Welcome to CLG / Finishing Touches
F I N I S H I N G
T O U C H E S
Welcome to R O O M G A R N I S H, Cobblestone Lane Gallery’s blog about how interior design and art interact to create gorgeous spaces. My name is Tara Clayton, and I am the founder and director of CLG. I started CLG in 2019 because I noticed there was a gap between the interior design and art worlds. I believe art should take an active rather than passive role in interior design, and that it’s much more than an accessory to your space. I want to challenge ourselves to think more creatively about how we combine art and textiles to make truly unique rooms.
I spent a decade in the nonprofit sector of the art world because I believe that art should be made accessible to the masses. As I began designing interiors, my mission became further developed: everyone deserves to wake up to a work of art in their home that they love every single day.
Museum works are so important for opening our minds to a variety of self-expressions, but most of us cannot afford the hefty price tags. Sometimes this causes people to overlook art in their homes altogether, or reach for a stock image hanging on the shelf at a home goods store. But compelling, original artworks can be found in most price ranges. Sometimes, you already have unique artworks in your space, but you just need a little help reimagining them in a new setting. Or, you want to add some patterning through textiles but have no idea how to make sure it will all go together. Maybe you love your room already but need some guidance selecting art that will coordinate with your existing decor.
I consider all of these situations “finishing touches.” Even if they seem to require more work than a last tweak provides, these details––room garnishes, if you will––are the difference between an average and exceptional room. You can think of CLG as your “finishing touch” service. I seek to provide a very personalized service to help your space shine, and I firmly believe that the only way to do that is to help you define your own design goals and style––even if I am designing your room from scratch!
When I was an Assistant Curator at the Davidson College Art Galleries, the Head Curator told me “you can appreciate a work of art without wanting to live with it.” It is a message that is often overlooked when people begin their own art collections or decorate their spaces. Namely, we shouldn’t be filling our homes with things that do not reflect who we are. Rooms are your feelings expressed. We need to finish our rooms with the feelings we wish to inhabit and impart on our guests.
Good art is not inanimate; works will activate a space through the colors, movement, and subject matter they provide. And the way these works combine or contrast with your furniture, textiles, and wall color makes all the difference in the world. Why are you purchasing this work of art? What kind of thoughts does it elicit? What does this piece say about you? Answers to these questions will reveal the kind of subliminal conversation you wish to start in your home.
Drop me a line if I can help you tie it all together!
––Tc