Art and consoles

During the summer of 1997, I spent a month in England. Most of that time was spent exploring the countryside, and visiting many stately homes and castles that are open to the public. My favorite stop was Blenheim Palace, where I was able to see both the main house as well as the private quarters of the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough.

My favorite vignette from Blenheim Palace was in the private quarters of the family. At the end of a long hall is this beautiful painting of Consuelo Vanderbilt, the wife of the 9th Duke of Marlborough. The story of Consuelo is an interesting one; she was part of the Vanderbilt dynasty, and her marriage to the Duke during the Gilded Age was engineered to give her family the status of a royal title, in exchange for an infusion of cash to support a land-rich but money poor nobleman. Consuelo was the inspirations for one Edith Wharton’s characters in The Buccaneers.

The blue in the dress of the subject, combined with the blue of the Chinese porcelain jars and vases, struck me as so beautiful. Perhaps because of the influence that this scene had on me, I have a great fondness for a console combined with a beautiful piece of art.

When I saw this picture yesterday, on the facebook page of designer Suzanne Tucker, it reminded me of my love for this particular combination of elements. The painting in this picture is very Rothko-esque.

One of my favorite Michael Smith scenes includes a stunning piece of art (by Brice Marden), and a simple console underneath.

Although this is technically not a console, the combination of the art and the furniture underneath has the same effect. This was from the Kips Bay Showhouse last year, with interiors by Kathryn Boyd.

Designer Mary Douglas Drysdale included a beautiful example of a console with art above it – showing that you don’t need a huge space to incorporate this look into your home. Image via Tobi Fairley’s blog.

The cover of a Washington DC magazine combines my favorite kind of console – an antique Italian piece – with a beautiful green abstract painting.

Another Rothko-esque painting above a console with ornately carved legs. Interior design by Caldwell-Beebe.

The size of this piece, and the height of the wall, would have made a traditionally sized console a bit difficult. Instead, a lucite side table is placed under the painting, and the arrangement is turned into a seating area. The composition of this scene appeals to me on so many levels. Interior design by Amanda Nisbet.

A scene from Phoebe Howard’s store Max & Company is one of my favorites, both because of the art and console combination, and also because of the colors used in the vignette.

Have you ever bought a book for one picture? I have, and I bought one particular book for the picture seen here. Although the console is not my style, the rest of this scene really speaks to me – the soft contemporary art in large scale, flanked by crystal lamps. Source.

Are you a fan of this look? Although I hadn’t really pinpointed it until today, I realize that several of these pictures are included in my ‘inspiration notebook’ that I gave to my designer. I wonder whether a console with a great piece of art will find its way into the design of my new house?

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