Nov 08, 2019 No Comments

Artist in Residence

Fall Opening: Collaboration with artist, Penny Treese

We are truly excited to share with our friends, family and community our Fall Open house.  This event is next Friday, November 15th from 7-9 pm.  We hope that you will be able to join us for art from award winning artist, Penny Treese, our new winter collection, food, drinks and fun.  Balance Design relishes the opportunity to infuse our designs with local and emerging artists.  Please read on to learn more about artist Penny Treese.
Balance Design– Tell us a bit about you, your background and how you got into art?
Penny Treese– I’ve been inspired to create art since age 5, and the passion to devour and craft multiple art forms is simply in my DNA.
The decision seemed to be made when I was born. My parents nurtured my love of art and provided me with every type of lesson from local artists throughout my youth. They encouraged art school and supported every move that brought me closer to living my dream of being a working artist. A 10-year career in design and advertising before diving into full-time fine artistry gave me the backbone to withstand the drastic highs and lows of this life-path.
I’ve been blessed with the rises and falls of the “artist-life tide”. I truly see the highlights as delicious icing and yet the struggles are where I’ve grown most exponentially. I’m proud to have been one of the six original artists who formed the Fine Arts Workshop Atelier under masters Michael David and Thomas Swanston. The mastery, synergy, and discipline significantly changed me as an artist and human being. I’m grateful to have won awards, been juried into exhibitions and sold many works, however my most glowing moments occur while I’m teaching art and helping others find joy and self-love.
BD-What are some of your primary inspirations for your art?
PT– I’m moved by nature and memory. Healing waters of the ocean, sweeping prairies of my home-state of Illinois, vast skies and stillness. I aspire to help others, as I heal myself in terms of feeling true self-acceptance and self-love, embracing imperfections as the unique and beautiful essence that defines us all.
Within the past 15 years, I’ve been inspired to study the delicacy of the female form, reflecting on our self-acceptance as we age. I earn to cast aside culture’s definition of beauty and celebrate the eternal essence shining through from within.
BD- I know that you teach encaustic painting, why do you enjoy that?
PT- The love of teaching came as a surprise to me. My parents are both retired teachers and worked incredibly hard yet made very little, which left me steering clear of the path of education as a career. However, after my first teaching art-session, I was hooked! It felt like pure magic to see the glowing smiles on beginner’s faces as they melted colorful wax with a blowtorch, and watched it meld into creations that healed their souls. I hope to teach for as long as I’m able, and incorporate meditation and self-healing into classes, allowing guests to discover their “true selves” and embrace the process as more crucial than the final painting. However, most students leave my sessions with “masterpieces” that speak straight to their hearts.
BD- Tell us about that incredible award you recently won?
PT-Last month, I was honored to have one of my paintings juried into ADC (Art Design Consultants) annual exhibition in Cincinatti, Ohio. Suddenly, while seated in the audience of a large auditorium, filled with talented artists from around the country, I heard my story being read. I had to pinch myself as ADC owner, Lisa Spanos announced that I’d won their The Emerging Artist of the Year award and received a gallery contract with Buckhead Art & Company. Over 3,000 works of art were entered this year, therefore it didn’t seem possible that I’d been chosen. I was literally shaking as I crossed the stage, as an image of my artwork was projected across a 20-foot screen above me. Gratitude for this honor pulsed through my every cell as I felt incredibly supported by each of the artists that joined me in celebrating that evening.
BD-Why do you think people are so attracted to your art?
PT-In keeping with the notion that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” I believe that viewers see a beloved aspect of themselves when observing my artwork. Whether they relate to my “Ephemeral Figures” which have been distressed with rainwater, wine, or tea or my abstract paintings that attempt to capture a moment of true enlightenment, I imagine that they are looking into a proverbial mirror. Some are brought to tears by a work, yet struggle to articulate the reasoning behind the emotional connection. I paint what’s in my heart to heal my soul and that seems to resonate with certain art appreciators. I’m happy when it does and so very grateful to be living an authentic life, doing what I love and sharing it with the world.
Nov 01, 2019 No Comments

Learn it!

Highpoint Market Fall 2019

By Melody Richardson

The team at Balance Design is always looking for new sources of inspiration. This past week we took a trip up to High Point N.C. to see what is up and coming in the interior design world. We were able to find new vendors and visit our tried and true favorites.

Photo Courtesy of IMC High Point Market

While we were there, four trends really stuck out to us-

Light Wood Tones

We loved this sculptural side table from Rowe Furniture. The light tone of the wood along with the waterfall edge gave a fresh look to an otherwise simple design.

