A Good Frame-Up

Franky and Meridith’s foyer has kind of developed over time.  And we’ve been able to carefully choose each item we add to the décor, including the wonderful photograph by Jeremy Kohm and its custom frame.

I find a lot of folks are intimidated by custom framing and often consider it “too expensive”.  So, I thought it might be helpful to share how we made decisions in this custom project and show how this piece was fitted and framed.

Franky and Meridith’s foyer is a mixture of old and new, sleek and slightly worn, down-to-earth and glamorous.  And we wanted to continue that dichotomy in the frame details.  So we chose a very simple wood frame with a beautiful hand-rubbed glaze and light distressing and asked that the mat bevel be edged in gold.

This simplicity both offsets and lends to the elegant Art Deco swimming pool, the gilded tones of the marble and pendant lights and the cool stillness of the water.  The large mat accomplishes two objectives: it endows the whole piece with a little heft, a greater visual importance in the rather large open foyer, and gives the image breathing room… if that makes sense.

A good frame shop should offer hundreds, if not thousands of frame and mat options, and its staff members can help you make similar decisions for framing your art and collectibles.  I think it’s important to consider where your art will be hung.  Are lamplight, sunlight and/or humidity issues?  How do you feel about glare?  And of course, there are many traditions and ideas about the proper look of framed prints, photographs, paintings, textiles and mirrors.  But ultimately, the decision is yours.

My sister is a framer, and she and her friends assembled our little project.  We custom ordered the moulding for the frame, used acid-free matting that was already in stock and then everything was handled locally, in-house: the moulding was cut; the frame was constructed; the mat was cut and its bevel painted by hand.

My sister actually fitted the work herself and allowed me to document the process.  First, she cuts the glass to size…

and cleans the glass and mounted artwork.

It’s important to tidy up the bevel corners.

She then tapes the glass and mounted artwork together.  The mat keeps the photograph from resting directly against the glass.  Before taping all sides, she double checks… did any lint sneak in?  If so, she removes the tape and cleans again.

We used clear conservation glass to protect the photograph in the sunny foyer.

She then secures the glass and art within the frame,

applies adhesive to the back of the frame,

and cuts black kraft paper to size.

This is a fairly heavy piece, so she used larger ring hangers instead of eye hooks.

To finish up, she sands the corners where the mitered cuts meet,

perfects joints with colored wood putty,

and cleans one more time.

Looks pretty good!

And it's ready to hang in Franky and Meridith's home.

You should expect the same care and attention from your local frame shop… whether or not your sister handles the job!

Welcoming Foyer

Over the years, my friends Franky and Meridith have asked me for help in decorating their foyer.

Foyers can be difficult spaces.  They usually seem too big or too small and, no matter what the size, must accommodate multiple traffic patterns and serve many functions.  Franky and Meridith’s foyer falls into the slightly too big category.  Even with two windows, a large front door, staircase, radiator, double-width opening to the living room and a small passage to the kitchen, their foyer is a substantial space… but one with almost no regular wall surfaces!

Foyers can also be exciting.  They greet visitors, transition us from outdoors to in, (and sometimes downstairs to up), and set the mood for the rest of our homes’ décor.  Franky and Meridith use their front door almost exclusively, so their foyer is literally where they start and end each work and school day.  And I wanted to help them create a room they love in every way.

We started by painting the walls in Benjamin Moore’s Castleton Mist.  Castleton Mist is the softest linden green with lots of yellow ochre and a little brown mixed in… kind of the color of new maple “helicopters” or Tuscan plaster.  It is cheerful without being trendy.

We then added Roman shades in a bold floral fabric.  These are big windows that need sunlight control and can handle a little funk.  The cotton sateen keeps everything looking crisp and fresh.  We dressed another window on the upper landing in a panel of the same fabric and draped it aside with a porcelain lily.

Angela Adams’ tufted wool rug visually grounds the rather open space and introduces more greens and browns.

