At Home with Art Consultant Liz Lidgett

When it comes to art, Adore Your Walls art consultant (and art lover) Liz Lidgett has a lot to offer in terms of great tips and guidance for building your own collection of original art. Today Liz welcomes us into her cheerful home and allows us a look at her own collection of artwork, not to mention she shares some of her expert art advisory tips with us!

Photography by Rick Lozier and Liz Lidgett

Jacquin: What are some of the more unique art requests that you've seen in your career? Are buyers wanting to feature sculptures in their homes? This is one of my favorite artistic elements in residential designs, sculptural artwork in the home!

Liz: I’ve seen a lot of blank walls in my career and the request I hear time and time again is how to fill an extra-large wall. I work with my clients through Adore Your Walls to decide on the perfect piece of art for their style, space and budget. Sometimes this means a gallery wall—sometimes it means one large piece— sometimes it means a mural. I do also love finding sculpture for homes, especially sculpture that can hang on a wall. It’s such an unexpected twist to design.

Jacquin: What do you tell people about art as an investment?

Liz: My number one tip to my clients is buy art that you love. Art can become an investment but, in my opinion, you should buy art because you connect with it and want it in your home. The investment piece is not something I encourage my clients to focus on.

Jacquin: How has your experience been launching your art advisory business?

Liz: This week marks four years since I launched my business. I started the company because I felt there was a real need in the Midwest and in Iowa, specifically, for art advisory that can help with a variety of budgets and styles, plus one that is transparent about the art buying process. Starting a company was one of the greatest things I’ve ever done and I haven’t looked back. I’ve been able to expand the business to an online art advisory site, AdoreYourWalls.com, where I work with clients around the country. I also have worked with major brands like Better Homes and Gardens and Apartment Therapy for content creation and video hosting that focuses on affordable art.

Jacquin: How much money should someone put aside to begin a proper art collection? Do you have any tips or suggestions for newer collectors?

Liz: You don’t have to be a millionaire to start an art collection. I have many clients that have started their collections with limited edition prints, and then worked up to original, one-of-a-kind works of art. I’ve helped clients purchase artwork starting at $100 all the way up to 5 or 6 figures. My point being, you can start an art collection by putting away just a small percentage of your budget each month. There are so many talented artists working at a variety of price points. 

Jacquin: At what point, or in what circumstance, do you think it's important to have your artwork appraised?

Liz: Great question. First, work with your insurance to see how much it is to put an additional rider on your policy for the artwork, the availability and cost varies by company. I have several clients that like to have anything over $1,000 appraised. For some, they want it to be at a much higher figure to have its own specific rider. Then have an appraiser update your information at least every 5 years. For many companies, within a certain time period the receipt of the purchase of the artwork may be enough to work with initially. Again, it’s important to find out what’s needed from your insurance and to also work with a qualified appraiser on a plan for what is specifically needed.

Jacquin: How was your experience decorating your home and selecting artwork for your space?

Liz: It’s a never-ending process. I use my home like a lab and experiment on projects before I recommend it to a client. This varies from installation tips, to framing, to color stories. Our home has become this wonderful playground. I am so passionate about what I do and my brain never seems to turn off from thinking about design, so it’s fun to spend some time working on my own space for a change.

Jacquin: What is your favorite work of art in your home right now?

Liz: I have loved the pink sculpture above our fireplace by Michael Peter Cain since the first time I laid eyes on it. It just seems to always glow and I love finding new and unexpected places for it.

Art consultant Liz Lidgett's favorite work of art is this fantastic pink sculptural piece! (see above)

Jacquin: Tell us about your dream client! What does your business have in store for the new year?

Jacquin: I have been truly blessed with wonderful clients. I love working with clients where they are willing to do something fun and different. I love making a statement with my work and I think that’s when it is most successful. I don’t want to play it safe. Because I have a passion for helping people start their collections with affordable works, I’d love to work with larger retailers to help curate a line of affordable, stylish artwork. In the new year, watch my Instagram @LizLidgett to see some of our new and fun projects we’ll be working on! It’s fun to take people behind the scenes of our work and introduce them to new artists.

Happy Holidays and have a lovely weekend!

