• Cart
  • Nav Social Icons

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Blog
  • Shop Our Home
  • Design Services
  • The Home Theology Shop
  • About Home Theology
  • Mobile Menu Widgets

    Search

Home Theology

Home Theology

Design, Blog + Shop

  • Blog
  • Design Services
  • Shop Our Home
  • About

How To Choose and Style Artwork Like A Designer

October 12, 2022

Pin

It’s true that an art piece can pull a room together — what that doesn’t mean is that the colors in the piece coordinate with your rug just so. Art and photos bring life and depth to a room by showcasing a piece of your story or the tangible outcome of the soul-searching and laborious creative work that is done by artists. Meaningful artwork ties a room together by evoking emotion and pause; it’s the piece in the room that is the conversation starter, the photo that causes you to stop and stare. And what art you choose is just as important as how it’s displayed! Read on for a few of my personal design rules when it comes to choosing and hanging artwork.

it’s all about the mix

When hunting for art, be mindful of what you’re drawn to and buy what you love. Avoid filling your home with only stock art (sorry, Target) and really take your time finding one of a kind pieces that resonate with you. Are you drawn to abstract, more modern pieces? Vintage photographs or paintings? What colors do you continually come back to when looking through art? Is there a particular artist that you admire? Pay attention to your tendencies and follow your gut. Eventually you will curate a collection for yourself that is interesting, thoughtful and fully reflective of who you are. Art doesn’t have to match, come from the same color palette or style. Combining sketches, watercolor, acrylic and photographic art will add another level of richness to your walls. Just go for it!

scale + placement

When deciding on art or photos, always consider the scale of the piece. Generally I prefer abstract pieces to be the largest artwork on display (at least 30×30″), landscape photography to be small to mid-size (anything up to 20×30″) and personal photos to be the small, accent pieces layered into the room (3×3″ up to 5×7″ — avoid oversized personal photos and reserve those for small photo frames placed on a tabletop or mixed into a gallery wall). I also really love small-scale, original artwork by artists as a special piece in a bookshelf or gallery wall. When hanging artwork on a large wall, be careful not to hang your artwork too high. If you’re displaying a piece or gallery on a large wall, aim for the center of the piece to be at eye-level or 60″ from the floor to center of the art. And all artwork over a furniture piece should maintain a distance of 4-10″ from the table top to the bottom of the frame. Art is meant to be studied and enjoyed, so keep your frames at eye level and tied into a furniture vignette and it will feel intentional and thoughtful.

create a gallery

Some may say that gallery walls are out but I’ll always love a group of collected artwork beautifully arranged together on a wall. When grouping multiple frames together, hang each piece 1-3″ apart to create cohesiveness. Keep things interesting by using a mix of frame finishes, oversized mat /no mat and a collection of art + personal photos.

make it interesting

Combine art and photos together when styling your bookshelves, kitchen shelving, buffet or console table. Don’t be afraid to layer art directly overtop of other art pieces! Combine abstract or landscape art with personal photos, hang a small piece of art in an unexpected place or use small display stands to elevate a special piece. Mixing up the way you display your photos creates vignettes that draw you in and feel intentional.

Pin

By: laurenmacke · In: Blog Posts, Design, Featured

you’ll also love

2018 Family Photos
Friday Focus: February 17
Friday Focus: December 03

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. ang says

    October 14, 2022 at 11:07 am

    I love your style and how you do art with the frames and pictures. Can you share where you get a lot of your frames and also your artwork?

    • laurenmacke says

      October 14, 2022 at 2:13 pm

      Hi, thanks so much! Most of my frames are either: thrifted/vintage, made by my husband (the extra large canvases) or from Framebridge. They have a great selection and every year I have our family photo framed to add to my collection. My artwork is a mix of artists that I love, abstract pieces I’ve done myself and vintage acrylic paintings or photographs that I’ve found on FB Marketplace or in antique stores. It’s all about the hunt!

