Buying a Couch to Match the Art

There is a term in the art business that describes a certain kind of work: couch art. Though the term can be used unkindly by some, folks who work in the commercial art business understand the value of showing work that fits nicely in living rooms. It sells. Sales create revenue. There is a happy place in the world of art for this work and the artists who create it.

Sales of art are not limited to work that compliments interior design. Some people, like me, exhibit work in their homes that can be pretty in a different way, in a style that challenges. Sometimes the work I show in my home has a deep theme, like loss or sadness, but the idea is presented in a way that makes it beautiful to me.

Last year I painted a piece for a show and I was very proud of the work, which has an environmental theme. So proud of it I am that it has hung in my living room for a year after the show came down.

There was something holding the piece back from really working in the space. I couldn’t put my finger on it. Then came my birthday, and I received a wonderful gift of a painting by Rebecca Seymour, which was also put in my living room. I figured out what was wrong with the art in the room- the couch. The old reclining sofa had to go.

At Shipyard Millie’s off Main Street, I found the perfect couch to match my art. As soon as the couch was hauled into my living room, I knew it worked. Perfect!

When decorating a room, it’s okay to let the art choose the furniture and not the other way around.

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Large painting is “Starfish Nebula” by Rebecca Seymour, smaller one is “A New Earth.”

Maureen Andrade

Maureen Andrade

I am the Executive Director of North Bank Artists in the Vancouver Arts District, as well as an artist and writer. Living and working in Clark County for most of my life, I have an appreciation for the good things this community offers. Also, I understand the creative lifestyle from many angles and hope to share some of what I know with my readers.

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