This Colorful Contemporary Home Puts Artwork Center Stage

Could your decor use a confidence boost? Kristi Kohut’s gorgeous home is a master class in how to deploy bold color, eye-popping patterns and engaging art.

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June 04, 2021

By: Lauren Oster

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Photo By: Dustin Halleck for Rue Magazine

Photo By: Courtesy of Hapi Art

Photo By: Dustin Halleck

Photo By: Courtesy of Hapi Art

Photo By: Dustin Halleck

Photo By: Courtesy of Hapi Art

Photo By: Dustin Halleck

Photo By: Karen Forsyth of Tallulah Lane

Photo By: Courtesy of Hapi Art

Instant Connection

Chicago artist Kristi Kohut is all about welcoming: her joyous canvases and neon frames beckon guests into spaces all over the world like hosts with warm hugs. She’s also interested in making her clients more comfortable with buying art — which, in the case of her own work, you can find online rather than in a frosty gallery — and making it part of their everyday lives.

How does that work, exactly? Join us for a stroll through Kristi’s home — which is bursting with art, textiles and decor that’s available through her studio, Hapi Art — and let her explain how you can make any space hum with happiness.

She's a Rainbow

Who’s afraid of a massive floral piece? “Do not fear color,” Kristi says. “Fear beige! Color and pattern can add so much joy to a space.”

That said, if you’re hesitant about shifting out of neutral in your home, “accessories are a great way to take that leap,” she adds. “Adding pops of color with a few throw pillows, a stack of great art books or that piece of art that speaks to you is a great way to dive in no matter what your style. You won’t regret it!”

The Big Picture

Kristi deployed intricate accents like the patterned panel beneath the ceiling in the hall to add additional interest to her rooms; it creates a frame beyond her art’s frames. “We put in this ornate-style molding in select areas throughout our home,” she says. “There’s just something about mixing styles and periods that makes things a bit more interesting and I just love the more ornate molding reminiscent of period homes! Contrast this with cleaner lines and more modern pieces and I just think it’s such a magical combination.”

Old-School Neutral

Kristi also “frames” her collection with one of her all-time favorite paint colors: Benjamin Moore Sterling, a classic light gray that can feel both warm and ethereal. (Consider how its tone feels against the bold hue in the massive canvas here; she uses this same color to create another effect on the gallery wall in her bedroom.)

Spontaneous Generation

Kristi isn’t the only artist whose work has pride of place in her home. “My son created this piece — pastel on paper — when he was younger and it brings us so much joy every time we see it,” she says. “Pairing art and pattern is such a dynamic combination. There are no hard and fast rules. Play with different combinations and see what feels right. You can’t go wrong with a mix of a black and white pattern with colorful art.”

Striking Tones

The combination of colors in Kristi’s family room is one of her favorites. “A deep blue hue pairs so well with pops of pink,” she says. “Color is so inspiring to me when paired with unexpected combinations like a darker, muddier hue with a vibrant neon or a jeweled-tone hue with a softer pastel."

Pretty Passementerie

Kristi commissioned custom cornice boards with crisp two-tone embellishment for windows throughout her home. “I’ve always been drawn to the use of interior banding on cornices and upholstery,” she explains. “There’s something that is so graphic and yet elegant about this combination. And this style feels so timeless to me and easily paired with a more detailed, colorful piece of art.”

Everyday Celebration

“This is Shafer. He's an 11-year-old pugabull and he loves sneaking in the pictures,” Kristi says. That’s more than fine: letting the things you love come in contact with one another (and putting your fanciest foot forward) is very much her thing.

“There is so much incredible technology with stain-resistant treatments and fabric now (we offer this on all of our fabrics for upholstery),” she explains. “My view is life is too short to not fill it with joy and color. Use the fabric that makes your heart sing, break out the china on a Tuesday night and open that bottle of wine you’ve been saving.”

Now You See It

Kristi’s studio produces a kaleidoscopic array of wallpapers, like the dramatic Rainbow Agate pictured here. Various corners of Kristi’s home demonstrate the marvelous ways in which colors and patterns like this one can coexist; this clever use of Lucite, in turn, proves that you can decorate almost invisibly in high style.

Supporting Character

Speaking of nearly-invisible accoutrements, consider how well that Rainbow Agate paper adds dimension to the barely-there floating shelves (and the transparent glassware they display) in Kristi’s bar area. The framed sketch on the dresser behind her velvet chair is ostensibly the only piece of art in this space, but the corner feels full and finished, thanks to the wall treatment’s graphic whorls.

Upon Reflection

Kristi counterbalanced the practical appliances beneath her bar with an accessory that’s pure fun. “The right mirror can feel like a piece of artwork in itself and I just fell in love with this one,” Kristi says. “There’s something about the shape and the edge of spheres/beading that is modern yet feminine and then we mixed this with a more industrial fixture to keep that yin/yang balance.”

