Why I design rooms around paintings, not furniture
Would your home still reflect you if we took all the furniture away?
Everything looks right: the furniture, the lighting, the symmetry; yet something is missing. The space doesn’t speak to you. It’s because design built only on function rarely creates emotion.
When I start a project, I don’t begin with a sofa or a color palette. I start with a painting. Art sets the emotional direction of a room before a single piece of furniture arrives. It defines tone, energy and purpose: things no moodboard can capture.
Art as the emotional blueprint
A painting tells me how a space wants to feel. Its colors, movement and rhythm inform every decision that follows: lighting, finishes, even layout. If the artwork feels contemplative, the room will need visual calm. If it’s vibrant, the furniture and materials must support that liveliness.
In one recent project, the entire living room layout was designed around a large abstract painting from an Israeli artist. The tones of the artwork became the base for fabrics and lighting. Instead of matching colors, I built contrasts: creating tension that felt alive.
The problem with “perfect” interiors
Designs that start with furniture often end up looking staged. Everything matches, but nothing moves you. That’s because they’re built for approval, not identity.
When a client chooses art first, we’re not decorating, we’re defining who they are and what they want to feel when they come home. Art gives context to every choice.
The invisible architecture of art
A strong artwork changes how a room functions. It directs the eye, defines the light and creates hierarchy. The right placement can make a ceiling feel higher or balance architectural asymmetry.
This is why I never treat art as an accessory. It’s part of the structure: as important as scale, proportion and light.
Why it matters now
In a world obsessed with fast design and visual trends, art slows everything down. It forces intention. Starting with art leads to spaces that are not only beautiful, but deeply personal: where every element has a reason to exist.
So the next time you think of redecorating, don’t start with what fits your space: start by finding what moves you. And if you’re not sure how to translate that emotion into a home that feels alive, that’s where my work begins.
Written by Carole Vaudable, interior designer.
Living Room proposal designed by Carole Vaudable Interior Design.