When asked, “what is my design process for selection and using of art in a room”, my response would be the following 3 things:
First I start with the clients’ personality and taste specifics. They are the ones who will be interacting in the environment, so make it something they would enjoy. The subject matter of a piece is perhaps the one area that can be altered the easiest but is most often overlooked. Colors are the primary thing that we all respond to. As children that was how we started identifying things. It hasn’t changed too much from that even in adulthood. I will often suggest that clients think outside their comfort zone, so that they can get a fresh perspective on what an environment can be.Scale is the second consideration. Where are you positioning the item? Will the art overcrowd the area in its use? Unless it is in a gallery, art is enjoyed and lived with, not just to be seen from afar. Interaction with the art is just as important as the sofa, or refrigerator. All of these items are used for one purpose or another. Why should art be any different? The use of art can be tactile, optical and many other things to many different people.
The last step in my planning process is to evaluate how the art and the user will not only react to each other; but how the art interacts with its surroundings. Art can blend in and be subtle, for demure observation, or it can be bold and striking, engaging you with every sense you have. Finish materials can be selected before the art, thereby guiding, or directing the way in which art is displayed, or the opposite. If the art is selected first then my job is to harmonize that environment with the imagery selected.
I find even more of my traditional style clients are starting to understand & appreciate the option of Contemporary Art in their spaces. I feel Menaul Art provides a wonderful presentation method that allows clients to see the art in their space before they ever have to take it home. The laborious way of the past, trying several pieces in a space before a decision is made, can now be sidestepped, so everyone involved wastes less time. The clients will appreciate that, and designers do too.
John Beck
8870 N. Himes Ave #404
Tampa, FL 33614-1627
O 813.239.3983
C 941.320.8808
F 813.231.4746
JBADesign@tampabay.rr.com
Simplicity of Character is a Natural Result of Profound Thought
I started life humbly, growing up on eastern plains of Colorado on an Angus cattle ranch. A hard work ethic & strong morals brought me to where I am today. While in High School I was asked what I would want to be when I graduated/grew up. My response was become a Butler and Interior Designer.
I have had the privilege of butlering for Suzanne Sommers and other internationally known celebrities in Palm Springs.
I graduated from the Ringling College of Art and Design as a Trustee Scholar from the Interior Design Department, and opened my own Design Firm the month I graduated. I am an Allied Member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID.)
I had the opportunity to start my employment history working with my father on the ranch. From there I went to riding livestock in the National Rodeo Circuit in Denver, Colorado. After the rodeo, I worked every job I was offered in the 5 Star Denver hotel, The Brown Palace. I started as a dining room attendant & ended up a Sommelier in the Private Club dining room. A Maître d’ by the name of Jürgen Schuler was my mentor the entire time. He taught me that people with money are no different in qualities from anyone else; however they did demand respect & loyalty. He taught that when the guests needed for anything you must know it before they even asked, or at the very least you had to be able to produce the item in an efficient manner. After working for many years in the Hospitality industry in as many facets as possible, a major car accident almost took my left arm away from me in August 1995. Through many weeks & surgeries later, I was able to keep the semblance of an arm. Although it gave me a constant reminder of how quickly we can all pass from this world, it also became a reason to push harder to get what I wanted from life. That is…to design.
Through much struggle & pain, I excelled in Erwin Tech School’s Interior Decorating program, then on to get my Associates in Science at HCC. With that and a portfolio of past artwork, I was able to apply to the College I had dreamed about going to for Interior Design…Ringling College of Art & Design.
Ringling educators & contacts were the next set of people I would call my mentors. I maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.87 for the 4 years there. I found my life skills and experience coming to play a very helpful role in understanding the teachers & college. They freely told the students that if you did as you were asked & no more, then you received a C. I learned that to be successful in college was just like the real world. You had to stand out to get noticed by the people you wanted to work with. One way to stand out was to join the student chapter of ASID. I was also involved right away in a National Professional Society that would catapult my career. I took in every bit of information I could get my hands on that would not only help me in college, but assist me in the future career I wanted. Many volunteer hours were given to become an accepted part of the Society. It was through one of those ASID peers that I received my biggest clients to date.
The client has 4 properties along the coastal islands in Sarasota, and several others on Toronto. I have worked on a variety of design jobs for this any many other clients, and I enjoy every minute of it. It gives me great joy to know I helped guide someone toward accomplishing their dream, a space they couldn’t create without my input. Many of the vendors I have worked with over the years have also given me leads. I feel you should never burn a bridge; you never know when that will be needed during a drought or a flood (figuratively speaking). Loyalty in times like this is essential.