Mixing It Up

Want to get your feet wet in the world of bespoke furniture? Keep your eyes peeled at estate sales and flea markets for smaller pieces with upholstered panels — like Kristi’s fabulous armchair — that can be reimagined with contemporary patterns. “One of my favorite combinations is to upholster an antique or more ornate piece of furniture with a vibrant, modern fabric such as my Sailor Stripes fabric that we used on this chair,” Kristi says.

Perennial Favorite

“This round piece is an original work of mine from my Bloom series,” Kristi explains. “There are a handful of pieces that I just can’t let go so they stay in my personal collection. Or my husband hangs them on the wall before I can refuse,” she laughs. “This is created with hundreds of hand-cut collaged flowers, all embellished with cut glass glitter and crystals.”

Finding Balance

If you fall head over heels in love with a decorative element, go ahead and buy it twice. “Symmetry really can be so satisfying and an easy way to pull a space together especially with a window front and center as the focal point,” Kristi notes. “We commissioned the art in this space from Megan Coonelly and the pairing really helped to create that symmetry and balance here.”

Kristi added even more interest to this room by using two fabrics on her dining chairs. “I just think it is so much more interesting to contrast a more graphic pattern such as the plaid with a more ornate, feminine floral pattern. It lends a more contemporary feel to a space."

Proper Punctuation

“You know I’m clearly all about color and pattern and definitely don’t shy away from it, but I also love a neutral space like a bright airy kitchen,” Kristi says. “Accessories are a great way to add a pop of color and interest to a more monochromatic room. And in a room such as a kitchen, why not make them functional as well as fun? A bright colored tea kettle or island centerpiece is a great place to start.”

Natural Beauty

Kristi crowned her kitchen with a flush mount Restoration Hardware fixture adorned with capiz shells, sourced from a Southeast Asian mollusk also known as a windowpane oyster; the gorgeous translucent material has been prized as an alternative to glass for thousands of years. “I love how it has both a cozy beachy feel yet mimics a more classic antique French chandelier,” she says.

Shelf Care

“Bookshelves feel so personal to me and just seem like a great way to display the things you love,” Kristi says. “That being said, styling is an art form in and of itself that always feels intimidating to me when first starting. My friend and designer Hillary Spencer helped me get started. We pulled together lots of different elements to include such as the framed family pics and loads of colorful design books.”

Cool, Collected

“A beautiful book or two can add so much interest when styling a space and often are works of art in themselves,” Kristi notes. (Case in point: this fabulous floral I Do Not Cook, I Do Not Clean, I Do Not Fly Commercial volume by New Orleans pop artist Ashley Longshore.) “Overall you want the space to feel balanced, but not too perfectly symmetrical.” Keep going and mix it up by adding more organic pieces, “such a sparkly quartz or marbled stones.” Kristi gave her shelves’ paneling a high-gloss coat of Benjamin Moore Water’s Edge.

Tome Sweet Tome

Kristi and her husband are avid book collectors, and favorite titles make appearances beyond their shelves and throughout their home. When styling your space, "don’t be afraid to edit,” she advises. “I like to start and then step back and see what isn’t necessary. Go with your intuition and see what feels right.”

Beauty Sleep

The artwork above Kristi’s bed suits it perfectly because, well, she created it with that space in mind. “A long piece of artwork works so well above a bed and can really fill the space and make a bold statement,” she explains. “To me the shape and size is the most important consideration when selecting a piece for this placement. A large, long piece can really tie a space together and add personality and energy to the room.”

As for the gallery wall on the other side of the window, "I started with a small original work of mine and the black and white figure on paper," she says. "The beautiful thing is, this wall is constantly changing and evolving as I discover new artists and work."

The Big Build

Is there such a thing as a piece that can’t be part of a salon-style gallery wall? “Absolutely not,” Kristi says. “When it comes to art, I always say there are no rules! Pick work that speaks to you and the beauty of the salon style is that anything goes. You can be really creative and juxtapose unexpected works together to really inject your own personality into a space. A simple way to start is to mix and match sizes and frame finishes, but don’t stop here. Incorporate different periods and styles of art, various mediums from works on paper, to 3D wall sculptures are all great ways to make a statement and just have fun with this format.”

This Colorful Contemporary Home Puts Artwork Center Stage

Related To:

Shop This Look

Instant Connection

She's a Rainbow

The Big Picture

Old-School Neutral

Spontaneous Generation

Striking Tones

Pretty Passementerie

Everyday Celebration

Now You See It

Supporting Character

Upon Reflection

Mixing It Up

Perennial Favorite

Finding Balance

Proper Punctuation

Natural Beauty

Shelf Care

Cool, Collected

Tome Sweet Tome

Beauty Sleep

The Big Build

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