If you’ve just spent time rearranging a room, re-decorating or have recently moved into a new home and want to add the finishing touches with some beautiful prints or paintings, how do you go about choosing the ideal wall art? This post aims to help you out when it comes to knowing what, where and how to display your artwork.
Style choices & colour palettes
Wall art gives you the opportunity to brighten and personalise your space. The most popular rooms to add wall decor to are living rooms and bedrooms. However, a staircase can provide a great gallery wall opportunity, whilst a kitchen, ensuite or laundry area can provide a great spot for some quirky artwork.
Art is as we know totally subjective; it’s your choice to be bold or subtle, depending on what appeals to you and suits the interior style of your home. If you’re not exactly sure where to begin, take a look at a wonderful art emporium like Fine Art America since browsing through the styles and framed prints can help you start to identify your preferences.
If you live in a modern, minimal space then perhaps some simple line drawings or monochrome prints could be ideal, displayed in clean, white evenly-sized frames. Those living in a more rustic or industrial style space might opt for wood block artwork, whilst a calm, relaxing coastal bedroom, for example, would be better teamed with some neutral abstract art or gentle seascapes. A traditional or period home looks good with artwork framed in gold or brass.
If you have a totally blank canvas to work with, such as a big white wall, this is a fantastic opportunity to make a statement with a big block of colour. You might choose an unframed canvas or something with a slim black frame to stand out against the bare wall. The art you choose for your walls should reflect your personality which might draw you towards a bright, bold colour palette or subtle neutral tones.
Use your chosen artwork to help pull a room together, for example if your wall decor features pink or gold, you can add extra touches of pink or gold around the room. If there is green in your artwork, introducing some plants could provide a pleasing balance.
Gallery wall tips
A gallery wall is one trend that never seems to go out of fashion. The beauty is that you can switch it up when you feel like you need a change by adding new prints and pictures to your existing frames. As mentioned earlier, the stairwell is a great place to create a gallery wall, providing an eye-catching and welcoming focus. You can either opt for a uniform arrangement with an even number of prints in a set theme, complimentary colours and matching frames which gives a sophisticated and cohesive look.
Or you can abandon symmetry in favour of a jumble of landscape and portrait frames displayed parallel to the stairs in an upward incline for an eclectically cool wall!
If you wan to select a particular theme such as vintage or folksy art, cityscapes or black and white photos of rock royalty for example Fine Art America makes choosing a wall art theme so much easier.
Affordable wall art or investment piece?
The beauty of art is that it comes in many forms. Art can be fun or serious. It can be expensive or super affordable. There are no rules around what you choose to display in your home. If you wish to invest in a special piece of art, there’s certainly a buzz to be had from buying a limited edition print or an original painting. You don’t have to be wealthy to invest in a unique piece from an up and coming artist. Your investment may grow in value over time and if you move home, it can come with you of course.
If you prefer to keep the costs down, why not buy some of your favourite prints unframed and add your own thrifty frames sourced from a junk shop.
Not just paintings and prints…
Who says you need to decorate your walls with framed prints or paintings? Posters are popular and inexpensive, or you could opt to display something different from the norm, like a decorative tea towel or wonderful large tapestries. These large cloths can be easily draped above a fireplace, bed or sofa for instant impact and they’re ideal if you are in a temporary or rented home. Particularly on trend at the moment are traditional mud cloth designs, they look great styled with house plants for a relaxed, homely vibe and are extremely good value. Other ideas include displaying items such as plates and woven goods like baskets and straw hats, or how about some fake taxidermy or an impactful mural!
Frames, picture hooks & more
As well as choosing your artwork carefully, you need to think about how you intend to display it. Rustic reclaimed wooden frames look great in an industrial or country home, modern homes suit a white or black gloss frame. Perspex frames are inexpensive and add protection and a wipeable surface, ideal for kitchens and bathrooms.
A tape measure is essential when establishing the central point of a wall or working out an even space between pictures. For multiple pieces of art, lay them out on the floor first and play around with positions until you are happy with the arrangement. If you’d rather save your plaster or wallpaper from damage, avoid hammering nails into the wall and use sticky picture hanging solutions that remove without ruining the surface.
In an older house you could use a lovely brass picture hook hanging from the picture rail. Framed prints look good simply resting on a shelf or propped up on a sideboard and can be easily rotated if you fancy a change.
Oversized framed pictures can look really stylish displayed at floor level, resting against a wall or fireplace in a little collection or vignette – very chic and unique!
Collaborative post
© Copyright 2020 Antonia, All rights Reserved. Written For: Tidylife
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