Art with a mission: functional pieces with plenty of flair

Using her marketing talents to promote the new Debra Gould Home Collection, within a year of starting her design business Debra was on the cover of Boulevard Magazine for their story “Art with a mission: functional pieces with plenty of flair” by Maureen Licata.

The May/June 2001 story explored 4 artists handpicked by Debra who create functional art for the home, including metal artists Michael Mintern and Gary John Pearson, and glass artist Chris Doman.

Here’s an excerpt from the story:

“… We’re surrounded by functional objects, usually mass produced and not necessarily fun or interesting to look at,” says designer Debra Gould. “By introducing a few handcrafted items into our homes, we create a unique environment and bring our rooms to life. An environment should have elements that hit a person on an emotional level.”

. . . She enlivens the cloths with handmade stamps and stencils. Sometimes lines form the Talmud, Rumi or other memorable sources meander around the perimeter of the cloth. Her floorcloths, wall hangings and place mats have jazzed up a slew of homes in the area and far afield.

…As color conscious as Matisse, Gould “coordinates but doesn’t match” her clients’ interior tones. “I’m passionate about color and it’s the starting point for all my work,” she says. “The clients and I develop a palette and the design flows from there.”