Three Story Mural By Melissa Koch

Virtually all of my projects include some sort of custom works from craftspeople or artisans in the form of furniture or accessories. On rarer occasion we have the opportunity to create artworks for the home in collaboration with artists.

Pictured above is an example of Melissa Koch’s artwork executed as a three story high mural in my own home. Melissa’s work has appeared in several of my projects as murals and recently she created a mobile in the spirit of Calder for a pair of my clients. She painted for many years in Europe before settling here in the Northwest.

Commissioning artworks can be a daunting process to some but as a result of my extensive experience I welcome it. I’ve enjoyed successful collaborations with many great artists such as Jared Rue, Gloria Dearcangelis, Natasha Duwin and more. Not all artists are willing to accept a commission and not all clients are willing to give them. But when all parties are on the same page it can produce exhilarating results that lend a rich and unique depth to a home.

In order for the client, artist and designer to feel comfortable there are basic stages that must occur.

• Before broaching the artist the client must be on board with the concept and have a deep appreciation of the proposed artist’s past work along with acceptance that they will be expected to pay a deposit to initiate the work, possibly milestone payments as it progresses and then a final payment upon completion.
• As the interior designer my job is to bring the two parties together. While I respect the artist’s prerogatives I must clearly articulate the expectations of my clients as well as my own and fully explain any limitations of the environment their work will be placed in (size, durability, lighting etc.)
• The artist must accurately estimate the value of their work to also include a scale rendering to convey the spirit of the full size piece along with a more detailed sample(s) to fully demonstrate their technique and the anticipated color palette.

Once all parties are in agreement the creative process can flow. Allowing ample time is another important element to be considered along with providing the artist with a work environment that is welcoming and supportive of their talent. Melissa’s mural above took a few weeks to implement after several additional weeks for preliminary sketches and samples were produced.

Her breathtaking work warms our lives and delights our guests on a daily basis.