The Wrong Art Theory
You’ve heard of the wrong shoe theory, right? It’s this idea coined by stylist Allison Bornstein, that you should pick a shoe that feels dissimilar to the rest of your look. So, sneakers with a dress or stilettos with cargos.
This is actually great advice for interiors, as well. Let’s call it the Wrong Art Theory. Choosing an unexpected piece of art feels much more sophisticated than going the expected route.
This might mean choosing a piece that’s subject matter really contrasts with the space — like a really modern piece of art in a more traditional space.
Or it might mean playing with scale, like going with an oversized photograph that nearly takes up the entire wall or conversely, a very diminutive piece that takes up very little space at all.
Or maybe it’s adding a really graphic, almost child-like piece to an otherwise romantic and feminine space.
It’s all about tension, right? Choosing the wrong piece of art for a space feels so much more unexpected and really much more sophisticated than going the more traditional route. And the best place, honestly, to find unexpected pieces of art that won’t break the bank is at thrift stores and estate sales.
Below are a handful of pieces of art I’ve found at thrift stores or estate sales, to give you an idea of the kind of “wrong art” that I think could work in so many spaces.
And here’s how I would style one of those pieces; by pairing a subversive, overtly masculine photograph with really feminine, rounded accessories (playing off the square frame—I love to pair hard angles with soft):
abstract pedestal // figural sculpture // marble scalloped tray // plaster lamp // Andy Warhol book // art, vintage
And here are a handful of “wrong” art pieces that are available to shop (all are vintage or, in the case of the photographs, re-prints of vintage pieces):
vintage pink and yellow portrait // blue bikini photograph // vintage portrait // car photograph
Rapid Fire
Something I read (& loved): Move over, Hot Girl Summer. This summer is all about the celebrity breakup.
A show I watched: And Just Like That. Which, lately, has actually been good, despite starting out awkwardly.
A recipe I made: Smitten Kitchen’s grapefruit yogurt cake.
and I’ll leave you with this…