matisse house

The work of Henri Matisse has been a constant joy and reminder to me of the energy created through art. One of the many reasons I'm so drawn to his work is his use of repeating decorative motifs within his paintings. Matisse created pictures within pictures by depicting patterned textiles, wallcoverings and furniture in his interiors.

When I decided to undertake an extreme make-over on my old dollhouse as a gift for my niece, who better to look to for influence than Matisse. Each room of the tiny three floor home draws color and design inspiration from one of his vivid, ornamental paintings. So far, it’s the closest I’ve come to my daydream of sitting on the green chair in My Room at Beau Rivage .

upstairs bedroom inspired by Henri Matisse, Pianist and Chess Players, 1924 

Henri Matisse, The Painter's Family, 1911 - inspiration for the living room