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Designer Spotlight: A chat with Caroline Cecil Textiles of Los Angeles

In a world of beautiful textiles and patterns I find myself wondering about how these fabrics and unique designs are manufactured. Today our designer spotlight lands on Caroline Cecil of Caroline Cecil Textiles. Caroline shares her creative motivation with us and an inside perspective on more traditional textile production methods. She has also been involved in some exciting community initiatives, which we chat about below. Follow along as Caroline's gives Interiors by Jacquin readers a peek at her newest collection called 'Balinesia'.

Jacquin: How has working in textile design pushed you creatively?

Caroline: I’ve spent the past 11 years of my career learning about all of the different ways you can put patterns onto things--from fabric to towels to rugs to shower curtains to wrapping paper and everything else in between. Throughout the process I’ve learned many different techniques and applications which have pushed me to evolve creatively. The limitations that arrive based on the selected printing method have really pushed me to be more creative in my approach. For example, with screen printing the more color we print, the more expensive it becomes. So within these confines we find ways to create gorgeous single color prints that still provide depth, texture, and narrative.

Jacquin: Tell us about your journey launching your brand, Caroline Cecil Textiles. What has been the hardest part?

Caroline: I wanted to have my own company ever since I was a little girl. My grandmother was a watercolor artist and made a living selling her paintings at a time when it was very unusual for women to be independent and have their own business. My father was also an entrepreneur who started many businesses throughout his life, those experiences are at the foundation of why I always wanted to launch a brand.

I’d say the hardest part of launching Caroline Cecil Textiles was the process of building something from scratch. The journey of bringing something to life that starts in your head and turn it into a full fledged business that includes a sales team, products, sampling, an online presence and operations has been overwhelming at times. The hardest part is the balancing act that’s required once the company starts coming to life. Managing competing priorities like product development and branding while always keeping long-term goals that support growth in mind requires constant learning and strategizing.

Caroline Cecil's sketches for textile designs.

Jacquin: What's an average day like for you, Caroline?

Caroline: In the morning I always try to take time to make breakfast for my husband as well as play with our little Pomeranian and Chihuahua. After that it’s off to the races - answering emails, reading industry news and outlining the focus for the day ahead. Lately the team and I have been expanding our showroom presence, so a lot of my days have been spent outlining which designs are going into what showrooms, overseeing production, coordinating shipping with our Operations Lead, and talking with our PR team at REVELE. I also spend a great deal of time looking at the travel calendar and supporting brand growth through online marketing. My days are predominantly left brained, so I always carve out time to paint or cook or do something creative to balance things out. I find that time to be SO important.

Caroline's fluffy dog in front of her vibrant textile design.

Jacquin: I love that you worked helping budding young creatives through Designer Camp. It really sounds like a fantastic program for the youth. How was your experience? What do you think the kids who participated got out of it?

Caroline: I absolutely loved collaborating with Designer Camp and look forward to doing it again next year! The founders of Designer Camp are very hands-on and they were so supportive of my ideas for the textile workshop. It was the first time they ever had a textile designer participate in the program and it was exciting to see how interested students were in the new category. Textile design is something most people don’t think of when you’re asked what you want to be when you grow-up. Considering how did that pattern get on that shirt is not something young artists usually think about. This is one of the reasons I love mentoring young people who are discovering it for the first time. I am so happy to have the chance to give back to the creative community as I remember how important it was for me when I was growing up. I still remember the influential people and artists who really inspired me to explore my creative voice. It’s great to have a chance to do that for today’s youth.

Jacquin: How have you utilized your local creative community as you've grown your business?

Caroline: Los Angeles is an incredible place to own a company and design a product because it offers many different kinds of resources. Being around so many creative people every day has offered a lot of inspiration. Los Angeles has a very expressive and visual community. People put a great deal of thought into how they present themselves and I find that to be very inspiring. In addition, I have the pleasuring of knowing a vast network of manufacturers who constantly inspire me. Being in Los Angeles has given me the opportunity to see the manufacturing process across many different industries which i find completely fascinating. My line of fabrics simply wouldn’t exist without the people who print our fabrics and sew our samples and I truly value those partnerships.

Caroline Cecil painting an original textile design.

Jacquin: What is one thing about about the textile design process from production to marketing that many people may not know about, or may be surprised by?

