“I am passionate about art and
design as an expression of creativity and also as a vehicle to ignite wonder
and excitement.”
Connie Kirk has been a
professional interior designer and artist for over 20 years and has extensive
experience with the selection and curation of fine art for both gallery shows
and individual collectors. Connie is
proficient in the research and development of early 20th century art
for both private and business acquisitions. As a business owner of C Kirk
Design in Marin County, she has developed and operated her own interior design
firm for more than fifteen years. Connie has curated several Bay Area Art Shows
over the years and is also a gallery-showing artist with many collectors
nationally and abroad.
Constance Kirk
C Kirk Design
San Anselmo, California
415-454-5333 home/office
415-272-6022 mobile
European Farmhouse Elegance at its Best
As a
designer and professional artist, my approach in creating and designing a great
space and creating a successful painting is the same…totally experiential for
the creator and the viewer.
When
I walk into a room, I want and need to experience something new, something
exciting and something inspirational. I
want to explore with my eyes like I am in the Musee’de Orsay in Paris, viewing
a cherished masterpiece painted by Monet or Van Gogh. I want to learn more
about the artist or designer and their visionary approach. What message do they have for me? What feeling did they want to create in me as
the viewer?
Starting
a design project is like the “birthing” of a painting…it begins with a feeling;
an intuitive hunch and from the first brushstroke to the last, there is a need
to explore the space from the inside out; to uncover the nuances, connectivity,
synchronicity and meaning that calls out to be expressed.
Some
of the questions that I ask myself when beginning to design a space are the
same questions that I explore when starting a painting such as:
v
What is the feeling that I want to evoke in this
space?
v
What experience do I wish others to have when
spending time in this space?
v
Do I have a blank canvas to begin my project or
are there existing elements that may dictate how it will need to be designed?
When
I began to design the vignette for the
San Francisco GRANGE Showroom, I asked
myself these same questions and began to look at the space with an artist’s
eyes.
My first need was to view the
space with its inherent elements to ascertain what I could work with and what
needed to be changed.
The space is a
small brick-walled corner area with white and black-accented marble flooring
surrounded by tall windows facing a hallway.
I wanted to create a sense of comfort and warmth in this space so I
proceeded to develop a design vision and theme that would reinforce my intent.
I
chose to develop a European country farmhouse theme around GRANGE’s beautiful
Peony Curved Sideboard from their 2012 Exceptions de GRANGE Collection that is painted
in soft aquas, creams and delicate shades of pink.
Companion Ermitage dining table and New Directoire
console pieces combined with their color-washed Camargue wicker chairs created
an intimate European dining setting.
As
the design theme developed, so did the artistic flavor in the space. I was creating a message of warmth and
invitation with the softness of the colors and textures that I used. I
would also bring in some of my own figurative paintings to compliment the
theme.
The
rest of the designing became like performance art…an evolving creative
expression; an exciting experience of putting together a palette of colors,
textures, lighting, artwork and spatial values within the vignette. The mood was set…European farmhouse elegance
at its best!
In
setting the space, I washed over the walls with a saturated blue-green paint,
leaving the existing white brick wall to show through the paint like an old
barn or farmhouse in the French countryside.
Adding a natural jute carpet under the dining table and chairs created a
sense of warmth on the marble tile floor, visually creating a central base in
the vignette.
The
lighting over the dining area needed to be very special so an exquisitely
be-jeweled Jamine chandelier graces the table for mood lighting and ambiance
with its colored jewels magically enhancing all of the colors in the space.
The
drapery, dining chair seat cushions, and tabletop fabrications were all created
from a mélange of subtle striped silks and patterned tapestries in pale aquas,
light golds and creams with a hint of jeweled edgings to juxtapose the jeweled
chandelier.
The
tabletop was designed with a beautiful handmade African basket filled with
fruit as a simple centerpiece. It was
accented with beaded placemats, crème colored Vietri dinner plates and deep
rose colored wine glasses ready to be filled with a delicious wine to start a
great conversation and meal with loved ones and friends.
Although
the chosen artwork was integral in the original design idea, the placement of
art pieces is always the “frosting on the cake”; the last element of a great
design project and so it was to be with this vignette. I chose to display pieces of my figurative
artwork that would convey a sense of familiarity and warmth, as in “Sidestreet”
painted on a European street and “The Offering” a painting of three African
women offering roses and water. The
“Roses and Pomegranate” painting softly relates to the painted GRANGE Peony
chest and helps continue the theme. A small landscape and expressive figure
paintings were also added in the space welcoming all who enter.
Ultimately,
the success of any design project depends upon how accurately its planning has
answered the functional and aesthetic needs within the space and how
artistically the design conveys a message of imagination and innovation. “…A design isn’t finished until somebody is
using it…” Although this vignette is only designed for a showroom, it has all
of the elements needed to create a cozy GRANGE Farmhouse experience in your own
home!
