How to display art in your home
I am often asked the following : How should I display art on my walls? I am not sure how to display art/objects/accessories in my home ? Should everything match? To this point I have never posted about interior design, a field I know well, so I thought it might be interesting to do a piece about presentation and hopefully give you some tips. It is usually not straightforward as each home is different.The important thing is that it should reflect the personality of the people who live in it. When I design an interior for someone, my main motivation is to improve their life by creating a better environment, specific to them. So I’ll be giving some basic tips here that hopefully can help you to get started.
1- Create a space that resonates your personality
Whatever your style is, modern, vintage, county, industrial, exotic, classic, eclectic… surround yourself with things you love and objects that make you happy. At the end of the day, this is where you want to feel good and feel relaxed. You should ask yourself the following , what I am looking for? A sense of calm ? A nostalgic mood? If you know what you are looking for, you are already half way there. Artwork can transform a room, introduce a theme or create an atmosphere.
2- Mixing types and styles
Creating an interesting space in a room can be as simple as mixing types and styles. Mixing artwork and objects made with different materials and textures can add character to a room. Think about soft, reflective, hard materials such as wool, linen, cotton for softness and warmth, copper, silver, glass for bouncing the light, clay, cement for a strong statement and contrast. You can setup a specific corner with a few of these different objects together. If you have mainly photography, paintings and framed pieces, think about textiles. It immediately adds a warm feeling in a room and softens it.
3- Wall pieces and gallery wall
When we think about wallart, we first often think about paintings, prints and photography. But there a alternatives that can be placed on the wall such as textile pieces (wallhangings, embroidery, textile prints…)
Placing your artwork on your wall at the right level is important. An important thing is to make sure it is not hung too high. I must admit this is one thing that I would notice right away and unfortunately it will affect the overall look of your room. Ensure it is at eye level, this is much more natural. There is kind of a rule which is 1.48 m high but you don’t have to be that specific!
Small or large, an artwork can be really effective on a wall. Bold or suble, it can transform a room and convey a specific mood. If you have small artwork, you can create a gallery wall instead of getting a large artwork.
Don’t look to fill all the walls in a room. There was in the past a lot of this where you can see every wall filled with some type of artwork randomly, just to fill a wall. It just does not always work. Leaving a wall blank can be interesting and make the other elements of the room stand out. A nice tall green plant can add a touch of light and shadow to that wall.
Think about shallow shelves. These are readily available now and you can arrange your art without leaving holes everywhere on the wall.
Staircase wall is a good place to display your art. You can stagger the pieces parallel to your rail and create a beautiful space you’ll see everyday. As it is a high traffic area, maybe use removable adhesive strips for each corner so your art piece does not be bumped askew.
Gallery wall:
Gallery wall can look timeless. A gallery wall should be always a work in progress. This is definitively what’s happening in mine, where I sometimes change one piece after a few months or add one . Creating a group of framed artwork can be very effective on one wall in a room. Hanging different size print at different height can be very successful if done right. Choose what you want to achieve, a colourful display, a seascape feel, a monochromatic effect, a botanical theme, a mix of pattern. If you go for a grouping of artwork make sure the center is at your eye level. Initially use pieces of paper to represent the pieces you want to hang on that wall. This will quickly let you see what the end result could look like and allow to quickly change things around. Creating a gallery wall adds personality and colour. you can opt for a simple and cohesive frames or mix them up with a varietion of frames, such as prints, paints, photography…All sizes. Take your time and build it slowly, you’ll enjoy this.
Examples taken from Pinterest:
4- Display of artwork pieces
Create a little corner for a display: check in your room what could be used to display vessels, ceramics, vases, prints. Console table, coffee table, window cill, chest of drawers, shelving, bookcase.
Something I particularly like is to put framed pieces standing on a console table or chest behind other artwork and books for example. They don’t have to be hanged on a wall but simply displayed against the wall. It adds to a nice atmosphere in a room. You can also create a shelf where you display a bunch of framed pieces together, overlapping each other.
5- Tie everything together
Creating a balance is important in your home. Now it is time to tie all that together. Connecting all the elements of your room should happen naturally. Textiles are wonderful materials for connecting everything in your room as they are tactile and have movement. If you have textile pieces on your wall, you can add in your room a floor lamp, a large plant, a display of ceramics. If you have only photography on your wall for example, you can add texture in the room with textile vessels, cushions, throws… Finding the balance depends on your personality. Some people will lean towards a minimalist space while others will thrive for a room full of objects.
Let me know if you have any questions or comments, I’ll be happy to answer and help. And don’t be afraid to experiment.
