Choosing the Perfect Wall Art for Your Home Interior
Art, Wall hangings and photographic prints are the stylistic icing on the cake that is your home. Wall art draws the eye, pulls together colour and design elements in a space, and makes your home more inviting.
While there are no set rules for decorating a home, following these basic instructions will help you select the perfect wall art pieces. Go by size, style, colour, theme, inspiration, or floor plan. The options are endless.
THE #1 TIP FOR CHOOSING THE IDEAL WALL ART
The main piece of advice everyone needs to think about when looking for wall art is this: find something you love. If you see something and you do not get a feeling of happiness, excitement or calmness, don’t put it on your wall. You want your art to be a reflection of your personality and taste, not current trends. You live in your home, so enjoy the pieces you have on your walls and allow them to be an extension of your style.
SELECTING WALL ART BY SIZE
When it comes to wall art, it’s difficult if you are not sure what sized print you need. Go into your search for wall art with a size in mind for quick selection.
What room are you looking to decorate? Most people find it easier to start with the larger pieces and work their way down the list to the smaller artworks. If you want a large statement artwork piece above your sofa, start with this first as it will be the first thing people see. As you begin pulling together your space, the smaller pieces you select will enhance the overall design you of the room, and soon your home will be decorated with products you love.
These are the basic tips to consider when selecting prints by size. These are particularly important when displaying several pieces together on a gallery style wall design — size matters!
- Oversized: These prints are 100 centimetres in length or greater. Before buying a piece this large, measure your space to see if it can accommodate it. Oversized wall art acts as a focal point of a wall or a room, and can be particularly effective when placed above a statement piece of furniture such as a sofa or dining table.
- Large: This size frame is from about 80 to 100 centimetres in length. Large wall art could serve as a centrepiece or be balanced on either side with mini or small pieces. One to two large pieces per room is considered standard.
- Medium: Wall art in this category is from 60 to 70 centimetres long. Some pieces can stand alone, but medium pieces also go well when grouped with one another. Try and keep your space symmetrical when adding medium wall hangings.
- Small: Small frames are typically 45 to 59 centimetres in length and go well in pairs or groups of three to six hangings. If you’re wanting to create impact with these smaller style frames, why not combine with other mixed sizes and create an impressive gallery wall?
- Mini: The smallest size of frames are mini, falling in the range of 25 to 44 centimetres. Think about anything the size of a piece of paper or smaller as a mini piece of art. You often see them sold as collections; it is common to see at least three to four of these sold together.
When selecting wall art, go with a general idea about the size you are looking for. Smaller spaces such as bathrooms cannot accommodate oversized wall art, just as most living rooms aren’t decorated with minis.
Abstract Print titled Wild Storm | Shop All Wall Art
There are some general sizing rules to think about:
- Pictures should not be more than two-thirds longer than your sofa.
- Photos should be at least 15 centimetres above the edge of your furniture.
- A small piece of art can’t fill a big space. Group small pieces together. Works by the same artist or within the same colourway will complement each other well.
- Consider the height of ceilings when choosing size. Be sure it fills the space in length and width, however doesn’t come too close to the ceiling height.
SELECTING WALL ART BY STYLE
Pink Kombi / Shop All Wall Art
Of all of the ways to choose wall art, decorating your home based on style might be the most natural as more than anything, selecting wall art is very personal. A few examples of styles that you may seek are: abstract prints, contemporary prints, fine line wall art prints, bright coloured prints, bold form prints, bohemian or watercolour prints.
Once you know what style best suits your home and personality, look for a piece that not only falls within your style preferences but is also considers size parameters. Still not sure where to start? Try to find a piece for each of the following categories:
- Choose pieces that match the style of your room, including the furniture you already have or articles you have accumulated along the way. If you are drawn towards modern contemporary furniture, look for wall art prints that are also contemporary in design. However, if you love classic traditional furniture the art you choose will fall within this interior style.
- Invest in at least one significant or oversized piece you’d love to see for years to come.
- Purchase a set, a trio, and even a group of mini or small pieces. These look great in bathrooms, kitchens or smaller clusters on larger walls.
- Use frames to emphasize your style whether it is through matching or mismatched ones. If you’re a lover of Scandinavian style, think about mixing wooden picture frames with white wood frames.
- Mix materials by adding wooden art or a metal sign to space.
- Add a sign with words but no more than two or three that you can switch out.
SELECTING WALL ART BY COLOUR
Abstract Print by Mark Rothko | Shop All Wall Art
Did you know in the world of decorating, there is a big difference between room colour palettes versus the colour palettes of art? With art, there is more allowance for the use of bold colour schemes or the brights you may only reserve for an accent wall.
There are two major approaches to selecting your wall art by colour.
