In the world of interior design, there has been a renewed interest in the creation of artwork that does more than just display a person’s talents or sense of aesthetics. Designers are coming up with new and more inventive ways to present the messy realities of everyday life through their work. Walk in closets are one example of this movement, but it is far from the only one. There are a growing number of designer closets that are being used as art galleries without the pretense of needing to be art. In fact, walkin closets have become a niche in and of themselves, with artists turning their studios into miniature art galleries displaying works of art in a natural and friendly environment.
In New York, for instance, the WalkInCloset Gallery was created by artist Kali Kohli-Rasband and her husband Michael Barkan to present their studio as a space in which to teach people about fashion and design. Kohli-Rasband began her career as an artist with the installation of street-side graffiti on decrepit buildings all over the Lower East Side of New York City, creating works that would beautify the buildings and help the local residents to save lives on the sidewalks. When she began teaching WalkInClosets, she discovered that people were seeking a place in which to pursue their passion for art without the pretense of impostoration. Now, Kohli-Rasband helps women all over the world to create beautiful works of art that they can admire and appreciate at home.
The walk-in closet in which a woman can set down a pair of shoes and her purse or pen and spend hours sitting in her cozy office is changing. Instead of a shrinking wall between the inside and outside of a typical office space, there is a large wall that spans the entire front of the room. This contemporary space, called a backboard, is decorated in a way that makes it look like an artist’s canvas. Art collectors, designers, and art lovers can put their favorite images on the wall without peeking through a transparent panel or risking being caught by the glazing.