      • ang says

        October 14, 2022 at 3:00 pm

        Awe! I love it so much how you put things together. So beautiful!!!

Trackbacks

  1. Friday Focus: October 13 says:
    October 14, 2022 at 7:15 am

    […] How to Choose and Style Artwork Like a Designer […]

  2. Friday Focus: October 14 says:
    October 14, 2022 at 7:20 am

    […] How to Choose and Style Artwork Like a Designer […]

Next Post >

Friday Focus: September 30

Primary Sidebar

Most-Loved Posts

  • An Honest Review of Our Butcher Block Countertops (And If I Would Choose Them Again)
    An Honest Review of Our Butcher Block Countertops (And If I Would Choose Them Again)
  • How to Use Pleat Hooks On Ikea Curtains For a High-End Look
    How to Use Pleat Hooks On Ikea Curtains For a High-End Look
  • How to Make Your Own Dining Chair Cushions
    How to Make Your Own Dining Chair Cushions
  • Creating A Butler's Pantry Out Of A Small Hallway
    Creating A Butler's Pantry Out Of A Small Hallway

want even more design advice & behind the scenes?

Join Lauren's weekly newsletter for access to exclusive, never-before-seen content, design discussions and more personal musings.

follow along on instagram

Come with me as I work on giving Cohen’s room a Come with me as I work on giving Cohen’s room a little refresh! He was in need of a nice, flat weave rug (because Legos) and I was really excited to get this Henley rug by @loloirugs x @joannagaines @magnolia from their latest collab. I have these rugs all over my house because I seriously love them and they wear so well! More to come on this little room of his. 

#loloixjoannagaines #kidsroominspo #kidsroomdesign #smallspaceliving #boysroominspo #kidsroomideas
Put those cutie Polaroids on display! You don’t Put those cutie Polaroids on display! You don’t need a fancy frame - just snag a few affordable place card holders. I’m using @mcgeeandco marble place card holder from a few seasons ago, but any holder will do!

#ltkhome #interiorstyling #interiordesigntips #stylinginspo #transitionaldesign
I had found this rattan pedestal planter at @homeg I had found this rattan pedestal planter at @homegoods a few weeks ago and didn’t buy it, but I just had to go back for it. I think it will live here in our dining room for now!

#stylingreels #transitionaldesign #oldhomelove #interiorstyling #interiorstylingideas
Flowers here, there and everywhere 🤍 Flowers here, there and everywhere 🤍
Uncover the back patio with me! After days of rain Uncover the back patio with me! After days of rain it’s time to let the furniture breathe a bit and open everything up to the sun. With part of our patio being pea gravel, the easiest way to get loose stones back where they belong is with our leaf blower - we recently topped it off with more gravel so it’s looking extra plush lately. You will find me here tonight pretending that it’s already the weekend 🥂 

#patiodecor #patiodesign #lowes #ltkhome #patioseason #outdoorlivingspace #patiogoals
This is probably the prettiest room in our house. This is probably the prettiest room in our house. And I *may* or may not sit in here sometimes to hide for a moment of peace 😅

#pantry #pantrygoals #pantrydesign #pantrymakeover #pantryorganization #thisoldhome #oldhomelove
A moment for my latest @facebook marketplace find A moment for my latest @facebook marketplace find 🫶 this wrought iron chaise for $50 + new cushion from @walmart is going to my mvp this summer. I rearranged the back patio a bit and I’m loving how it feels. Just a little reminder that it doesn’t take big bucks or an overhaul for something to feel fresh again!
A moment for the sconces in our dining room 😮‍💨 the only lights I keep on all day, everyday. This was a project that didn’t take too much time and was 1000% worth it! The lights are from @etsy and so beautiful and affordable. Comment SHOP below to receive a DM with the link to shop our dining room on my LTK 🫶

https://liketk.it/5aFsQ

Copyright © 2025 · Theme by 17th Avenue