Caroline: I think people would be surprised by the amount of labor involved in producing a line of textiles. Fabric doesn’t weave or knit itself! While machines have industrialized the process, it’s still a very tactile manufacturing process. At Caroline Cecil Textiles, we work with artisans to produce our line. Most of our ground cloths are imported from Belgium and come from a mill that has been weaving linen for centuries. Our designs are then hand printed onto the linen at our printing facility in San Francisco. The process takes a very long time and it’s a very old fashioned way to print fabric, but I believe it yields the most beautiful quality, one that mass manufacturing simply cannot match. In general, most people probably don’t think about fiber content or weave structure or whether or not something was yarn-dyed. I think most of the world of textiles would be surprising to people!

Caroline Cecil textile swatches from her 'Balinesia' collection.

Jacquin: What's on your life bucket list?

Caroline: I’ve always dreamt of traveling the world and documenting the different textile process from different cultures. For a few years now I’ve wanted to tour different mills across the world-- lace making and the Chanel textile factory in France, linen production in Belgium, block printing in India, indigo dyeing in Japan, back-strap weaving in Guatemala. I’d love to document the process and make it into a video series and coffee table book!

Shop Caroline's 'Balinesia' textile collection and more on her website Caroline Cecil Textiles.

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A Chat with Que Duong: NYC Photographer and Creative Director

Que Duong Photography: "Sorbet" series

I have recently come across the creative work of NYC photographer Que Duong who has truly inspired me with his unique style and perspective. Que began in the fashion and beauty industry working in content creation and has since launched himself to the status of creative director, sharing compelling and sometimes edgy stories through his creative photography. Read on to catch my recent chat with this impressive, creative photographer.

Jacquin: Hi Que! You mention that your main source of inspiration is “the anticipation of life’s normally overlooked moments.” How do you manifest this in your work?

Que: We often look for the “big boom” in our day. In contrast, I look for the small moment such as drinking tea and creating “the big boom” around these thoughts and moments.

Que Duong Photography: "Colour Walls" series

Jacquin: Your photography has great energy and an exciting perspective. How do you begin to visualize and conceptualize your compositions in your photography?

Que: Majority of my concepts originate on my current mood at the time. I embrace all the spectrum of emotions whether it is sad or joy - it helps me create a story to tell. From that point, I researched the symbolism and metaphors. I translate those emotions and use it as starting point to create my compositions and content.

Que Duong Photography: "The New Band" series

Jacquin: What was your inspiration for "The New Band"? Is there a message behind these works? "The New Band" actually reminds me of a 1940s photo of historical Chicago by Russell Lee. I love this photo series, Que and really all of your works!

Que: Visually, my inspirations were from the vinyl covers of music groups. In term of the underlining message, I wanted to tell a story of the daily lives of the Brooklyn kids; to showcase the beauty of the simple moments such as sitting on the stoop with your friends, standing on the corner waiting for the bus, or going to church. Overall, the message I wanted to convey and bring to attention is "black is beautiful" – ‘til this today, it is still one of my favorite shoots!

Que Duong Photography: "The New Band" series

Que Duong Photography: "The New Band" series

Jacquin: How do you go about choosing the models for your shoots? (random, search for them, or you know them personally)

Que: Majority of the times I have casting calls. This allows me to use models that fit the concept.

Jacquin: How does your cultural background or surroundings influence your work?

Que: My cultural background and surroundings are extremely influential in my work. I am a Vietnamese kid raised New Orleans, a city that is surrounded by Jazz and magic! This colorful city often serves as a color palette for my work. I enjoy and draw energy from our laid-back attitudes and philosophies. It helps me conceptualize the simplest stories.

Que Duong Photography: "The Jazzman" series

Que Duong Photography: "The Jazzman" series

Jacquin: Are there any events or experiences in your life that have impacted your career as a photographer?

Que: Yes, social media! When I first started out, I was solely focused on fashion. Since then, I came to find my love for lifestyles and still life photography. This started out with my first job with Revlon – creating their social media content.

Que Duong Photography: "Madame of the Cloud" series

Que Duong Photography: "Madame of the Cloud" series

Jacquin: What type of projects are you most looking forward to as you move forward as a photographer and artist?

Que: Right now, I am working on cinematography and getting back into my painting (a passion of mine). I am looking to doing more creative direction.

