A guide to choosing art for your home

Jan 22

Hanging art on the wall is one of the best ways to inject some personality into your home. I strongly believe that you should display what you love and that this should be be your number 1 criteria for choosing art, but if you’re struggling to pick something that works well in your space, here’s a guide for you.

Tie the colour in with your room

The first thing to consider is the colour palette that already exists in your room. Ideally your wall art will tie in with this - by either complementing the colours or matching to them. For example, if all of the colours within your space are muted and pastel, then a highly saturated piece of art might not necessarily work.

If you had, for example, pink accents throughout your room, then echoing this in the art will help it to tie in and connect with the rest of the space. Or, if your colour palette is Autumnal, then using art with Autumnal colours will work well.

Consider the style

The style of your art can have a big impact on the space that it’s in. If you are going for a calming, spacious and airy room, then picking a piece of art which makes you feel the same way will ensure it fits in with the space well.

Alternatively, you can use slightly unexpected art to not only bring your own character to a room but to also keep it feeling timeless. A more traditional style space with slightly more modern, abstract art or a bold print can create a really fun contrast.

Get the size right

I sometimes think that the size and position of a piece of art can be more important than what the art actually is. In my eyes, larger is always better - too small and it can make a room feel sparse.

When art is above a piece of furniture, I suggest trying to fill around 3/4 the width of the furniture. Likewise, on an empty wall, ideally your art (whether it’s one piece, two, or a gallery wall), will fill 2/3 - 3/4 of the space.

I’d also suggest that you mount your art so that it’s closer to the furniture rather than half way between the top of the furniture and the ceiling. That way it’s grounded and creates a focal point rather than looking like it’s floating on the wall.

Don’t forget the frame

Source: Johnny Miller via MarthaStewart.com

When choosing a frame for your art, always keep in mind firstly the colours and materials in the art, as well as where you’re going to hang it.

If your art contains natural colours then maybe a wooden frame would work well, or if it’s a graphic or typographic print, a black or white frame could suit. Consider the other accents in the room - for example if you have black accents then echoing that in black art frames would look good. The same goes for wood.

Choose what you love

This is absolutely the most important rule and is the first thing I say to clients when we come to talk about art.

What you display on your walls is a reflection of you, your family and your personality, so it should be something that you love. If you love it, then it will work in your home.

Where to shop for art online

Finally, where you shop for your art will depend on your taste and budget. For online art and prints, I like to use the following, which covers a range of budgets:

If you’d like my help with your next project, check out my services to see how we can work together. If you’ve enjoyed this blog, don’t forget to subscribe below to receive my new post in your inbox every Sunday.

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