SOURCE: Homes to Love
Have you ever found yourself looking at an image of a room and wondering why you love it so much? Often we’re busy looking at the sofa and pillows and we completely overlook the artwork. Even when we’re not consciously aware of it, artwork has a huge impact on how we feel about a space. It’s probably why we get overwhelmed when selecting amazing artwork for our own homes. We know we want it to be special and that can take a lot of time. Art can be dramatic and eye-catching so take your time and never rush into this purchase.
Why is art so impactful? It tells us a lot about the people who live in the space. It might be pieces they’ve collected on travels or maybe it’s antiques that were handed down. Even small pieces can tell a story and our minds love to find the stories in a space.
4 Steps to Selecting Amazing Artwork For Your Home
1/ Work With Your Own Style
SOURCE: IQ Design
It’s important to consider your own style when you’re buying new artwork. Although the style of the art is a little more fluid than a lot of the other decor pieces, we want to be aware of what style we have in our space.
When you’re getting ready to buy new art, start by looking at your furniture. What does it say about your style? Take cues from that to determine what type of art will enhance what you already own.
Here are some simple guidelines for picking art to match your style. And as always, rules are made to be broken so if you feel confident, just go with your heart. At the end of the day if you buy what you love, it’s always a good choice.
- Black and white photography for Contemporary
- Florals, birds, landscapes for Traditional
- Abstract for Mid-Century
- Bold oil paintings for Hollywood Regency
2/ What Size is Best?
SOURCE: Decoholic
Before you can go shopping you need to determine the best size for your space. Although art is creative and emotional, there are a lot of rules when it comes to hanging artwork. You need to take note of the size of your space, the height of your ceiling and the size of the furniture in your space. Selecting amazing artwork starts long before you walk into any store or gallery.
You want to pay particular attention to the furniture that will sit directly below the artwork. The furniture and the artwork should connect to each other and create a cohesiveness. When it’s not done correctly, your eye will know something is off. You may not know exactly what’s wrong but your senses will tell you it’s not perfect.
Want to Learn More about Hanging Art? My post “Easy Tips for Hanging Artwork the Right Way” shows you exactly what you need to know. Read the post here.
3/ Create a Colour Palette
SOURCE: JCathell
Determine the colour palette you want to create in your space. If you have a room that you love then you’ve already got your palette. If not, start by taking inventory of what you have in your space. The colours that are already there are going to set the foundation for the palette.
Try to be consistent with the use of colour by limiting the palette to 2-4 colours and repeating them throughout the space. The intention is not to equally distribute these colours. Instead, your primary colour (which is likely a neutral) will account for the largest majority of the palette. For example, if you have a cream sofa and a cream area rug, this is your base colour in your palette. Now you start to pull the colours that are being used in smaller quantities. And if you don’t have any additional colour then you can pick what you’d love to see in your space. Once you’ve created the palette, you’re ready to start shopping for artwork.
PRO TIP – one of the easiest ways of selecting amazing artwork with a colour palette in mind is to use the free paint chips. Once you have your palette completed, take a few pieces that have the palette colours and go shopping at the paint store. Try to find the exact match for each of the colours. Now when you’re ready to go shopping for art you take those paint swatches with you. You’re guaranteed to get the colours right because let’s face it, we can’t rely on our memories when we’re faced with walls of colour to pick from.
4/ The Frame is Part of the Art
SOURCE: High Fashion Home
A beautiful frame becomes part of the art. If you have ever reframed something you know the true power that lies in the frame. You can take something as simple as a thrift shop find and through reframing, turn the ordinary into something you truly love.
If you do have pieces of art that need to be framed, try to select a material that exists in the space already. Don’t use materials you don’t love. So if you have a wooden coffee table that you’re counting the days until you can replace, avoid framing in a wood that’s similar. If you have used gold accents throughout, this is a good choice for a frame. White and black can be incorporated into any style. And don’t be afraid to mix and match your frames. The only exception is in a traditional space where symmetry is the name of the game. Otherwise, mixing metals and wood throughout the frames in a room adds a lot of interest.
There are a lot of projects around the home that I encourage you to tackle on your own but I get it, selecting art is difficult. If you need help with any aspect of your home including artwork go take a look at my services. I have a service for all your design needs. I’d love to chat so reach out.
If you know your design style but you struggle with which paint to use, take a look at my Made-For-You paint palettes. They take the guesswork out and give you the confidence to get started.
