Many of you will be familiar with the formidable interior styling talents of Julia Green but few realise her glittering career has evolved to encompass art curation too. It’s a journey that was a little accidental but Julia’s savvy move to make original art accessible through her colourful and eclectic online store has certainly paid off.
“I found that when I started shooting, I was often asked to source artwork for empty walls to fill homes, and realised there was a gap. I started Greenhouse Interiors as a result, and have carved out a niche now for picking up emerging talent, and helping artists build their brands with solid marketing and PR assistance. Their work and my work is widely published, and a strong social media presence helps get the word out on the street,” says Julia who started with a select few and now represents over 40 brands.
And with over 100 submissions coming in every week, Julia has worked hard to cut through the noise and curate a spectacular line-up of Australian artists and homewares brands. “I look for a lot of different things. The first thing is I have to love the work myself, and see it as being on brand for my colour loving audience. The next thing is to talk to them, and understand them and what they want, and make sure our goals are aligned,” says Julia whose no-nonsense approach is refreshing in what can be a pretentious space.
“I think attitude is everything, and I don’t wear egos too well, so as long as they sound like they are on the same page, we make plans for the next steps. We are like a family and I am always keen to ensure that our collective brand name is held in high esteem,” says Julia whose commitment to demystifying the art buying scene is no doubt integral to her success.
“Many of our clients have told us that they are intimidated to shop in gallery spaces, or don’t feel like they will have budget to afford ‘original’ works, so we have tipped that on its head, and offer a broad range of work at different price points, and are very welcoming and non-intimidating to deal with,” says Julia.
“But the most important thing of course, is to have credibility with what you do, and with Greenhouse Interiors now powering into its tenth year, we have developed a very loyal clientele that love us almost as much as we love them!”
“The art world is always evolving, but I have noticed more artists moving away from galleries with the spread of online exposure. Sites like ours are highly credible, have excellent imagery and the work can be seen in every state of the country, rather than in one place alone,” says Julia who shares her top tips for buying and styling art below.
1. Where to begin?
“Just look for a pure love. Art is so subjective, and personal. It matters little what anyone else thinks – it just matters that you love it. Art should evoke emotion, make you feel something, and that’s when you know it has found the right home. There’s nothing high brow about that. It’s a simple connection,” says Julia.
1. There are no styling rules!
“The great thing about it is there are no rules! You can do as you please. I personally like to use the art to dictate the palette and inform other styling decisions in the house. For example, I have used a new Katie Wyatt piece in my home and pulled out lilacs and chartreuse colours in accessories for a considered look. I equally love a pattern clash or bold colour clash,” says Julia.
2. Hanging
“When it comes to hanging, just think about the height at which it hang – not too high! Also, play around with configurations on the floor before taking hammer and nail to wall. I also love a gallery hang that shares a horizon line, where they all hang at the same height from the top,” says Julia who recommends her site’s free 3D art app to really get a sense of how a piece will look in situ.
“It allows you to try the art on your own walls, to scale and with depth. Lots of people offer the ‘Photoshop it in’ thing but it’s only one dimensional. Our app makes it feel real, and really instils confidence to buy. We have had so many fab stories of purchases that have come as a result of our app,” says Julia.
3. Colour
If you had to describe the Greenhouse Interiors aesthetic, ‘colour’ is the first word that comes to mind and there’s no doubt its presence is fundamental to Julia’s styling. But just how important is colour when choosing art for the home?
“Colour is a language. You turn the volume up or down. So if you want bright bold colour, and it makes you feel happy, do it! On the contrary, if you want a quiet, peaceful space, you could dial it back and have a more softly hued space. Think about how you want to feel in each room of the house and choose the right colour for the mood.”
Photography: Armelle Habib | Styling: Julia Green for Greenhouse Interiors assisted by Aisha Chaudhry and Jessica Retallack
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