Artwork has always inspired...writers, poets, and certainly designers and decorators.
A painting is often a focal point in a room, yet it can also be the paramount inspiration behind the entire space.
For fun, our decorating team found some of their favorite works of art and then sought its room counterpart.
Enjoy!
Girl with the Pearl Earring (1665) by Johannes Vermeer has such an amazing color palette and soft quality...
This sitting area closely mimics the luscious fabrics and luxurious feel of the Vermeer. (House Beautiful)
A Josef Albers print is a strong, graphic presence in any space. (1970)
Framed out like the Albers, these saturated green walls are all the adornment this room needs. (Martha Stewart Living)
Mark Rothko's White Center (Yellow, Pink, and Lavender on Rose) gets your heart pumping with its vivid hues. (1950)
The bright curtains bring Rothko's piece to life against the stark white walls and really make a statement in the room. (Domino)
Van Gough's Almond Water Blossom with its blue and green tones gives a sense of peace and serenity. (1890)
The tones of the painting make perfect sense for a bedroom. (Traditional Home)
#143 by artist Michelle Oppenheimer (current) is moody and sophisticated at the same time.
A woman's dressing room needs drama. This skirted vanity reflects the aura of Oppenheimer's work. (The Paris Apartment)
Picasso's Deux Femmes Nues was modern and glam for its time in 1909.
The foil wallpaper in this living room picks up the gray tones in Picasso's piece while the yellow reflects the modernity. (Decorpad)
The Theatre Box by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1874) takes you on a journey to a time gone by.
The antiques and restrained palette are a nod to yesteryear. (Martha Stewart Living)
Do you have a piece of art that has inspired your decor? Tell me about it.
Kevin Sharkey 
From: Rowaida Flayhan | 4/25/11 at 3:43 am
Beautiful paintings for amazing painters I love the Van Gough's Almond Water Blossom gorgeous pieces and colors. Kevin I love the painting you have in the dinning area looks like an antique Chinese piece! Amazing love it.
Looking for paintings for the salon in the apt in beirut the furniture is style anglais. Thank you for an inspiring post.
From: Annie | 4/26/11 at 8:26 pm
what an extraordinary post! I enjoyed it very much and in fact have revisited it several times. Thank you!
From: Andover | 5/1/11 at 9:20 am
We find this is the absolute hardest part of putting a room together. My wife and I can never agree on what should go on the walls. It's such a personal choice but it also need to work for the room style. Very difficult..
From: Nicole Bourgea | 1/29/12 at 11:10 pm
How funny! I have been writing an art blog since January 2011 and posting rooms that remind me of works of art every Monday! Here is a link from one of the matches:
http://ihatetoalarmyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/monday-match.html
Nicole Bourgea