November 9th, 2011
Starry Night Mural by David Goldberg outside of Union Hardware in Bethesda, Maryland
If you’re adept at combining tongue-in-cheek humor with artistry that takes one of Vincent van Gogh’s key works into new, appealing and uncharted territory, then you’re okay by the Styleture editorial team.
Artist and Union Hardware owner David Goldberg
That’s exactly what “David van Go-berg” has done with the real Van Gogh’s Starry Night masterpiece, a Post-Impressionism painting from 1889, done on canvas with oil, which is now housed in New York’s Museum of Modern Art. The piece features a night sky filled with swirling clouds, stars ablaze, and a bright crescent moon, all hovering over a quaint town. It’s one of the most well known images in modern culture, replicated in prints, but never replicated in a Post-Door Impressionistic style as it has been in the Starry Night Mural. This new rendering utilizes over 1,250 door knobs, levers, and back plates from Italy, Germany and the U.S. The background consists of PVC boards that the artist stained with PVC primer. All of the hardware for this creative repurpose is old, remnant, and has been salvaged and accumulated over the course of many years by specialty retailer, Union Hardware. This visionary and design-forward endeavor perhaps marks the first time such materials have ever been used in the art world. Read the rest of this entry »
February 7th, 2011
The essence of the ancient Sumerian proverb, translated as “Doors are the windows to the soul,” is all but lost on most modern homeowners. Sure they love fussing over obvious interior design aspects of their house – cooking ranges, bathtubs, furniture and flooring – but what about interior doors? Do people love those often overlooked and constantly abused workhorses that provide a range of functions including regulating sound and temperature, providing privacy and security, not to mention a pleasing aesthetic (when chosen carefully)? More often than not, the answer is no.
The fact is, decorative doors can have an incredible effect on a home’s interior. The right door can complement existing interior features, stand alone as an embellishment of beauty and grandeur, or even serve as the sole design highlight of a room. Have you looked at some of the incredible doors on the market these days? French doors that come in glass and a multitude of wood species are a classic choice that always look elegant. Tall doors make a bold statement and work great in almost any room, but especially one with extremely high ceilings. When positioned near a decorative hanging element, such as a fan or hanging light fixture, their dramatic effect is enhanced even further.
Honestly, if you love your home as much as you say you do, and you’ve been neglecting to bring your doors up to speed with the rest of its interior, there’s no better time than the present to upgrade. And as long as we’re being honest, there’s no Sumerian proverb about doors. We just made it up and thought it sounded pretentiously cool.
