Years ago my husband and I spent a month traveling around Europe. During that time we had the opportunity to visit Claude Monet’s house in France. Getting there was an adventure in itself, requiring us to travel by foot, train, and bike. Upon arrival we immediately toured the upper and lower gardens. The water garden was spectacular. The beauty and tranquility reminiscent of the loveliness Monet was able to capture in his paintings. I remember thinking to myself that he had no other choice but to paint the gardens. They truly speak to the heart and soul.
Once we had our fill of the gardens we ventured inside Monet’s house. His love of color was evident the moment we entered. Each room was painted in a different pastel color similar those found in his paintings. Monet successfully used one color to dominate a room without it becoming overbearing (the walls, furniture, and decor were almost all the same color). I marveled at each room’s ability to stand on its own while still being part of a cohesive whole. It was a great privilege to witness the ease of art theories and techniques used in everyday life.
Now let’s fast forward several years to the purchase of our first home. We selected a house that was livable, but could be remodeled to match our…ok, my aesthetic taste. My husband has always given me free reign on decorating, so I essentially had a blank canvas to work with. I knew I wanted to bring a little bit of Monet’s house into our house. I painted each room a soft pastel color staying within the same tone range to capture the cohesiveness Monet was able to master. I did not go to the extent of bringing in furniture and decor all the same color, but selected a painting or figurine to build the room around instead. The end result being a Monet influence with a Sara twist.
Our house may not be on trend or completely finished (cancer suspended our remodeling efforts), but it does reflect our lifestyle. Cheers to family, history, art, and travel! They make our house a home.
I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers. ~Claude Monet
The Artfelt Brush 