Before & After: Caroline's Vibey Living Room

Caroline is a dear friend of mine who lives in a marvelous, spacious apartment just outside of Boston. As she and her roommate were moving in, we started discussing how to make the most of this great space without breaking the bank, especially because she wasn't entirely sure how long she'd stay there. A few DIYs and much obsessing later, her living room is finished! Before:

Great windows; furniture was a little sad.

After:

Just by adding art to the walls, pillows on the sofa, and rugs on the floor, the room turned from blah to homey, cozy, and vibey. I mean, get a load of that gallery wall! Have you ever?! And the wall of records... I'm obsessed. I also love the layering of cowhide + natural fiber rug (as I wrote about here). Bien fait!

Pancake dares you to lounge in her sun bathing spot. And what a great vintage trunk! (P.S. Check out my post on trunks as coffee tables here.)

Caroline had a bunch of album covers and saw images like this one (via Urban Outfitters and pinned here):

... which inspired her to put up her own wall of covers on this wall with tricky moulding:

I love how Caroline used that tricky moulding to her advantage and turned it into a sort of frame for her covers. Such a great way to fill the walls (inexpensively) with a big effect.

I'm so impressed at how it ALL turned out. Thanks for sharing your before and after, Caroline!! Mwahh :)

Do you have a room or DIY you'd like to share on The Spoonful? Let me know in the comments below!

Artist Spotlight: James Erickson

The Artist Spotlight is back! This time I was lucky enough to check in with the wonderful James Erickson, an oil painter in Maryland and a fellow UVA alumni. I love how effortless and calming his paintings feel--and I think you'll feel the same.

The Spoonful: Describe your style in 5 words:

James: I do my best work when I stop worrying about painting with a certain style. My paintings are representational in the sense that they depict real places and people that I encounter. Usually I start out fast, loose and abstract then bring about more order as the work progresses.

The Spoonful: Art background?

James: I fell in love with drawing and painting as a child. I studied painting at The University of Virginia and continued at The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) for an MFA.

The Spoonful: Whose work do you most admire?

James: John Singer Sargent, Joaquin Sorolla, Winslow Homer...

The Spoonful: Where do you find your inspiration?

James: Sometimes I see a person or a place that I am inspired to paint but more often it is the process of painting itself that I find inspiring. It is very rewarding to discover beauty in an unlikely subject.

The Spoonful: Ideal workspace consists of...

James: ...working in natural light with the landscape and/or a model.  It is exciting to work with the changing conditions.

The Spoonful: Greatest piece of advice on being an artists (creating, surviving, anything) that you've received? That you can give?

James: Stick to what you know. Make art from your surroundings. Develop a daily discipline for your work.

The Spoonful: Five things you can't live without?

James: My faith and my family. Sleep and exercise. Books.

The Spoonful: Where can we find your work?

James: My studio is in Poolesville, MD. I also have paintings hanging at Village Gallery in Culpeper, VA. You can find my work online here, on instagram (@jamesdeanerickson), and on Facebook (jamesericksonart).

The Spoonful: Anything else we should know?

James: I am a husband and father to three young children. Finley (4 years), Joseph (2 years) and Julia Rose (9 months).

James also updates his tumblr often--it's well worth following. Do it! Now! Thanks so much for sharing your story, James!

If you'd like to share an artist to spotlight on The Spoonful, let me know!