The pretty 19^th-century burlwood desk provides enough cubbies and drawers for household business.  And the spinet front means everything can be hidden away quickly.

A traditional chair would have obscured the desk.  So instead, we paired it with a rolling ottoman that offers extra storage for magazines or mittens.  The polka dot velvet lends a bit of luxury and is surprisingly sturdy.

Finishing touches include a turquoise egg lamp from Haeger Potteries, who have been producing affordable and lovely glazed ceramics since the 1870s; a spun aluminum Francisco Mirror by Babette Holland; and a chalky, French-inspired pendant light.  We wanted something friendly and a little unexpected with the room’s Craftsman elements … something that brightens the space at night but doesn’t grandstand.  The photograph above the desk is by Jeremy Kohm.

We are still looking for an upholstered chair or two that would extend the livability of the foyer and provide seating for visitors who just happen to stop by.  But in truth, foyers do not need a lot of furniture or accessories.  I think Franky and Meridith’s choices are practical and beautiful, so everyday use and viewing is a pleasure.  And who wouldn’t want that for every space in their home?

Favorite Bird-and-Flower: Imao Keinen

Seeing the scrolls of the Colorful Realm of Living Beings last month reminded me of a group of bird-and-flower prints I really love.  The Kachō Gafu by Imao Keinen was originally created in 1891, almost 140 years after Itō Jakuchū’s first scroll, and is remarkable for its sheer size (over 160 birds are represented) and Imao’s prodigious talent.

Kachō-e or Kachō-ga is the term used for bird-and-flower prints.  Just like the Colorful Realm scrolls, these prints are based on centuries-old Chinese and Japanese artistic traditions that emphasize the divine and transient nature of life.  They feature birds and insects, and sometimes other wildlife, in their natural, if somewhat stylized, environments and trees and flowers blossoming throughout the year.  The art of Kachō-e reached its peak in the late-19^th century.  And many consider Imao’s four albums – one for each season – as the greatest example.

Imao was born in Kyoto in 1845 and began his classical art education at the age of eleven.  His adult life corresponds with the Meiji Period (1868-1912) when Japan transitioned from a shogun-led, feudal society to an emerging, modern world power.  Imao was obviously influenced by both Asian and Western techniques.  And his work includes a Western sense of realism and detail.  But it is important to understand that his Kachō Gafu is not a scientific manual.

Peony and Peking Robin

This blending and juxtaposition of cultures is what interests me about Imao’s art, and I suspect, what inspired subsequent generations of Japanese artists and thrilled collectors and fellow artists around the world.  Slightly later editions of his albums were specifically printed for export.

All the prints featured here are available for sale from Davidson Galleries in Seattle, Washington.  Davidson Galleries specializes in works-on-paper, mainly original prints, both contemporary and antique.  They have a beautiful selection of prints by Asian, Eastern European, Scandinavian and American artists.

From the Spring Album:

Barley, Broad Bean and Skylark

Crabapple and Canary

Daylily and Starling

Jonquil and Chestnut Bunting

From the Summer album:

Tree Peony and Blue and White Flycatcher

Pomegranate and Zebra Finch

East Indian Lotus and Chinese Egret

From the Autumn album:

Japanese Silver Grass, Gentian and Eastern Waxwing

Gingko and Great Spotted Woodpecker

Chrysanthemum and Chestnut Mannikin

From the Winter album:

Lotus and Snipe

Black Pine, Ivy and Woodpecker

Chrysanthemum and Wren

I want to mention… Imao Keinen was a painter and his Kachō Gafu is a collection of woodblock prints.  These prints were crafted through the collaborative effort of Imao, Tanaka Jirokichi who carved the blocks, Miki Jinzaburō and Tanaka Harubei who printed them and Nishimura Sōemon who published the albums.  Imao was a highly-respected artist, revered teacher and avid gardener, and both his art and his life bridged the old and new, from the Ukiyo-e to Shin Hanga, during a time of extreme change in Japan’s political, economic and social structures.

