Art has the unique ability to transform our living spaces, either by providing a subtle connection between the furniture, decorations, and the open space or creating powerful statements that immediately draw your attention. It is also a highly subjective choice, which is perfect for showcasing the homeowner’s personality and adding that special flair that can define the way your home makes you and others feel.
Yet, many find it extremely challenging to choose the right artwork for their home. In this guide, we outlined some of the most critical factors you should consider when decorating your home with art. The advice ranges from practical tips to general guidelines that you can follow loosely as you search for ideal pieces that fit your style and aesthetic.
If you would like to consult a professional, Ron Nathan Interiors employs interior design experts to guide you through this process.
Make It Personal
Before we dive into more practical advice and “rules” for choosing artwork, we cannot emphasize enough the importance of going with your heart and intuition. Great art should inspire, motivate and make you feel something when you look at it. Sure, an intricate African mask might seem a bit too much for your minimalist, industrial home from a strict design perspective. Yet, such a piece’s power and raw emotion could be a remarkable statement that gives your living room that extra oomph.
Do not fall into the trap of treating art as a piece of furniture or something that has to fall into a specific pattern or style; choose art that moves you and you would love to see and interact with every day. After all, impressing guests and visitors is one thing, but you will be the one spending most of your time in your home, and you should love the space and the art it features.
Explore Different Art Forms
Most of us think of paintings and wall art when we talk about decorating a home, but there is more to art and how its various forms can transform your living space. Maybe the statement piece you are looking for is a sculpture with both the tactile and spatial experience that the two-dimensional paintings don’t. Or perhaps turning your floors into exhibition spaces by purchasing one-of-a-kind rugs could be your way of making your home unique.
Do not be afraid to think outside of the box and consider different types of art forms for your home. Combining various art forms can also give layers to your living space and create a personalized look.
Let the Art Breathe
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to overcrowd your home with art. To make the biggest impact and look powerful in space, art needs a bit of room to breathe. Unless the art pieces are a part of a set or series that need to be displayed together, avoid placing art pieces right next to each other.
The best practice is to measure walls and include sizeable breaks between the places where you hang art. That extra bit of space between displays can help you focus on a single piece with ease and experience it on a higher level. This is especially true for large statement pieces: You do not want other things drawing attention from it.
Matching Colors
There are two general approaches to decorating your home with art in terms of color. The obvious one is to choose art that will fit well in the existing color palette in the home. If you have gone with mild and soothing pastel colors on your walls and furniture, somewhat muted, calm, and warm art pieces will blend seamlessly into the space, creating a uniform aesthetic. Minimalist design styles usually use this approach.
A more daring and possibly more rewarding approach is to provide contrast or pop of color with the artwork. Think of a large statement piece full of color in an all-white aesthetic. Or a large canvas featuring light colors in a darker, more conservative space. The options are endless, and you can get creative, choosing pieces that will balance out the area and provide something that guests and visitors can focus on.
Styles and Inspiration Pieces
Another approach to choosing artwork for your home is to lean on a specific style or central pieces in your collection. Perhaps you decorated your home in a classical or colonial style. Classic artwork and themes would seem like a natural fit in spaces like that. To enrich the space further, you can add pieces in a similar style but different forms, like sculptures, arts and crafts, or rugs.
A different, more modular approach is to choose a statement piece around which you will decorate the space. That often means altering the color of the walls around it and choosing furniture and decorations to enhance the statement piece. This approach works well for people who like to feature a mixture of styles and aesthetics in their home, rather than one uniform style.
Practical Tips for Art in Different Rooms
While the overall process of choosing art for your home should be flexible and open-minded, encouraging intuition and emotion, a small practical framework should help you create a bigger impact and select the pieces that complement the rest of your home well. We outlined some general advice about art in each of the rooms in your home. Take this as a guide and inspiration, rather than a strict set of rules to follow.
Art in the Kitchen
The kitchen is not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about spaces to decorate with art. It is one of the most used rooms in the home, where the family spends most of their time together. Finding the right pieces to incorporate into your kitchen can be a bit of a challenge, as there is not much space available for art.
Large art pieces that make a statement are usually not incorporated in most kitchens; smaller complementary pieces that enhance the space are more ideal. Few pieces on the countertops or above the cabinets could be just what you need to make the kitchen more colorful and inviting.
Art in the Bathroom
Modern bathrooms often feature a strong aesthetic already, as most people like to make a statement by choosing a unique combination of color, ceramic tiles, and furniture to decorate them. Once again, you should be looking for pieces that will complement the design of your bathroom.
Bathrooms have many symmetrical features, so art pieces that come in pairs could be a great solution. In general, when decorating a bathroom, we look for a calming and relaxing interior. The artwork should not overwhelm the space but rather fit that aesthetic.
Art in the Bedroom
The bedroom is where we rest and relax, so the artwork should provide a soothing and mild experience — something that can help us reach our happy place quickly and provide a calming atmosphere. Compared to the bathroom and the kitchen, a bedroom has much more space for art, so larger pieces or sets that can cover the wall above the bed or across from it are an option.
Art in the Home Office
Art plays a different role in the office and should provide inspiration. Whether it is motivational posters or your favorite artists’ pieces, the art should provide that extra spark that will get you through a difficult day and keep you engaged. One useful approach is to create a vision board or space where you can feature multiple artworks that inspire you.
Floating shelves that can carry multiple smaller frames or walls above your work desk and cabinets are all fair game. The office is one of the most flexible areas for choosing art, as you can implement multiple styles that fit your vision.
Art in the Living Room
The living room is by far the most intimidating space to decorate with art. It is the room where you will entertain guests, and you want it to contain art that will impress and draw attention. This is the space where you should pull out a large statement piece that will be the main feature. You can get creative here and even choose a piece that might not fit well with the rest of the design.
Another approach is to create a feature wall, where you can hand multiple artworks in a gallery-like outline. You can choose single or multiple themes to feature here. Pull out all the stops to display your favorite artwork.
Our Design Team Can Help
Choosing the right art for your home can be an overwhelming process that even experienced decorators have trouble with. Doing it as a collaborative effort with a professional interior designer can be a rewarding experience that can take your home to the next level.
At Ron Nathan Interiors, we have helped clients choose the perfect pieces when decorating their homes since 1974. Let us help you implement a unique style that goes along with your vision for an ideal home. To contact us, visit our website or call 201-666-8185.
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