Rich Textural Materials

We were in awe of this gorgeous rattan chair and woven pendant from Selamat layered with their amazing art deco inspired wallpaper. Rattan is being used in a multitude of ways, it’s not just for outdoor use anymore!

Sustainable Materials

We were extremely excited to see a greater focus the use of sustainable materials. Vendors such as Greenington only use sustainably sourced materials like bamboo for all of their products. We can’t wait to incorporate these pieces into our designs!

Round Rugs

We loved this fresh take on a bedroom rug. The round shape brings a layer of visual interest to the design and is perfect for layering asymmetrically under a bed. There are so many ways to use this piece!

As designers we want to be able to source beautiful and sustainable pieces for our clients and High Point market gave us new ideas to do just that. With a plethora of inspiration fresh in our minds we are so excited to begin to use these gorgeous pieces in our own designs!

 

Oct 25, 2019 No Comments

Learn it!

The Joy of Designing in a (Very) Small, Shared Space.

By: Danielle Clockel

Ah, New York: big city, small apartments. I moved to Brooklyn in July with my significant other, which meant combining two apartments’ worth of belongings into one little 450 square foot studio. By now we’ve all read the tips and tricks to overcoming small space challenges, but not enough is said about the fun of making it all work. Here’s what I enjoyed most about making our tiny apartment our authentic home.

Gaining big love for little plants. Tragically, I had to rehome several of my larger plants to friends before I made the move to Brooklyn, knowing I wouldn’t have the space for them. However, tending to my menagerie of petite plants (most hardy succulents) and seeing them thrive in their new environment has given me new appreciation for their special details — red edged leaves, propagation progress, and even some tiny new babies popping up from the mother plant. Additional benefit: they help hide some of the cords from my better half’s MANY electronic devices.

Creating a diverse color palette to invigorate the space. Blues, teals, reds, and purples speckle our tiny studio. Against crisp white walls, this bold scheme brings the apartment to life. He thought there was no way to mix floral print with a concert poster — he was wrong.

Creating vignettes to turn clutter into meaningful displays. One shelving unit for all my books and cameras meant each level needed to look good, and not like I had to cram it all in there. So I played around with stacking, grouping, and placement to turn each shelf into its own little display. Have a few of my treasures still somehow ended up on my partner’s own bookshelf? Maybe, maybe not.

I’ve lived in studio apartments for over half of my adult life, but our fifth floor charmer is definitely the smallest. It took even a seasoned pro such as myself a little time to figure out just how to bring two separate households of belongings together in a space the size of some people’s kitchens. But through it all, these were the parts of the process that brought me the most joy, and I believe they can inspire any size dwelling.

Oct 18, 2019 No Comments

Learn it!

2019 Fall Design Trends

By Stephanie Andrews

We are so excited to be featured for the second time on New Home Source‘s post on design trends. As a  featured designer, Balance Design was asked to predict their favorite fall trends.

Here’s what we had to say:

International Inspiration

The Balance Design Team based out of Atlanta recommends getting inspired by ideas from around the globe.

Photo Courtesy of Elle Decor

Parisian Salon style is one a trend to look out for. Try combining a vintage rug with art nouveau rounded furnishings in jewel tones and black and white accents. Oh! Don’t forget the silk curtains – they are back!

 

Photo Courtesy of Freshome

Another trend is the simplicity of Japanese style. With Marie Kondo’s TV show helping us understand how to let extra items go unless they spark joy, we are attracted to her adorable persona as well as her message. Is it a trend if it is just sensible good advice? In an age of wanting to not feel anxious or overwhelmed, we think she is speaking directly to our industry, and perhaps humanity.”

Photo Courtesy of Anthropologie

Finally, we are very excited about cooler temps in sunny, hot Atlanta! The third trend we are watching this fall is using the spicy turmeric color. We are loving bright colors, and finding lots of ways to use them – upholstery, bedding, window treatments, and, of course, pillows. Whether these colors are in velvet, linens, leathers or sheers, they are mesmerizing.

To see the full article, head on over to New Home Source‘s blog to see what the other designers are predicting for this fall!

 

Oct 14, 2019 No Comments

On our Turf

Atlanta Pride 2019

By Stephanie Andrews

The design industry is a great supporter of the LGBTQ community. Even in the rain,  Atlanta showed an outpouring of support at the Pride parade – with Stacey Abrams and other celebrity advocates garnering exuberant enthusiasm.  For the past 3 years we have showed our LOVE for the LGBTQ community during October, through our colorful window displays at our studio in Candler Park.  We hope that you will share your pride experiences with us on social media using #atlantapride so that we can collect some meaningful images of our friends, clients and family.


“Love is too beautiful to be hidden in the closet.”