You can also find prints by Imao Keinen from online antique dealers like Prints from Panteek and Fuji Arts.  His original paintings are significantly rarer.

My Top Ten List... Book 6

I’m crazy for color and organization, so the gorgeous book Classic Plant Combinations by David Stuart definitely makes my top ten list.

Each chapter groups plants by certain characteristics; features garden designers who excel at these specific types of gardens; and describes plant combinations with both practical information and beautiful photographs.

David identifies plant combinations as ancient, traditional and, what he calls, designer (or what you and I might consider innovative).  For example, the interplanting of Rose and Clematis has been in practice for about two centuries and is accepted, almost worldwide, as a traditional plant combination.  But the newer combinations of Blackberry and Parthenocissus (Virginia Creeper or Grape Woodbine) or Cotinus and Clematis are, well, just that… more modern.  They offer a rather thoughtful, stronger, slightly more architectural contrast that is very different from the lush pinks and purples of most Roses and Clematis.

My combination of Echinacea and Milkweed is charming but rather tame compared to the abundant mixtures developed by contemporary Dutch landscape designers Piet Oudolf and Ton van der Linden.  They often improve upon North American native perennials to create these incredibly visceral gardens that showcase plants in all stages of growth and fading.

Who knew plant combinations could be so powerful, right?  David actually begins his book with this simple explanation: “A classic plant combination is created when the flowers or foliage, or both, of each species involved make an impact that is greater than the sum of its parts, and which has a beauty that withstands changes in fashion”.

Think about it.  Water Lilies and Weeping Willow or Holly and Ivy carried symbolic meanings for ancient cultures, meanings that still resonate today.  We continue to value traditional plant combinations like Wallflowers and Tulips or Bronze Fennel and Daylilies even after centuries of use.  Classic Plant Combinations encourages me to reconsider these old stand-bys and experiment with new combinations in my own garden.  Here are some of my latest favorites:

Acer and Cornus

Heucherella and Aquilegia
I love the blue foliage next to the bright green.
And the dark red splotches on the Heucherella leaves mirror the color of the Columbine flowers. 

I'm very happy with this variegated Willow and 'Festiva Maxima' Peony.
The new growth of the Willow is salmony pink, just a little more yellow than the "eyes" of the Peony.



Plant Sales in the Merry Month of May

All this reading and writing about garden design reminds me that there are many wonderful plant sales during the early part of May.  There's probably one happening near you this weekend, including...

the Spring Plant Sale at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, here in Virginia;
Garden Festival at Ladew, Ladew Topiary Gardens in nearby Maryland;
Plant and Garden Sale at Van Vleck House and Gardens in Montclair, New Jersey;
the Weird Plant Sale at the Tucson Botanical Garden;
as part of Grow! A Garden Festival at The Arboretum - L.A. County Arboretum and Botanic Garden;
the Spring Sale at Humboldt Botanical Garden in Eureka, California (it will be held May 5 and May 12);
Kumamoto En Fest and Plant Sale at the San Antonio Botanical Garden;
and perhaps the most popular of all...
the 45th Annual Spring Sale at the San Francisco Botanical Garden.

The sale at Lewis Ginter takes over much of the parking lot
immediately surrounding the visitor's center.
Red wagons and helpful volunteers are on hand to transport, guard and load your purchases.

And next week, there are special plant sales at ...
Norfolk Botanical Garden in the Tidewater region of Virginia;
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables, Florida, as part of their Artists in Bloom Exhibition;
Denver Botanic Gardens;
Sante Fe Botanical Garden;
Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge, Massachusetts (this is their 35th annual sale!);
and Texas Discovery Gardens at Fair Park in Dallas.

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, the University of Washington Botanic Gardens maintains an excellent online calendar that lists regional gardening events and plant sales.

All of these seasonal sales attract smaller, specialty growers who can provide a wealth of information about their plants.  And usually a portion of sales, admission cost and/or vendor fees help support the institution hosting the sale.

So, spend a little time in the garden and a little time at one of these plant sales this weekend!  You are sure to learn something new.