Inspire me
At home with the Collector: Jo Massie
Interiors expert Jo Massie takes us round her art-filled home.
Rosie Haas
Friday 24 June, 2022
We spoke to interior designer, paint consultant and art collector Jo Massie on what makes a great collection, and her top tips for getting started. Take a look round her London pad, which features many an Affordable Art Fair find!
How did you get into art collecting?
I was busy designing homes but always tended to leave the art to the client. My own home was pretty sparse at that stage with lots of colour and wallpaper but mostly photographic artwork. Then a friend invited me to the Affordable Art Fair and I became totally hooked! I loved how approachable and down to earth the galleries were and how affordable it all was.
Now I quite often use a piece of art as a starting point for one of my moodboards. Art has become such a crucial part of my interior design work!
“Art has become such a crucial part of my interior design work!”
lithograph, © Mary Sullivan Photography
What was the first piece of art you bought at Affordable Art Fair?
I bought my first Maria Rivan’s piece on my first visit to the fair, from Liberty Gallery. I celebrated with a glass of bubbles afterwards and it felt like the most exciting purchase ever!
How did you go about building your collection? Did you collate it quickly, or over a few years?
I buy what I love over the years. It’s very emotive and I don’t consider where it’s going to go. Unless I’m doing a moodboard of course – then it’s very considered. But for my home I just find a space – whether it’s an expanding gallery up the stairs or in the bathroom. I swap the artworks quite often too, it keeps things fresh and interesting. I often bring clients to the Affordable Art Fair as it’s a lovely way to get to know them and what they like. It helps me enormously in the design of their space.
“I often bring clients to the Affordable Art Fair as it’s a lovely way to get to know them and what they like. It helps me enormously in the design of their space.”
What’s your most treasured artwork and why?
It has to be Freya, one of my Maria Rivans prints. It is a limited-edition collage print with hand embellished paint and diamond dust. I love that it’s got so much detail in it that I keep on finding things I may not have noticed before. It brings me joy every day.
Tell us about your home style…
My home is very relaxed (it has to be with two boys and a cat!) but also considered. There are themes of green and blue throughout, but these will be highlighted with pinks and yellows and black in different rooms. I like to use colour on the walls in lots of the rooms, which makes my artwork stand out. But I do also have some soft grey walls that bounce the light around and make for a brighter daytime look. It’s all about how each room will be used on a daily basis.
And how do you pair artwork to fit with your aesthetic?
My feeling on this is that anything works. Sometimes it’s nice to have things matching with the scheme and colours, but sometime a total contrast can be cool and dramatic. I have a neon glitter pink Dave Buonaguidi print DO IT in my dining area which is a total contrast to the space and it pops out with joy and makes me laugh!
What I would advise is to spend on good framing. This can make or break a piece. You can also use the framing of an artwork to ground a piece in a room.
What’s your advice to anyone looking to make their first original art purchase?
Go with what you love. And don’t worry about making a mistake. There are no mistakes with Art. It can be moved around rooms, houses, countries…it will be with you forever.
Jo Massie is the founder of Interior Design Agency The Absolute Home, and Paint Consultant at Zhoosh Paints. Huge thank you to her for letting us look round her beautiful home. Click below to shop Jo’s style and discover art additions for your own home on our online marketplace or at at one of our upcoming fairs.