Que Duong Photography: "Madame of the Cloud" series

Jacquin: You create uniquely artistic self-portraits. Do your self-portraits function as a means of self-representation, or do you regard yourself more as a character telling a story? (Check out one of Que's self-portraits below.)

Que: My self-portraits are mirror reflections of who I am. It is my way of writing my autobiography in a creative way, haha.

Jacquin: What would the perfect day be like for you?

Que: A perfect day for me would be waking up on a sunny Saturday’s morning, watering my plants while drinking Vietnamese coffee and jamming to 80’s pop (my go-to song is When in Rome – The Promise). Start with a trip down to Union Squares to buy more plants and have lunch in Chinatown. I would commute back to my cozy Harlem apartment and binge watch old shows on TV while I edit photos. Wrap up my day with a candle lit night and dancing to old school r&b tunes.

Self-portrait of NYC photographer Que Duong.

Follow Que Duong's photography and creative direction through his website or via his inspirational Instagram page. 

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Interview with Simran Lal: Founder of Indian Home & Fashion Brand Nicobar

Today's feature is on newly launched Indian lifestyle brand Nicobar, a home decor and fashion brand taking India by storm. Nicobar has just celebrated its first 100 days in business, but this lifestyle brand is already capturing the attention of international audiences with their use of beautiful natural materials and modern silhouettes. 

Nicobar was founded by Simran Lal along with her husband Raul Rai. Simran's experience in the lifestyle industry began with her role as CEO of Good Earth, a long-standing cult brand in India recognized for reviving authentic Indian craft in luxury design. The success of Good Earth motivated Simran to launch another lifestyle brand with a contemporary feel, while still maintaining the essence of India. This brand was Nicobar.  

Kumarkom Printed Sham - Indigo

Hathi Mug illustrated with India's history and tropical landscapes. 

"Modern Indian is our playground: rich with tradition, and at home everywhere."

BEHIND THE NICOBAR NAME:

If you're wondering how they chose the company name, there's a story there. Nicobar are a set of islands in the Indian Ocean known for natural beauty and relaxation. The Nicobar brand was inspired by the Indian Ocean, the Spice Route, and a relaxed island aesthetic. This relaxed island inspiration is at the center of the Nicobar brand. 

THE CROSSROADS OF TRADITIONAL INDIAN CRAFT AND CONTEMPORARY STYLE:

I absolutely love Nicobar's refreshing home collections. The designs are unique and contemporary, yet grounded in traditional Indian design with pops of natural elements like wood and marble. Co-founder Simran Lal comes from an entrepreneurial family and watched her mother launch Good Earth. Good Earth has now been a thriving and well known company in India for over 20 years. Simran's experience and appreciation for Good Earth motivated her to create something new and fresh - Nicobar! Her interest in art history, Indian's rich cultural heritage, and old world and natural textile processes have all become intertwined into Nicobar's modern brand. 

Nicobar blends old world craft with contemporary style by utilizing these old world processes that have been around for centuries such as weaving handloom fabrics and creating fabrics printed with natural dyes. Also noteworthy is that all of Nicobar's fabrics are natural if not handloom woven, which is actually totally on trend! For the contemporary twist, Nicobar's home decor and fashion collections utilize cotton, linen, and silk in Western silhouettes while maintaining an Indian identity.

(Right) Verandah Lime Green Cocktail Napkins, (Left) Verandah Stripe Dinner Napkins in soft gray

Mahe Botanical Cushion

Nicobar is also a cutting edge fashion brand...

"Nicobar is much more than just fabric and thread. At Nicobar we're creating a modern Indian way of living, dressing, and looking at the world."

Polka wrap top - cotton silk

Jinan trouser - Indigo

Cotton Tie Top shown in "multi checks" design.

LAUNCHING THE COMPANY:

Although Nicobar is only a start-up, it is a company that has been 12 years in the making. Founders Raul and Simran are an amazing husband-wife business duo who each bring different skills and background to the table. Simran says that her husband has facilitated the hiring of a fantastic team, who have been instrumental in the building and launching of Nicobar over the last year and a half. 

Simran's keys to success have been allowing for serendipity and taking time to plan for her upcoming week ahead of time. Most importantly, Simran and Raul took their time conceptualizing Nicobar as a brand. Now after starting their business digitally and having been in business just over 100 days, Nicobar has already opened several thriving stores!

