Finding the Perfect Piece of Art

Finding the Perfect Piece of Art- An Interview with Erin Carroll

We have all had one of those moments. You know…the one where “when you see it, you just know it’s the one.” Finding the perfect artwork for your home can be one of those moments, especially if you know what you’re looking for. The key to selecting the perfect piece of art is having an idea of what type of art excites you and having a plan on how to style and display it in your home. We recently chatted with local blogger and interior designer, Erin Akin Carroll, about her experience finding the perfect pieces of art through Christenberry Collection, for both her own home and the homes of her clients.

Here’s what we learned about Erin and her recent art selections:

“I have been blogging since 2007. When my husband and I were newly engaged, I started my blog. It began as a daily blog for our families and I really enjoyed it. It became more of a place for me to write what was on my heart during that time…”

“In addition to blogging, I now have an interior design business, The Golden Egg. My mom had it, and she always had. My mom recently passed away in December, but before she passed away, the flood happened. Some of our friends lost everything so I told them I could refurnish their houses and would help through my mom’s business. I had learned so much from her… and it just felt like a good fit. I had the space in my life, and decided to start The Golden Egg in Columbia, SC. “

You recently worked on two projects with Meredith- finding pieces for a client’s home and your own- can you tell me about the projects?

“I had followed Meredith for a while and purchased a few paintings from her for my own house. When I started The Golden Egg, I began looking for pieces for clients as well.”

“I was drawn to Joanna’s (Joanna Clinkscales) pieces. I really liked her artwork because of the movement, landscape, colors, and the texture of borders that she adds along the edges. I saw a post on Instagram of the piece and thought it was a good fit so I stopped by, held it, and decided it was perfect. Anytime Joanna has something new, I automatically perk up. One day, I found out she was about to release another abstract and I just knew it needed to be either in my house or one of my clients homes… it ended up in my own house.”

How did you style these two pieces?

“The piece that I chose for my own house, I styled it in our foyer. It’s over an antique buffet that was a family piece and has been in our family for a while. There are distressed rustic shutters hanging on the wall with a couple of more realism art pieces and there are 8x10’s hanging along the shutters. The piece is also great with the gold leaf lamps, creating a good soft entry vignette with a lot of different textures including the wood from the shutters, the fig, and the antique buffet.”

         
“The other two pieces that I styled in my client’s home are styled over a small hand painted chest next to her tufted sofa against the wall and end table. There’s a pretty little gold leaf lamp on the table and the two pieces of Joanna’s artwork are stacked, one over another, above the chest.”

         

“I really like soft palettes and pieces that have an element of boldness, usually in the movement. I also love abstract pieces but, the ones with more soft colors. When I look for art I am drawn to florals, landscapes, and art like Joanna’s that have a little impressionism in them and just a little abstract. I also love artwork with cows in them, they remind me of going on road trips and the beautiful landscapes…it’s hard with art, it just has to speak to you.”

Erin, we could not agree with you more. When you find the perfect piece for your home, you just know.

We’re so thankful that Erin had a chance to chat with us! Be sure to check out her amazing blog and visit the “Artwork” section of our website to see what’s currently available at Christenberry Collection!