Styling a space comes with many challenges—from the choice of colour to the way furniture is positioned. Of course, one of the biggest challenges is choosing the best artwork for the space. Pick the wrong artwork and the whole look is thrown off; Get it right and everything comes together. It’s made even harder by the fact that artwork is often an afterthought. We want to help you out, so we’ve come up with a quick guide to ensure you get the most out of your artwork!
If the artwork is too small, the whole room will look like one of the weirder parts of Wonderland. On the other hand, anything too big will overwhelm and dominate the space. Artwork should take up 60-75% of available wall space. If you’re planning to hang the piece above furniture, make sure the furniture is slightly wider than your choice of art.
The art you choose and the colours you already have need to work together. If you put something on the wall that isn’t a complementary or contrasting colour, it’s going to clash with the rest of the room. This means that—even if the rest of the styling is perfect and the picture is fantastic on its own—the room will look confusing and unpleasant. This is why you should choose a piece of art that works with the already existing decor. If you have a favourite colour in the theme, select an artwork that contains this colour. Alternatively, use the colour wheel to select a contrasting colour to go for a more bold look. But what if you have your heart set on a piece of art that doesn’t fit in with the existing theme? Go for it! You’ll just have to change the colour scheme in the rest of the room.
Buyers will probably visit multiple homes in the same area—and they’ll start to notice when houses display the same three artworks from the same home section of the local chain store. While the piece may look good, it will only distract potential buyers from the rest of the house. This is why you should walk off the beaten path when it comes to artwork. Find something unique that will complement the rest of the space without becoming the focus.
So, your room is styled and you’ve found the perfect complementary artwork, but when you put it on the wall it just doesn’t look right? You’ve probably picked the wrong frame! The frame needs to work with the rest of the elements in the room—putting up a heavy, black frame in a room that’s otherwise bright and airy isn’t going to look right. We suggest taking a material or colour that already exists in the space and finding a frame to match.
Once you’ve got the hang of what works (and what doesn’t), you’ll be able to enjoy the process. After all, adding art to a room is like putting the cherry on top—which means it should be fun and exciting! Good luck with your styling—we know you’ll be making the best first impression soon.
