just over a year ago illustrator and surface designer linda ketelhut moved to austin after nearly 18 years in nyc. her plan was to start from scratch – only packing a few select pieces of furniture, books, lamps and art supplies that could fit into a minivan for the drive down south. and for someone who loves space and loved rearranging furniture as a kid, the move was perfect for her (and provided a place with more than four walls to work with). you can check out more of linda’s great home here, and her etsy shop here. {thanks, linda!} -anne
[above: Because my art is driven by creating environments on paper, I wanted to approach the way that I painted my walls as a piece of paper and bring that same aesthetic to how I could creatively apply solid color in an open room. Stopping short of the ceiling and rounding the edges down to frame the furniture or doors throughout the house appeals to the graphic nature in my work. I didn’t want to forgo color all together, so it was perfect when I found this vibrant orange sofa at a vintage shop. It has great character, especially with a boldly printed pillow in the center.]
CLICK HERE for the rest of linda’s sneak peek after the jump!
as I settled in it felt only natural to continue with the theme of a fresh start. For years I had saturated my studio apartments in bright color – hot pink bathroom, chartreuse kitchen, yellows and blues, purples…. This time I decided to go totally contrary to my natural instinct of bright, and use cool peaceful tones like this sterling grey, reserving the abundance of the color I so love for my work……although, I must admit the first thing I did when I moved in was paint one of the bedroom walls green. Old habits die hard.
I know it’s just a hallway, but here I’ve captured the essence of what I was aiming for as i merged my home, my art and myself as an artist. I can now see, a year down the road from nyc that this is the perfect combination of the old and new – still some of the hues that I adore and use incessantly, but also a simplicity, mixed with the patterns and textures that I can’t live without. The pillow is one of my fabric designs and the artwork is one of my new prints. What you can’t see too clearly, but are truly sculptural, are the giant live oak tree branches sweeping down outside. They’re framed like a piece of art by the green wall. They’re all over Austin and they are extraordinary.
I like the contrast between light and dark with my parsons desk and chair. This is one place that I didn’t feel a compulsive need to put up art as the color stands on it’s own. I love the simplicity of this workspace because it captures perfectly how I had decided to set the tone with color rather than things.
I wanted to create a feeling of the bed tucking into the corner of the room, as the room is on the large side……..I’ve waited 18 years to say that! I painted just one corner and divided the room with a flokati rug. It’s a bit like sleeping in a nest with the bed low to the ground. The pillow is K Studio and the artwork are Nama Rococo newsprints from the ICFF a few years ago. A sheet of the Chateau 66 wallpaper of theirs is on my wish list.
I love this angle looking from the dining area into my studio with the built in shelves and the binders labeled in hot pink tape. The Beck show poster holds a special place in my heart as it’s from my first ACL Music Festival here.
4 of my favorite things come into play in this photo – music, chairs, lamps and fabric. The print is for the band Spoon by the small stakes and I love it’s bold graphic nature. I could fill my home with these posters. The pillow is made with one of my fabric designs.
My studio is my favorite and most lived in room in the house. I love looking up at the swatches popping out on my paint chart and having inspiration taped up all around. With large windows on two sides and birds chirping outside, this room is my nature infused, colorful sanctuary. The green paintbrush cup is one of my small treasures from the Tricia Guild shop in London.
Magazines are a source of great inspiration for me and these metal files are jam packed with great reads and creative materials. I bought the pink butterfly from Liberty on a trip to London. It adds a perfect splash of color against the dark wall. The pentagram calendar is a must have!
My most significant home purchase to date is this teak Danish Modern dining table that I got on ebay. I was very excited about this find and some jumping up and down may have been involved when I had the winning bid. This piece is symbolic of the home I wanted to create – open, filled with friends and dinner parties…. I wanted to keep the room airy, so I chose these clear Tobias chairs from IKEA. The Wayne Pate print anchors the corner of the table perfectly.
