330 Homes Fall 2023

fresh design

LAMPS, $198-$700

Don’t dismiss lamps as being a key piece of decor. “Lamps are probably one of the most important design elements in your room because when you go into a room at night, the first thing your eye goes to is the light source,” Zeber-Martell says. “So why not have a lamp that’s a piece of art as well as functioning as a light source?” The gallery has a variety of shapes and types from round or four sided to squat or floor lamps, and you can get them in any color it offers. Style It: When choosing something like a bold decorative floor lamp, Zeber-Martell advises giving it space by displaying it in an empty corner or by a sofa table when you come in the entryway. “It needs to be visual. Don’t put it behind something,” she says. “A lot of art — you should give it room to breathe.”

WALL TILE ART, $200 AND UP

BUBBLE WALL ART, $400 AND UP, AND CURVED RECTANGULAR TRAY, $85 Martell and Zeber-Martell donated custom bubble wall art to Grace House Akron, a nonprofit hospice. It picks up warm earth tones in the decor like taupe, sage, woodland brown, black, gray and old gold and features circles that add efferves cent joy. “It’s just a real fun, happy way to use a space,” says Zeber-Martell. “Given where the piece is, that was very appropriate for the residents in that home to sort of uplift their spirits.” A curved rectangular tray also calms with browns, blacks, golds and a serene emer ald green found in nature. Style It: Sometimes a tray is displayed on a stand or hung on the wall, but don't hesitate to simply set it on a table. “There’s no necessity to put anything in it,” Zeber Martell says.

PEARS, $148-$800 For centuries, people have made art featuring pears, and Zeber-Martell offers a reason for the fascination. “It’s the female form, and it’s very nurturing. That’s why there’s an automatic attrac tion to that form,” she says. “I play around with pears, and I do them in all different shapes, sizes and configura tions.” Each pear is uniquely hand-shaped, attached to a handmade tile base and features a pewter stem. The colors vary, including a group with standout reds and purples to simulate rip ening. Style It: Pears make a fitting accent for a dining room table, dining room sideboard or kitchen island. “It’s a perfect centerpiece,” Zeber-Martell says.

Six panels combine to make one multidimensional modern Baroque piece. The handmade tiles are all dif ferent sizes and attached to the final artwork at different levels. “It really creates a lot of interest instead of just putting one panel on the wall,” Zeber-Martell says. Some tiles are attached to wooden frames with construction adhesive, and those frames are textured with five to six layers of modeling paste that add even more depth. Style It: These homeowners put the layered artwork in the kitchen, and Zeber-Martell says that’s a spot where art can shine. “The kitchen is one of the most used rooms

in the whole home. It’s a gathering place,” she says. “Why wouldn’t you want to decorate it?”

43 Furnace St., Akron, zeber-martell.com

33 O HOMES fall 2023

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