Art and Architecture

Just one look at the breathtakingly beautiful Taj Mahal will give you a perfect example of the magic created when art and architecture are combined.  You’ll find these two elements perfectly paired in the onion domes of St. Peter’s Basilica in Moscow.  Closer to home, Frank Lloyd Wright, considered by many to be America’s most creative and innovative architect, married architecture to the art of poetry when he said, “Every great architect is – necessarily – a great poet.  He must be a great original interpreter of his time, his day, his age.”

While it might be lots of fun and quite an adventure, you don’t have to travel the world to see art and architecture combined to make a building an artistic masterpiece.  You can do this right here at home.  In fact, your own home can become your personal work of art with just a few additions or enhancements.

Many of us have homes with fireplaces, which provide a wonderful opportunity to incorporate art and architecture.  The mantel or hearth of the fireplace you already have can be rebuilt or reworked to bring some classic architectural elements into your world.  Visit your local library to get ideas from photos of fireplaces in European castles or Asian temples.

Art and architecture can be blended elegantly both inside and outside your home.  Consider decorating with pilasters, columns, and capitals borrowing the style of the ancient Greeks or Romans.  Crown molding, window frames, and balustrades are good places to incorporate a little art throughout the ages into your architecture today.

Bringing a little art into your home can create a feel for the timeless and classic or transport your thoughts to faraway places such as the Orient or Africa.  You can have some fun with it, too.  How about a gargoyle or two hanging out around the yard somewhere?

Whatever period or place you want to capture for the art and architecture in your life, it’s always a good idea to consult a craftsman skilled in the style and type of work you have in mind.  You will get expert advice from someone who has years of training and experience working with tools and materials that may be hard to find and he will be able to draw from a pool of reliable sources for any outside help or supplies that might be needed.  An added advantage to working with a master craftsman is that he considers himself an artist with a valued reputation in mind so you can rest assured you are getting the best job possible.