Collected: How Original Art Brings Soul Into Design
Artwork by Will Day.
Painting by Ben Strawn.
Art in Interior Design
Art has always been a part of my life. My mother is an artist, and while I didn’t follow in her footsteps, I grew up surrounded by the creative process. I don’t paint or draw, but design has become my form of artistic expression. For me, creating elegant yet approachable spaces is just as much about composition and feeling as it is about function.
Because of that, I’m always on the lookout for art. Sometimes it’s a piece that sparks emotion, sometimes it’s one that shifts the mood of an entire room, and sometimes it’s simply something so beautiful it makes you stop and take notice. Whenever I can, I source art directly from the artist. Building those relationships often helps me refine a vision for a client and, more than once, has led me to a piece hidden in the back of a studio that turned out to be exactly what a space was waiting for.
Art isn’t just decoration. It’s personal, instinctive, and transformative. It can reflect the personality of the people who live in a home, bring in color, texture, and depth, and ultimately change the way a room feels. This series shares a few stories and sourcing experiences that show why I find original art so integral to design.
Color and Energy at the Table
Commissioned piece by Will Day.
For one project, we commissioned a piece from one of my favorite local artists, Will Day, while the client’s home was still in framing. Will came to the space, met with the clients, and we talked through our vision. The goal was to anchor the open living and dining area with something vibrant and energizing but not overwhelming.
The clients visited his studio throughout the process, which gave them a sense of connection to the piece before it even arrived. Now it hangs at the center of their home, sparking conversation at the dinner table and during gatherings.
Design takeaway: Art can ground a space and set the tone for how it’s experienced.
Rhythm in the Home Office
Artwork by Saulo Silviera.
A husband’s home office had all the right pieces, tailored furniture, restrained finishes, but it was missing something that made it feel personal. He’s a lifelong jazz lover, and while in Paris browsing a gallery in St. Germaine (Carré des Artistes L’Expo), I came across a painting by Saulo Silveira that felt like it had been waiting for him.
The piece is full of movement, energy and vibrancy, with a rhythm that echoes the improvisation of jazz. We shipped it home, and now it’s the heartbeat of his office, tying the design to his passion.
Design takeaway: Art doesn’t just unify a room. It reflects the person who inhabits it.
Quiet Layers in a Serene Space
Artwork by Will Day.
On one of my regular visits to Will Day’s studio, I was immediately drawn to a luminous, understated painting. Its quiet presence felt like the perfect counterpart to a large modern slab tile fireplace in a client’s great room.
That piece now softens the scale of the stone and fills the room with a calm glow. It doesn’t compete with the architecture but instead enhances the natural light and palette, adding warmth and cohesion.
Design takeaway: Art can introduce calm and dimension, even in a minimal or highly architectural setting.
The Essential Final Layer
Artwork by Craig Terry.
Sometimes a room feels complete on paper but doesn’t come alive until the art arrives. That was the case with a mountain home where we installed a piece by Craig Terry, an artist I first met at the Edwards Art Festival.
Craig’s work often incorporates bold geometric forms and unique materials, but this painting had a softness that resonated with the environment. It echoed the surrounding trees and mountains, finishing the corner in a way nothing else could.
The installation was memorable for another reason too. Craig drove through a snowstorm from Utah to Colorado to deliver the piece himself, arriving hours later than he expected, in the dark. After we had hung the art, he returned to his van only to discover he was stuck in the client’s driveway. We all dug him out together, and it ended up being an adventure that made the story behind the painting part of the home itself.
Design takeaway: Art completes the design story and gives intention to the whole.
The Art Hunt
Artwork by Marina Cortez.
Some pieces find their home immediately. Others take time.
I once discovered a striking wall painting in Galleria Corsica in Cabo that I knew belonged in a Boulder project. A few weeks later, it was on the client’s wall. But there are other works, a handful of paintings and a sculpture I can’t stop thinking about from a San Francisco gallery, that are still waiting. The right client and the right room haven’t appeared yet, but I know they will.
That’s part of the joy. Sourcing art is about instinct, patience, and timing. The search is just as meaningful as the final installation.
Design takeaway: The process of collecting is as much about discovery as it is about design.
Sculpture by Richard Erdman.
Original art is never filler. It’s a layer of personality and storytelling that transforms a space into something distinctly personal. In every project, I source and integrate art alongside the architecture, finishes, and furnishings, because it’s often the art that completes the story.
At Spruill Studio, art is part of how we create intentional interiors that reflect the people who live in them.
Ready to explore art that reflects your personal style and brings your home to life? Let’s design a space that reflects the way you live.
