My recent E-Design project was one for the books! In their first email to me, my clients described themselves as self-proclaimed amateur art enthusiasts, both of Dutch heritage, and credited their love for the works of Rembrandt and Vermeer as the force that brought them together. For their anniversary, a few years after getting married the couple took a trip to the Mauritshus, in Den Haag, Netherlands, where they were able to view Rembrandt and Vermeer’s masterpieces firsthand. One piece of the Mauritshus collection that truly resonated with my clients was Girl with a Pearl Earring, the famous oil painting by Dutch Golden Age painter, Johannes Vermeer. So much so that their only souvenir from their trip was a reproduction of the portrait to hang up in their home.

My clients came to me looking to repurpose their sunroom where they currently showcase the reproduction over their fireplace. The couple wanted to transform their space into a more formal sitting area intended for greeting their weekly dinner party guests before moving into the dining room. When it came to designing and planning, my clients still wanted Girl with a Pearl Earring to be the main attraction, hanging over their fireplace mantel. Additionally, they wanted the mood of the space to coincide with the aspects of the portrait that resonate with them. To complete this E-Design project, I had to take a new approach to my virtual design process. Which I found to be enjoyable and inspiring!

ART & INTERIOR DESIGN

It has been said before, that art and interior design go hand-in-hand. A debatable topic nonetheless; both involve a creative process, and result in an expression or application of creative skill. That being said, as an Interior Decorator and E-Designer, I view an interior space as my canvas and every design element is a crucial piece to creating my final product. Integrating a piece of art into an interior space harbors a sense of collaboration, adding one persons creative process into your own. Controversially, sometimes artwork can create feelings of resistance. But there is nothing in comparison to what goes into the creative process, when given the opportunity to translate world renowned oil on canvas painting, onto a three-dimensional canvas! –ie. an interior design space.

Johannes Vermeer’s Master Ability to Capture Light

Lighting is a pivotal element, in both art and interior design.  Glancing over Johannes Vermeer’s work it is hard to miss the strong light contrasts of the tronie portrait. The dark, featureless backdrop; contrasts with the girl’s porcelain skin.  With deeper examination, you can see how Vermeer expended light to capture the softness of the girl’s face, glimmers of light on her lips, and of course the shine of the improbably large hanging from her ear.  Without an intentional use of this pivotal element, Vermeer’s masterpiece would have fallen flat.

My design intended to follow suit.  I focused on employing natural light from the east facing large scale windows, as well as warm artificial light to replicate the interior lighting that was available during 1665.   

THE DESIGN

What I found most captivating was how Vermeer portrayed the girl’s porcelain skin tone and lack of eyebrows.  Her face emulates that of the large pearl that is displaced below her earlobe.  Leading to why I chose pearl walls to represent the Girl of Girl with a Pearl Earring.  Pearl walls simultaneously create a gallery-like canvas for my clients to hang up artwork they will collect over the years.  

To complete my interpretation of this historic Dutch Golden Age tronie, I combined the girl’s oriental headdress and the dark backdrop by using dark furnishing and fabrics. I accessorized with accents of neutrals symbolizing her dress. I chose to embrace the mixed wood tones of the exposed ceiling beams and wood flooring to symbolize the purity of the painting and its subject.

Not quite ready to start your project? Don’t worry, you can follow along on our other projects by coming back to the blog or by following on Social Media! See you there!