Laura Fulmine is renowned for her ability to present art outside of the traditional ideas of a gallery setting, with more residential spaces like The House by MAH, an extension of her MAH Gallery vision. Here, she reveals six tips to achieve the same affect at home…
Look at the bigger picture
To help accentuate artworks, always consider every detail, from the flooring, wallpaper and paint to elements such as a sculptural fireplace and curtains – it’s a great way to add layers and authenticity to a collection. At The House [MAH Gallery’s consultation and styling arm], we try to rotate the scenes each year, showing how you can curate a space with art, sculpture, furniture and accessories.
Give your sculpture a stage
I like placing sculptural works on big, towering stacks of books, and I have a lot of plinths because I’ve got the art gallery. I’m always swapping them in and out when I get bored of them (which happens often as a stylist). I’m slightly obsessed with plinths because, often, they are like sculptures in themselves, especially the ones I have found. You can get really beautiful ones from dealers, auctions and flea markets [see p183 for our edit]. Spazio Leone has one that I keep trying to buy, but they will never sell it. It’s a turned-wood piece that is like a totem. Curiosity cabinets are my other favourite.
What's everyone reading?
I’ve got a beautiful brass one that is a piece of art, where I house exquisite knick-knacks. I am also a big fan of sconces on walls, as you can use them to hold sculptures. That’s a display device that Sir John Soane’s Museum does quite well.
Position art in unusual places
I’m half Italian and I get quite inspired by old Italian villas that have eclectic pieces placed in very awkward or unexpected places.
I like to put artwork above light switches, over doorways or really low down on the wall. In my old flat, I had little paintings placed just above the skirting boards, which you could see as you walked up the stairs. It’s nice to play with scale. If you’ve got a picture rail, you can buy hooks that allow you to change the height of an artwork, which really helps the dynamic of a room.
Everything can be considered art
I like the idea of putting things up that are not necessarily seen as artworks in the traditional sense. You don’t have to be restricted to something that’s just for walls or to putting flat things in frames – I love framing 3D objects. I recently found an old leather Tuareg rug that I’m going to place above my bed. Someone just gifted my son a beautiful puzzle that I’m also going to put on the wall.
Another plan is to pull apart one of his David Shrigley books, frame individual pages of it and dot them around the house. There’s no need to be tied to convention – I’ve got a lot of paintings that I really like the back of, so I revel in putting those up the wrong way around.
Be brave and combine mediums and styles
I always try to have a good mix of vintage pieces that sit alongside new and experimental work. My recent project for Christopher Farr was a special commission, where I was asked to design a space that would effectively marry the brand’s rugs with art and sculpture, which is something you can do in your own home. The inspiration for the room set was two rugs by one of my favourite artists, Howard Hodgkin. I then curated the artwork around these pieces, deciding to use one as a hanging artwork on the wall. We paired them with sculptures and works by artists such as Kelly Jessiman, Studio Spf and painter Colt Seager.
Nothing is ever permanent
People get afraid of making mistakes but, as a stylist, because you’re changing things all the time, you learn that it’s actually really easy to move things or redecorate. It’s the same with interior design – you don’t have to stick with things if you don’t like them.
If you get bored of something or you don’t love it any more, then you can just move it around. Sometimes, a new position will change your point of view. laurafulmine.com
