How to choose the right art for your space
Choosing the right paintings for your place can be difficult. Here are some tips.
Decorating a room with art is a great way to express yourself to your guests. However, picking a painting for a particular room is not always easy. The color scheme, the size of the artwork, the room, and your taste in art are crucial to making the right choice. Here are some tips to help you pick the right artwork for your room.
The Room
While some interior designers suggest that the art should blend well with the environment, this should not limit your choice in picking the artwork. You can be creative and mix the antique with the modern.
The most common place for art is the living room. If you only have one work of art to display, you should probably hang it in the living room. Pick a piece that represents your personality but keep your frequent guests in mind as well. Landscape paintings or food-themed art are usually preferred for the dining room. Other types of painting would do but make sure that it’s not anything controversial or stomach-turning. For the bedroom, you should pick something with calming colors like paintings of the ocean or nature, or perhaps something more personal that you would not wish to have on public display (romantic portraits of a spouse are a common request, for example).
The artwork might look good on a place where you’ve never thought of displaying it. Try hanging the painting in different rooms and walls. Use the frame to serve as a bridge between the artwork and the room. You can also make adjustments to the room to harmonize the art with your space.
The Size
Choose the most visible walls in your home. Find the right proportion for the art and the wall. The art should not be too big or too small for the wall. If you have a horizontal wall, you can hang a long horizontal piece on that wall. Some art needs more space so that the painting does not look too crowded, although filling some walls with many small pieces can work well too.
Color Scheme
Choose colors that will blend well with those of the room. Bold colors for a boldly colored space, for example. It does not have to be an exact match. If you’re not too sure, consider a black and white artwork because those would blend well with most colors. Again, the frame can be used to blend the color scheme of your room with the painting.
Your Taste in Art
The most important thing to consider when choosing an artwork is your taste. Pick a painting that appeals to you emotionally. You will be the one to see it most of the time so you might want to pick something that makes you happy. Whether you choose classical or pop art, the artwork should fit your personality.
Don’t forget to ask if you are not sure. We’re happy to advise on what artwork might work well in a given space.
Other tips:
Always check measurements before ordering. We’ve had clients inadvertently order paintings too large for the intended location. Even “plotting out” space with tape or paper on the wall can help, to give a clearer idea of just how big the painting will be and if it might end up dominating the room. It can be hard to visualize just how big “3 by 4 feet” can be, for example.
If ordering a larger number of paintings, for a new home or office perhaps, choosing themes can be helpful if short on ideas. On a recent project we recommend transport-related art for the garage, mother and child themed paintings for the parents’ rooms, childhood scenes for the children’s areas etc.
Top Tip: Choose art that is interesting to you. Maybe commission a painting of a photo you took on holiday – you have the background story and meaning that way. Or, select a famous piece that means something to you. We are often asked to recreate works that people have viewed and loved in museums. Art is a way of expressing oneself and should be a joy, not a duty. Happy hunting!
