Find Your "Piccolo": Elevate Your Space with Meaningful Details
Happy New Year! It’s been quite a start to the year, and I hope everyone is staying cozy and finding their groove with new year’s goals and reflections.
One of my personal goals this year is to spend more time drawing and painting. It’s a practice that brings me peace, serenity, and taps into my creativity. I’ve also challenged myself by taking a class focused on critiquing art—an experience that has already sparked new insights. One word my teacher uses often in critiques is “piccolo.”
“Does the art piece have a piccolo?” he asks. At first, I was thrown off because he didn’t define it. But after listening to others, I had an “aha” moment. Piccolo, like the tiny flute, refers to the small nuances or details that make art come alive or excite the viewer.
Renoir: Lise With a Parasol
Look at Renoir’s painting, “Lise with a Parasol.” What catches your eye? Is it the texture of the parasol, the red dangling earring, or the red bow cascading down her neck? Without these details, would the painting feel as alive or special?
Sketch by Kat Kuziel
In a portrait I recently sketched, I think my piccolo is the way strands of hair fall across the face. What do you think?
This got me thinking about home design. When I walk into a room, does the space have a piccolo?
What gives the room its energy or spark?
Is it the subtle pop of color?
A treasured family heirloom on display?
The texture of curtains or pillows creating an ethereal feel?
Cottage Bedroom Designed by Urban Lark
Photo: Federica Ghidelli
In a cottage coach house I recently designed, my piccolo was a mid-century electric yellow ceramic vase filled with yellow flowers. Without this bold color, the room would look simple and pretty, but the yellow adds energy and visual appeal, making the space feel alive and comforting.
I challenge you to walk into your space and find its piccolo. Where is the small moment that makes the room larger than life? If you were to remove that element, how would the energy of the room change?
Design refreshes are a great way to start the new year and breathe fresh energy into your spaces.
Book a Curated Consultation with me, and let’s discover your piccolo together.
