I wanted to highlight one of the remarkable artist that I represent at Segreto’s art gallery, Kirsten McLean!! Read at the end how to win an original!!  She is attorney, wife, mother of two, and artist.  Kirsten started painting “out of necessity” – she and her husband had moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, and like most newlyweds, were working with a small decorating budget. Originally she purchased paintings from consignment stores with the intention of just modifying them to her personal style; however, she kept finding herself unhappy with the the look and began creating her own pieces.  Thus her art career began!! Having a love of paint she has made and refinished many of the pieces in her own home! I just had to share!

This room is beautiful with two of Kirsten’s pieces of art featured in the room!  Believe it or not these slip covers are custom-made from painter’s drop cloths instead of linen – not only do they look great, but they are very easy to clean.

The entrance showcases another masterpiece!!  Working with oil and acrylic, she is able to achieve multiple layers in her work.

Kirsten also made this table in the entrance.  After purchasing the reclaimed wood from Elmwood Reclaimed Timber (an on-line resource for custom-sized wood), she painted it white and used sandpaper to distress it. To prevent chipping, she sealed it with a varnish and then affixed it to the table base she found at a salvage yard. Purchased for $85, this wood piece is 2 inches thick with a 12 inch depth. Because it is reclaimed wood it already has character and could be left as is. Resale shops, garage sales and antique stores are also great places to find the bases. Just beautiful!!

Kirsten defines her design style as “clean, simple lines, understated, and comfortable”. Because she hates clutter, she applies her mantra to every room in the house – “light, bright, and airy”. She believes in mixing old with new, having an organic element and a living plant in every room, and never falling into the “matchy-matchy” trap. Her favorite stores for design inspiration? Mecox and AREA.

Her home is like walking into an art gallery with her art being the feature!!  Her family loves that there is always change and looks forward to her next piece. Kirsten has updated the look of this secretary by adding the architectural elements on top giving it height and has lined the glass with bamboo shades so she is able to use the piece for storage! Brilliant!!

Her den is so serene! The natural lighting, living plants (a staple in every room!), and combination of soft green and blue tones create the feel of an outdoor room.  The depth of Kirsten’s artwork is achieved through several layers of paint and patience, but the end is result is definitely worth the wait!

One of her best finds in the house are these old “church” doors that she bought from AREA’s booth at The Urban Market. They had been salvaged from a church in Louisiana, and after purchasing them at an unbelievably low price, she claims them as one of her favorite decorating pieces.

Her kitchen island was created from a portion of a table purchased at Wildflower Organics in Austin – one of her favorite places for design inspiration and we can definitely see why! Kirsten loves color and how it can totally transform a space – these green chair covers have such a nice pop against the neutral backdrop of her kitchen. The woven baskets function beautifully as both storage and a natural element. And of course, so home would be complete without pictures of the ones we love the most… her son, Quinn, and daughter, Spencer, are too cute!

If only all of our laundry rooms were this chic! Kirsten created this lamp from her son’s old wire storage basket, pendant lighting from Home Depot, and an Edison bulb. She is currently working on 3 more small ones for her kitchen in high-gloss white… what a great excuse for me to come back and tour!

Her dogs, Lucky (a 10-year-old black lab) and Blue (a 1-year-old yellow lab) wanted to get in on the photo shoot!!

Since her paintings serve as the pop of color in a space, Kirsten keeps all of her walls neutral so that she can switch art around as she feels like it.

Another aspect of her design philosophy is having a blank wall in every room (notice on the far right!). Because cluttered spaces can exhaust a person, Kirsten tries to evoke a relaxing atmosphere by giving a wall for your eye to “breathe”.

This painting in her bedroom and master bathroom create the interest in these spaces… fresh orchids really give that organic element in any space they are in!

Thank you Kirston for sharing your home and all your great ideas!! Your work and your home are marvoulous!! All these works of art are for sale as well as the pieces at MAI2 and Segreto Studios.  To view more of Kirsten’s work go to www.segretofinishes.com under the gallery tab. For more information call 713-461-5210.  Thanks to my wonderful design assistant Micah for helping me with this blog!!

BUT WAIT-A WONDERFUL ART GIVE-AWAY!!! Want to own an original piece of Kirsten’s? Here’s how:

1. Go here to “like” Segreto on Facebook.

2. Look here at Kirsten’s paintings on Segreto Gallery website and pick your favorite one.

3. Come back to the blog and post a comment of your chosen one to be used for inspiration if you are the winner.

4. The winner will become the new owner of an original 18″ x 18″ Kirsten McLean – painting and shipping compliments of Segreto Finishes (must be within the US for free shipping). Good luck!! I hope everyone has a wonderful week!! Til next Monday- xo Leslie