How to humanize a room

Rooms need a human presence to truly come alive. When your own presence feels not quite enough, but a photo or painting of a specific person would be too much, there's a happy middle ground – references to the human body that just go part of the way.

The most common motifs available are hands, lips, and eyes, probably because they're among the most visually expressive parts of our bodies. I wound up on this train of thought from a recent stroll at Black Rooster Decor in Leslieville, where I stopped in my tracks to snap the picture above.

This ceramic Open Hands Stool is so dazzling I'd be reluctant to sit on it, but it could equally support a stack of art books, an arrangement of fruit, or a neatly folded throw. It's one of the numerous and varied offspring of an iconic early-sixties design, Pedro Friedeberg's hand chair, pictured in the foreground of this book cover:

The human hand is so graphically powerful, you can deploy its effects at actual size. The Handskalad decoration from IKEA is about the same proportions as an adult hand and with its flexible joints makes an expressive addition to a shelf or windowsill:

Meanwhile at Take Note, my favourite shop for pens and stationery, you'll find a two-dimensional hand and optimistic message on a tray by People I've Loved that's perfect for a desk or entryway:

While hands convey many things in home decor, depending on their disposition, lips usually signify a bold sensuality. If I had the space and the budget, my living room sofa would be a model from Studio65 that debuted in 1970 and is still available today, fittingly called Bocca, the Italian word for mouth:

Like many modern classics of furniture design, it's available as a scaled-down replica from Vitra, precisely the same as the original while being one-sixth of the size:

The sensual aspect of lips persuaded me to buy a set of Andy Warhol coasters in an online auction by Zig Zag recently. What sold me as well were the variations in colour, playing on the endless possibilities of lipstick:

Now every time I enter my dining room, I'm greeted by a flurry of smooches.

The fastest way to get this mischievous energy into your home is with this Pop Art book from Taschen:

Drop it onto your coffee table and let the Tom Wesselman work on the cover do its magic in your living room.

While lips give interiors an erotic buzz, eyes convey an alertness brimming with mystery – and as guy with an eye, I'm particularly fond of this motif. Perhaps the most famous twentieth-century example is George Nelson's Eye Clock, designed in 1957 and still going strong:

I love the way the numerical markers are eyelashes and the core of the clock face is a pupil. It's an unforgettable fusion of human form and object.

Just as artfully stylized are these book covers for Kafka titles, each using an eye motif and other graphic elements to crystallize themes of the works:

Designed by Peter Mendelsund and launching in 2011, these editions are still available now, ready to give your stack of bedtime reading a visual upgrade.

Design impresario Jonathan Adler is an expert at casting flirtatious glances, as his Eyes needlepoint throw pillow illustrates:

In fact, Adler has all three motifs covered – eyes, lips, and hands – so if you're into his aesthetic, you have a reliable source of humanizing bric-à-brac.

When you don't have the space or inclination for new objects, your walls are your playground. The Copenhagen-based Paper Collective is well-stocked with imagery that brings the human form into your space in unorthodox ways.

Henrik Bülow's Fried Egg poster is just right for a kitchen counter:

His Lips poster makes a provocative scene in a dining room:

Hamsa Hands by Anna Mörner is doubly effective, with hands and eyes both taking centre stage:

Compiling all these examples of cropped and abstracted parts of the body has left me wondering whether I'm missing something. Are designers also playing with noses and ears and belly buttons and other aspects of our bodies?

If you've found some examples, please let me know – you might have the spark for an upcoming issue! If I include your idea, I'll credit you.

Until next Wednesday,