First, add art to your room that incorporates colours already present in the room. In the majority of cases, sticking to a consistent scheme is cohesive, sophisticated, and complementary. Basics of this style include:
- Your most significant piece of artwork should have a background colour that matches your wall colour.
- Reference the colour wheel when selecting complementary shades.
- Use the same colour but in different shades. A light blue and white painting looks beautiful with a navy-blue wall.
- Only choose wall art if that exact shade is already in your room. Most spaces should not exceed four colours to look pulled together.
- Stick to black and whites when in doubt about colour. Black and white match everything while also adding to the elegance of a structure.
- Stay away from bright colours and neons as these do not always match up with neutral wall colours.
- Keep the colours in your wall art equal in proportion to their presence in the room. For instance, if your place is black and white with red throw pillows, select wall art that is black and white with a touch of red.
- Make use of mirrors to reflect art. Reflections make the room look larger and duplicate the appearance of all wall art.
Blue and Gold print titled the mist | Shop All Wall Art
Alternatively, choose art for your room that introduces bolder shades on the same colour scheme. Your wall colour does not restrict your palette but instead serves as a baseline for your evolving sense of personal style.
- Bright or bold wall art pieces stand out against walls with neutral backgrounds.
- Tie together the room with line work or style rather than colour. Pieces from the same artist could be different colours but pulled together with the style of painting.
- Play with texture and colour in wall art, furniture, and accessories. Buy pieces made from mixed materials like wood and metal. Adding the colours of the artwork to the accessories of your room emphasises the boldness of your wall hangings.
- Purchase based on undertones. The undertones of a painting are the underlying qualities of the picture. Dark brown undertones look great on light brown walls, even if light brown is not actually in the artwork.
- Make use of photo frames to emphasise your favourite pieces. Frames do not necessarily need to be in standard colours like black, white, silver, or gold.
- Introduce a new colour into the room in twos or threes. One occurrence of a bright pink could be accidental, but two circumstances make it intentional. Repeating colour increases its impact in the room.
SELECTING WALL ART BY THEME
Yellow Graffiti Woman | Shop All Wall Art
Did you build your home around a certain theme or idea? Even if you did not start with this intention, many purchasers select items based on a theme, even if subconsciously.
For example, a home with a beachy feel has light or bright walls, artwork of sea life, pieces made of driftwood, and other stylistic characteristics that align with the Hamptons, California Coastal or Boho Beachy vibes.
Homes with a theme are simple to decorate because you can quickly eliminate items that do not align.
Whenever you are in a store selling home goods, merely scan the space for pieces specific to the theme. Also, pick up pieces when on vacation, with family or friends, or even in unexpected places like garage sales.
SELECTING WALL ART BASED ON AN INSPIRATION PIECE
Modern Print titled Garbo | Shop All Wall Art
Much like designing around a theme, an inspiration piece drives all of your other purchasing decisions. An inspiration piece for a room could be a piece of art, furniture you love, or even just a trinket with a sentimental meaning. One woman’s boucle armchair is another woman’s grand piano — both potentially inspire the design of an entire room or even a whole house.
Once you find an inspiration piece, follow these tips for selecting wall art:
- Use your inspiration piece to determine the colour scheme of your room. It is best to narrow it down to three or four colours.
- Select wall art that follows the colour scheme of the room. With a set colour scheme, you can combine patterns, geometrics, solids, and more. As a general rule, introducing a new colour requires you to add it in at least two places for a cohesive room.
- Trust your natural instincts; it does not need to be perfectly matching to be a beautiful room. Surround yourself with things you love.
- Don’t forget a touch of white. The room cannot be covered in colour, or the eye does not get a break from all of your design.
SELECTING WALL ART FOR AN OPEN FLOOR PLAN
Abstract titled Vivid Dreams | Shop All Wall Art
With more and more homeowners purchasing or designing open floor places, picking wall art is tougher than ever. The most important rule to follow in selecting wall art for an open floor plan is to purchase and hang with the purpose of clearly defining space.
Create a cohesive look between rooms but place your wall art firmly in one space. For example, a wall shared between a kitchen and living room should have wall art specifically in the kitchen and then in the living room.
When you’re selecting wall art for an open floor plan, you need to consider space and how you use it. If the only walls available are above your sofa and dining table, don’t make them fight for attention. Instead, create a focal point on one of those walls that complements the simpler spaces.
WALL ART DEFINES YOUR HOME
Pink Print by Ilan Grace | Shop All Wall Art
The right wall art sets the tone for your space by keeping it inviting, communicating what type of family you are, and defining different rooms.
Whether you are focused on colour, size, a theme, or even an inspiration piece, choosing your wall art does not have to be difficult.
You deserve a home that is comfortable but also suits your sense of style. Have fun selecting your wall art and be inspired by Lily Pope’s different pieces.