood. Buy them for yourself or to give away as gifts. Feel free to browse our website or contact us for more information.

The unique lobster has been crawling around on earth for about 100-Million-Years! Lobsters are amazing animals with extremely weird characteristics: they have kidneys in their heads, teeth in their stomachs, brains in their throats, and they grow throughout their lifespan by shedding their shells! They also taste things with their claws and hear stuff with their legs. Lobsters live alone and love to hide on the ocean floor amidst sea flora and rocks. Like birds, they even navigate by sensing earth's magnetism!

Lobsters are also much more than just expensive food! During the Medieval and Renaissance periods, lobsters were pulverized and utilized as medicinal cures for epilepsy, kidney stones, and eye inflammation. Plus, lobsters are steeped in ancient symbolism that connects to transformation, longevity, protection, independence, and solitude. It is said that those who feel a strong connection to the lobster are adept at letting go of the outer world, focusing on the inner world, and experiencing a true sense of freedom from societal labels and restrictions.

 In ancient Greece “the lobster was generally esteemed sacred by the Greeks and was not eaten by them; if the people of Seriphos caught a lobster in their nets they put it back into the sea; if they found a dead one they buried it and mourned over it as over one of themselves.” Lobsters have also been a persistent symbol in animal art history, from adorning mosaic images on Roman floors to being showcased in Japanese paintings. Salvador Dali used lobsters many times in his Surrealist art.

If you feel drawn to the unique mystery of lobsters and want to connect with their powerful symbolism, consider lobster themed fine art for your home. For a rustic lobster look that expresses their function as revered food, the “Red Horse Signs Lobster” print is an excellent choice. For a more whimsical look that expresses the dynamic character of the lobster and its ocean environment, “Sydney Wright Ocean Lobster” will beautify and energize your walls in no time! If, however, you prefer a highly artistic take on the lobster and its connection to independence, the fine art print “Andy Warhol Lobster, c. 1982” says it all!

Once you've found the perfect framed painting or photograph to complement your home or office decor, it's time to think about the optimal lighting for it.  A properly lit piece of art will show the artist's intended nuance and won't give off a glare or shine that makes it hard to view comfortably. 

Where you place the framed art in your home or office will play some part in the lighting, of course. If you have a room with large windows or another source of natural light, then you should also consider what changes that natural light will bring to the artwork at different times of day. Placing your paintings in direct sunlight is not recommended, however, as the UV rays may cause color fading.

Your lighting choices will also depend on the medium of the artwork. Oil paintings, for example, reflect  spectral highlights if a beam of light is pointed directly at the painting, whereas acrylic paintings are far less glossy and can be comfortably lit by a single beam of light.  For oils, you'd do well to think about a broad-based light that is diffused in some way. 

Another twist on the path to good lighting is whether or not your artwork has been framed behind glass. Glass that has not been treated with an anti-reflective coating will be shiny when viewed from different angles, or if catching natural light at different times of day. If you do have a piece of art that is behind reflective glass, you'll need to experiment with your lighting sources to find the best way for that particular piece of art in that particular room. Generally, the DIY Network recommends placing lights at a 30 degree angle to the art, in order to reduce glare. 

It's important to assess the kind of light that is already installed in the room in question, before adding any additional sources for your artwork. Most homes have incandescent bulbs in the fixtures while offices may have fluorescent lighting. If you want to place a painting under fluorescent light, you should be aware that the higher quantity of UV rays in fluorescent light may cause painting colors to fade over time. 

Once you have found the placement and assessed the available light, you can begin to consider different choices for additional lights. 

There are three kinds of lights that are commonly used to illuminate framed artwork:

• "picture" lights
• mantel lights
• track lights

Picture lights are usually small--three inches or less in diameter--and hang above the painting or on the frame. 

Mantel lights are on a shelf ("mantel") under the painting or photograph and point up at it. 

Track lights, usually a series of lights set on a track on the ceiling, are more flexible than the other options, and are ideal if you have several pieces of art in the same room. 

And, if you're still looking for that elusive perfect art piece to decorate your home or office, we offer a variety of styles of framed art. Don't hesitate to contact us.