Georgia O'Keeffe, Focal Points & Interior Design

I'm writing this post on November 15, the birthday of American painter Georgia O'Keeffe. In a field that has traditionally minimized the contributions of women, O'Keeffe is known to even the most casual observer of art. And, her paintings are valuable. Sotheby's sold O'Keeffe's "Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1" for $44.4 million in 2014. That's the most ever paid for a piece of art created by a woman.

"Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1" is a stylized depiction of an unassuming blossom. The white flower pops out of a field of green leaves and blue sky. O'Keeffe is making a point with her single-minded focus on the white flower. "When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else. Most people in the city rush around so, they have no time to look at a flower. I want them to see it whether they want to or not," she said. 

Art inspires my work as an interior designer. You'd be hard pressed to find a better example of what a focal point really should be than O'Keeffe's masterpiece. In interior design, a focal point is not a wall painted bright red. A focal point is something worth looking at: a picture window that frames an exquisite view, a fireplace clad in fine Carrera marble, or if you're lucky, an amazing painting. The red wall might be an effective background for a focal point, but it is not one in itself.

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Jackie Lopey embraced her creativity and passion over 10 years ago when she left her corporate job in San Francisco to become an interior designer. Since then she has worked with over a hundred satisfied clients transforming hundreds of rooms, and Jackie’s reputation now precedes her as one of the top Certified Interior Designers in the East Bay. 

She has a keen eye for detail and uniquely intuits her clients wants and needs. If you want a home that is breathtaking and deeply personal, Jackie Lopey and her team at Venue are the experts you need to talk to.