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I'll be blunt: too many interiors look like they were designed by committee. Perfectly coordinated, beautifully beige, relentlessly “safe,” and completely forgettable. Don’t get me wrong, cohesion has its place. But when every shade matches and every wall whispers, something vital gets lost energy, emotion, life. That’s why I have so much respect for interior designers who refuse to play it safe.
Bold abstract paintings background music; they’re the crescendo. They disrupt sameness, create tension, spark curiosity. They make a room memorable. Designers who embrace this philosophy understand that interiors aren’t just collections of furniture—they’re emotional experiences.
Elliott Fuerniss, House Beautiful
I’ve seen fearless, unapologetic designers use colour and art to turn spaces into experiences, not just arrangements. Those are the designers I love—theyunderstand that beauty and bravery are part of the same palette. As designer Kelly Wearstler explains, this design ethic is about taking risks and not feeling like you have to do what everyone else does” (Domino, 2021), adding that “the best ideas are born out of risk” (The Decorologist, 2021). For designer Omer Arbel, pushing boundaries is key: “I do create discomfort and use it as a creative tool and an aesthetic generator.”
Honestly, “matchy-matchy” and cohesion overload are the design world’s elevator music—technically perfect, but who really wants to listen? A powerful painting disrupts predictability. It introduces risk, and with it, reward. It takes confidence to put a fiery abstract piece in a calm space and trust that it will work. But when it does? Magic.
This is why abstract expressionism feels so at home in the hands of such designers—it thrives on risk, color, and emotion.
Corinne Gilbert (Miguel Flores-Vianna), Elle Decor
So, here’s to the designers who colour outside the lines, who encourage their clients to be brave, are not afraid to push back against the tyranny of beige, and who give bold abstract expressionism the home it deserves. Keep taking risks. Keep making people feel. Keep letting art do what it’s meant to do—stand out, not blend in. The world doesn’t need more “safe” rooms. It needs more unforgettable ones.
Pete Stein
Founder, Galerie Stein
Montreal
Galerie Stein will be presenting more contemporary abstract expressionist artists in the future, both virtually at GalerieStein.com and in our gallery. Contact: Pete Stein at peter@GalerieStein.com.