Striped tunic in linen-cotton blend.

Layer dress in lime.

Polka pleated wrap dress

THE NICOBAR STUDIO:

Simran describes the Nicobar studio as always buzzing like a beehive. There is no typical day and not a dull second. One moment Simran is discussing fabric and product development, the next she's mentoring younger employees and handling business matters. When it's time to develop new collections, Simran builds creative mood boards to inspire each season, utilizing global locations, unique fabrics, and fine art as the foundation for new collections. One of Simran's favorite work activities is fabric hunting. Simran also regularly goes on factory visits and is always looking for ways to assist her employees and improve Nicobar's products.

Photo of Simran Lal at home, Nicobar Co-Founder/CEO of Good Earth (India). | Pillows shown: (back) Verandah Botanical Cushion - Ivory (front) Ikat Chevron Pillow

One sign of great design is being able to fill your home with the items and achieve an elegant and relaxed look. Nicobar's founder and Creative Director Simran Lal allows us a peek insider her home which holds special Nicobar elements throughout. As you continue to read you'll also find a few photos of the lovely home of Arya Nerker, the Head of Design for Nicobar's Home Decor. 

Home of Nicobar Founder, Simran Lal. | Marble Cheese Board with slicer | Verandah Candy Stripe Runner

Home of Nicobar Founder, Simran Lal.

Head of Design for Nicobar's Home Decor, Arya Nerker. | Aguada Quarter Plate in Lime | Aguada Oval Platter in Lime 

THE DESIGN PROCESS:

I also had the opportunity to speak with Nicobar's Head of Design for their Home Decor department, Arya Nerker, who shared a bit about Nicobar's design process. Arya notes that Nicbor as a company takes a very collaborative approach toward designing new collections. Their team often selects a global location of interest as the base for each collection, such as Gujarat and the Zanzibar spice route, two of their current design inspirations. Then each department interprets the global inspiration to develop contemporary home decor and fashion designs. They research the history of the area they are featuring, for instance studying the intricate door carvings of Zanzibar, where many Gujarati individuals traveled to in Africa over 100 years ago. These antique wood carvings are done in a specific style and depict ancient history which Nicobar has introduced into their contemporary designs.

Home of Arya Nerker, Nicobar's Head of Design for Home Decor

Home of Arya Nerker, Nicobar's Head of Design for Home Decor

Home of Arya Nerker, Nicobar's Head of Design for Home Decor. | Ele Palm Tea pot | Ele Palm Sugar Pot |  Andromeda Drop Vase in Mercury glass

AN AVERAGE DAY AT NICOBAR:

Nicobar's team refers to their amazing studio as “the tree house”. They work in a beautiful open-floorplan farmhouse about 30-40 minutes outside of downtown Delhi and their property has plenty of space, filled with lush trees. Nicobar teams meet at the start of the day to determine a plan for the day. The home decor department tests prints on various fabrics, with Arya Nerker giving approvals. One or two times a week they sit with Simran and focus on the direction of larger projects. Simran and the Nicobar team also work to ensure that both the home decor and fashion collections are cohesive. The team is constantly makes tweaks to their products until the very end of the production process. Nicobar's open office plan really helps with making these decisions and determinations collaboratively.

(Right) Marble & Wood Cake Stand, small and large sizes available. (Left) Kumarakon Floral Cushion - Indigo and orange

Jute table runner with silver accent and Andromeda Lota Vase in mercury glass.

Marble Olive Boat, small and large sizes available. 

Stripes Placemats (Set of 2) and Verandah Stripe Dinner Napkins in soft gray.

Nicobar's mission is to enhance self-expression, and to make thoughtful pieces that customers will treasure, all while exploring the creative edge of rich Indian culture, and considering how it communicates to a global audience.

Nicobar founder and Creative Director, Simran Lal (right) with Nicobar's Head of Design for Home Decor, Arya Nerker (left).

Verandah Botanical Cushion in Aqua.

Nicobar has launched an impressive, globally conscious brand retailing truly unique home decor and fashion designs. If you love this fantastic brand as much as I do, you'll be glad to know that Nicobar ships internationally. Visit the Nicobar website to enjoy more of their cutting edge designs.  

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