Home is Where the Art Is
24 May 2021
Deborah McKellar of Talking Textiles visits the Cinnamon Room.
Every week at The Cinnamon Room, we help our clients choose and hang the art that makes their house feel like a home. Our Collection of Singapore art by Deborah McKellar of Talking Textiles has made its way from our showroom onto many walls in Singapore and around the world. Supporting our clients through the art curation process, we have learned a few things about what works and why. Here, we’ll share some of our most valuable tips for buying and hanging the Singapore art you will love for years to come.
Let it tell you a story: The golden rule of art is that it’s subjective. No matter what the artist intended, the piece that speaks to you — based on a unique combination of your own memories, experiences, personal tastes and imagination — is the one you should buy! Deborah McKellar’s Talking Textiles pieces are truly works to get lost in, and everyone tends to have a warm and positive – yet unique – reaction to her pieces based on where they have lived or visited in Singapore or what they most love about the country. As the name suggests, Talking Textiles tells the stories of Singapore, highlighting its rich culture and heritage with a combination of traditional architecture, auspicious Asian symbols, and wild flora and fauna all fused into uniquely evocative Singapore artworks.
Don’t be intimidated by price: A common misunderstanding around artwork is that it’s unattainable without a major financial outlay. While it’s true that an original artwork tends to be higher on the price scale, most of our clients are pleasantly surprised at the affordability factor of Talking Textile’s originals and prints alike. If you do want to invest in an original piece of Singapore art, you will find that Deborah’s original artworks are characterised by their bold colours, layers of embroidery, fabric applique, silk screened images and of course hand painting. They are quite simply alive with feeling, and really tick the box for adding those layers of textures and colours that do so much to upgrade any interior. These are memorable pieces of original Singapore art to be treasured through generations.
At the same time, the level of quality and care that comes through in Deborah McKellar’s more affordable limited edition prints is truly exceptional.
The quality of the prints is a big reason we were so drawn to Talking Textiles in the first place! Deborah McKellar’s skillful use of mixed media is so well executed, that even when a print is produced from the original, the layered three dimensional look still shines through. Each Singapore art print is truly made with utmost care and printed in only limited numbers so that you know you are getting something special which is never mass produced. We love that it’s possible to utterly transform our clients’ homes with a piece of treasured Singapore art without breaking the bank.
Walls with impact: Not everyone knows the exact space for which they are buying the art, but if you do, you have the advantage of getting it exactly right. Measure the area before you shop and curate your art to make an impact on your walls! A good rule of thumb is to have the art cover at least ⅔ the length of the piece of furniture it’s hanging above. Often, clients come in with a large wall space to fill above a sofa, sideboard or bed. With large expanses of space, one artwork (unless it’s a huge piece) simply isn’t quite enough to make an impression and complete the space. Curating a series of artworks, whether a duo or a trio, is an easy solution to tackle this issue! We can help you curate a series based on a combination of factors including theme, colourway, size and frame, readily achieving the story-telling aspect of wall art, while also beautifully adorning your walls and providing flexibility for hanging it in a different configuration in a future home.
For a lesson on just this, watch Visha hang various combinations of artworks based around colours and themes here
Make it a memento: Singapore being Singapore, much of the population is here for only a matter of years before moving onto the next international destination or back to their home country. A piece of Singapore art to serve as a reminder of time spent on the little red dot is a thrilling “last purchase”, as well as a much appreciated group gift. Whether it’s a quaint noodle shop you love, a black and white house you pass on walks, or temple you’ve long admired from afar, you can see reminders of all sorts of quintessentially Singapore iconography in Deborah McKellar’s artworks, which celebrate the exotic and bustling nature of Singapore with its juxtaposition of old and new. Can you think of a better souvenir to take on your way when the time comes to move on from Singapore?
Fall in Love: If you only take one tip away from this, let it be this one. If you see a piece of Singapore art that makes your heart sing, don’t overthink whether it will match your decor, or perfectly fit the space, or what it might mean. Choose love over logistics and you will never regret it. If you use this tip to guide you, you will find that your decor and art and furniture will magically and effortlessly complement each other! For extra inspiration, watch this video of Visha interviewing Deborah McKellar of Talking Textiles on how she paired a gorgeous Cinnamon Room hide rug with her own stunning piece of art in her bedroom at home!
Let us Help You: Truly, we understand that buying Singapore art can be overwhelming. One of the complimentary services we offer at the Cinnamon Room is to photoshop the Talking Textiles art onto an image of your wall at home. It really helps to preview the art in situ on your wall space and see whether two or three smaller pieces might work, or if it’s just one larger piece that will best achieve the look you love. If you have a photo of your other home decor when you come in, we can help you select the frame and colourways that will best complement your existing decor, as well as help you select other items to create a full vignette around your new artwork by Deborah McKellar. Reach out to us any time for guidance through this process.
Floors and walls are the two key aspects of your design scheme to conquer! Choose your floor rugs and artworks, and you will be amazed how quickly a room will feel complete! We look forward to helping you find the right pieces and assist you in your curation of your artworks and home decor that will effortlessly bring your home to life.
