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.
