To Ella Kate Thrupp....."a woven piece"...as in a wall rug or a tapestry suggested by yours truly and Tribbletrouble441452k7 Trek? Or maybe you have a more novel idea in mind? Have you come across any "woven" art in your professional travels? I have a friend who actually weaves tapestries on a loom as they did centuries ago thread by thread. They are exquisite and each a unique artwork. She works professionally on commission Very time consuming, meticulous and expensive and she also does it simply for relaxation and sells them. Wonder would there be anything along this line available commercially today? Such a "woven piece" would make an enormous impact in any room, so beautiful and unique in a bedroom especially if a design woven to order...but Yikes $$$$$. Afterthought...a painted MURAL designed to order might be a touch of luxury if you engaged somebody to do it and they presented you with a series of pictures for you to choose from.....that would not fall down! I did one for a friend's guest donga in Charleville QLD...she wanted a fantasy and had a lot of input herself, it was a collaborative effort and she got exactly what she wanted. Can't go wrong with a mural...can always paint over it when you want something different.

Hi Chad, Without a brief I have 3 tile suggestions for your beach side apartment...from Delorenzo Tiles. Tiles are the perfect flooring for a beach residence. Before laying you will be required to insulate for noise dampening depending if you have an apartment below. #1 Legni Legni is a porcelain tile which has been screen printed with a glaze to create a unique effect. Legni has the appearance of a washed timber floor tile and each colour contains a random mix of 8 patterns. Available in a range of pastel colours, and 3 sizes, this product is unique in its manufacture and also its design. matched with white walls It screams beach to me!! FUN!! #2The Carpet collection replicates warm fabrics and carpet textures. Suitable for wall or floor applications. Adding a texture to create a feeling of the Casaba! You could overlay with bright colours to create your personal style. #3 Geotech is a series of full body porcelain tiles made with ink jet technology. The inspiration for this series comes from Madeira, an island off the coast of Africa. Formed by volcanic activity, one of the island’s notable features is a special stone that has the appearance of fossilised wood. This series combines the markings that are typically found in natural stone, with unique colour combinations.

Hi Tania, Congratulations on getting this far, It can be so baffling to take a project on by yourself, furnishings and design. I believe a monochromatic colour scheme is always interesting when pairing black, greys and whites with different textures. Black is one of the few colours that actually matches with everything, It is the most versatile of colours. Any style, including scandinavian, industrial contemporary or mid-century modern can incorporate black into the colour scheme so whatever style you choose will work fantastic and timelessly. If you so wish, have a peek over on my page. It is a sanctuary to black and white and prints of most works are available. Q1. Recommendation on artprint/artwork (of course I'll suggest my own works ;) they work equally well in both living areas and bedrooms as they have no loud colour scheme, however the 'Spheres' work are particularly soothing in a bedroom area. http://www.houzz.com.au/projects/1700859/contemporary-black-and-white-large-scale-charcoal-artwork http://www.houzz.com.au/projects/1967180/new-series-spheres-grids Q2. How many art print to hang above the couch or bed? depending on the size of the works you choose, one in a landscape layout above the bed of a series of three may work equally as well. Q3. A suitable colour scheme (pillows for sofa, prints) monochromatic, greys, whites and blacks like I mentioned above mixed with various textures and a soft pastel pallet for cushions etc. Good Luck Tania and be sure to post photos afterwards! Miriam :)

Start by visiting some of the public art galleries and maybe taking a tour with a guide who can explain some of the key elements of the pieces on display (we had a marvellous guided tour of the NSW Art Gallery).. Wander through every commercial gallery and art exhibit you can. Maybe even take a course in art appreciation. Art as an investment is for those with a very good understanding of art. Myself, I prefer to simply buy pieces I like - I doubt any of them will be investment pieces ever, but they didn't cost a fortune and they give me pleasure. I've picked up pieces in galleries, street markets, art shows, etc etc. There's lots of interesting original work out there. Take your time, and think of it as art, not as decor to match the sofa.