Styling your home and refreshing your decor is never ending, a constant source of inspiration and new challenges. It can be overwhelming at times. When it comes to choosing artwork for your home, there’s a few things to think about before you go shopping. Taking a step back to think about what best suits your personality and your home is really worthwhile, as it takes the stress out of hanging the artwork when you get home if you already have some ideas in mind. Don’t get me wrong, you should choose art you love and that speaks to you first and foremost, but there are some rules which will help guide you get inspired before you get started.
First thing to consider is where your artwork will be located. Are you looking for a specific wall space to be enhanced, or a new look to a room. Consider moving around existing artwork and accessories to see if you already have the solution, and in fact should turn your attention to a different space.
Whilst you’re having a reshuffle and looking at the space with fresh eyes, play around with how your artwork is grouped and displayed. Is a gallery wall fitting with your taste, eclectic and fun space where mixing and matching works really well, if you have a range of different styles of artwork?
If it’s a statement art piece, you’ll need to give it plenty of room to hold the space, to make an impact. So also consider if there’s too much in the room, competing with each other.
https://ruthegon.com/products/spring-oil-painting-on-canvas-100cm-x-200cm
Have a look at the natural and artificial light in the room, as this has a big impact on how the art looks on the wall, but also consider the ambiance you’re looking to achieve. Dark and moody or bright and light?
https://houseandhome.com/gallery/budget-friendly-luxurious-decorating-ideas/#image-25
Photographer:Tracey Ayton
Source:House & Home November 2018
Designer:Denisa Nica
Do you need to have a look at your artificial lighting to uplift the room and accentuate the artwork? Small changes like spot lighting can really impact a space and the accents of a room.
https://www.brownthomas.com/magazine/issue-11/abigail-ahern.html
Abigail Ahern is a really influential interior designer who uses rich, maximalist colours, and creates really curious and textured spaces. You can see in this example she’s chosen to use some white highlights that really pop off the wall.
Framing can make or break a piece of art, it’s important to choose the right finish to really show off the qualities of the work. Your local framer is a font of all knowledge on the subject, and I highly recommend a visit to them, armed with some photos of the space your art is going to live in.
https://studiocoverdale.com/pages/framing
https://www.apartmenttherapy.com
If you’ve fallen in love with a piece of art that doesn’t quite fit your home, firstly don’t panic! A few finishing touches can really bring together the styling in a room and doesn’t have to cost the earth either. A few simple accessories that pull together the accent colours will do wonders as a refresh. And don’t be scared of being experimental and eclectic with your style, it's a fun and liberating way of decorating.
The inspirations for Allison Muir’s home are two defining eras of San Francisco: the lavish Victorian period and the nonconformist Summer of Love.(Image credit: Esteban Cortez)
I hope I’ve given you some new ideas to think about, and some inspiration on how to make the curation process fun and less daunting!
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