By Kitty Shea

STIR talks to art consultant MaryLinda Moss about helping interior designers and homeowners choose and place artwork.

MaryLinda Moss has been providing murals and specialty finishes via her Los Angeles–area company, Decorative Elements, since 1998. With a bachelor of fine arts degree and a flourishing practice as a sculptor and installation artist, Moss approached walls with artistic passion. Designers and clients took note and began calling on Moss for her curatorial skills, such as artist referrals and art picks.

So in 2012 she started a companion company, Source Art, to offer original and commissioned art from a roster of 300-plus emerging and established artists and untold galleries. Seventy percent of her projects are residential, with homeowners ranging from art collectors to those who don’t know how to talk about art — at least until they work with Moss.

STIR: What inspired you to start Source Art?
MaryLinda Moss (MLM): When I realized that the designers and clients really wanted and needed a liaison, someone who could bridge the fine art and interiors worlds, I thought, “That’s something I would love to do and be really good at.”

STIR: So we’re not talking art as stand-alone statement here but more as accessory?
MLM: I consider art in context. The interior designer has their vision. Artists and collectors think about the piece first and then the context. No matter which direction you’re coming from, though, this is about giving great consideration to the art: how it speaks to the client and feels in the space.

STIR: How does the process play out? 
MLM: I look closely at the space, at the boards and fabrics, and listen to what the designer and client are looking for. I make use of my tutorial abilities.

STIR: For example? 
MLM: Recently a designer wanted something light on a big wall going up to the second floor. I said we could commission a piece on acrylic that light goes through. Or photographic printing on silk. Or a sculptural wall piece with lots of space around it. Or a painting that’s light in color. I talk through options that, a lot of times, they haven’t even thought of. I then find a range of art that I think fits stylistically, color, size, all that. The first round is a narrowing-down process.  

STIR: Color, of course, is a big driver. 
MLM: It’s physically linked to the direction the design is going. I work with the designer’s palette. Maybe they want to bring in colors or be really soft. If the backdrop is neutral, all the color comes from the art; they want the color to pop off the walls. I’m also very thoughtful about which pieces of art live in the same room. You don’t want two strong pieces doing very different things. That doesn’t mean they have to match, but there has to be a connection. That connection is very often made via color. 

STIR: In the end, how do you believe art enhances design and architecture?
MLM: Art is essential, yet it’s also the frosting. It roots and grounds a room. It brings excitement. It creates atmosphere and interest. It complements what’s going on, yet can challenge in a good way. The difference before and after I come in with the artwork is transformative.

How do you help your clients choose art, and where does it figure into your process? Continue the conversation with us (@SWDesignPros) on Twitter using #SWStir.