Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, there was a lonely apartment with nothing on the walls. Its owner very much wanted to decorate, to add life and color and meaning. But she didn’t know where to begin.

She searched and searched to no avail. Everything looked dull. So she continued her quest for a bit of art to make her house a home.

Then one day, she found exactly what she’d been looking for: paintings by Corinne Dean, a Chicago-based artist who draws inspiration for her whimsical works from fairy tales and storybooks. They were just what the girl had imagined when she was wee — trees filled with houses and birdcages; cakes, cupcakes, and pies. And every piece an original.

Suddenly the girl knew that her walls would never be lonely again.

And she lived happily ever after.

Available at Velocity Art and Design (866-781-9494 or velocityartanddesign.com).