A formal home gallery opens up from a foyer or entry space designed as part of an addition to house and display a large art collection.
This avid collector believes in surrounding herself with her passion. “I’ve always had a love of animals and art, and the collection is a perfect melding of these two interests,” she says. Her attraction to Africa began in college, where she was an anthropology major. Since then, she has visited the continent twice, specifically Botswana and Zimbabwe. “Africa is my place,” she says. “It just comforts me.”
There’s no denying this Ellicott City couple enjoys collecting art. While many of us might hang a painting over a fireplace or display a sculpture on a bookshelf, accenting a room or particular décor with our treasures, these homeowners have created, in essence, a masterpiece filled with masterpieces, a home gallery designed to spotlight their well-honed collection.
Consisting of primarily African wildlife pieces, the couple’s collection is composed of dozens of items, from a stainless steel gazelle and cheetah animal sculpture by Westminster, Maryland-based Bart Walter to a large oil painting of mating lions by Eastern Shore artist Julia Rogers. “A majority of the pieces are from local artists throughout Maryland,” the homeowner says.
She and her husband have lived in their home for more than ten years, utilizing every inch to showcase their works of art. Eventually, they just ran out of wall space. “I always envisioned a separate space dedicated to our collection in which the artwork was the main focus,” she says. “Plus, many pieces were hung upstairs where no one but us could really enjoy them, so as the collection grew, we realized we needed to add on to our home.”
From Art to a Gallery
To help bring their vision of a dedicated art space to fruition, the couple hired Brett Schoolnick, president of The Baywood Design/Build Group, Inc. in Columbia, Maryland, whose company provided both architectural design and construction services on the project. “I wanted to create something dramatic, yet intimate,” he says. “I didn’t want [the homeowners] to get lost in the space.” After demolishing an existing office and building two additional rooms—for a total of 1312 square feet—the homeowners now had 80 linear feet of useable wall space to devote solely to their art collection.
The back waqll of the addition is almost all glass to allow ample natural light. A "floating" wall in the room takes advantage of the windows and creates more space to hang art.
Schoolnick’s goal was to design three separate rooms that flowed from one to the next creating a unified space that would allow the couple to immerse themselves in their art. “I inventoried the existing artwork and knew where they wanted to hang most pieces—and I knew they wanted to expand their collection,” says Schoolnick. The former office is now a foyer—or an entrance area to their “gallery” spaces. “It’s sort of like the appetizer that entices you to explore the other rooms,” he says. From here, the homeowners can access both the gallery and the sunroom, which is the most formal of the spaces with 25-foot ceilings and travertine tumbled marble floors. From recessed niches and window seats with under-the-bench storage to library-style built-ins ideal for art books, Schoolnick thoughtfully considered how the couple planned to use their new space.
To properly illuminate the room and the works of art, lighting played a vital role in Schoolnick’s design. He purposefully incorporated lots of windows to allow ample natural light. “Natural light not only showcases the artwork, but I thought windows were important because the views around the home are spectacular,” he says. The home is nestled in the woods and Schoolnick thought this setting would act as the perfect backdrop to the wildlife art. “My goal was to create a nesting feel, where one world stimulates the other,” he says. To block UV rays harmful to the artwork, Schoolnick recommended high-performance glass in the windows.
The central floating wall does not extend to the ceiling in order to encourage more natural light through the space.
A floating wall in the gallery was designed to take advantage of the many windows in the room. “It allows for more space to hang pieces, but it also encourages sunlight to flow through the room,” Schoolnick explains.
Artificial light is a crucial element in the design. Schoolnick chose halogen track lighting—specifically Tech lighting—to highlight the pieces. This technology incorporates low-wattage bulbs ideal for artwork because they decrease UV degradation. To allow for mood lighting, Schoolnick added rope lighting in the ceiling. “When you’re sitting in there at night, it’s a very relaxing feeling,” he says.
The homeowner selected earth-toned paint colors and upholstery to complement the collection, rather than detract from it. “The Brazilian hardwood floors also add a warm color to the space,” she says.
Even the artists appreciate this attention to detail, especially sculptor Bart Walter, whose pieces play a prominent role in the rooms. “He is thoroughly honored to be part of a collection where the homeowners’ level of detail and attention put toward the arrangement and display have been so thoughtfully considered,” says Hilary Hatfield, agent for the artist. “The space is just beautiful and its simplicity is museum quality.” (At the time of this story, Mr. Walter was working in Africa and could not be reached.)
With nearly 100 pieces in their collection, the couple is thrilled to finally have a place to not only properly showcase their artwork but also to share it with family and friends. “This is just a wonderful place for entertaining, she says. “People just seem to gravitate to this end of the house.”
Kelli Rosen is a frequent contributor to ChesapeakeHome.
Contacts:
The Baywood Design/Build Group, Inc.: baywooddesignbuild.com or 410-995-6363
Bart Walter: bartwalter.com or 410-840-0972
