Are you worried about how to showcase your favorite piece of art?
Collecting art is no doubt a thrilling activity but sometimes displaying it the right way becomes quite a challenge. When showcasing artworks, you have to take note of a few things and one of the most important factors is light.
If you are putting a painting that is beside an open window, the chances are that the sun rays would eventually damage the paint. You would not want to commit common mistakes like this.
Displaying art in the right way is as crucial as collecting them. Unless you do it correctly, the art will not get the value and appreciation that it rightly deserves.
To help you out, we have charted some of the best ways in which you can arrange and display art. Without further delay, let’s dive right in!
1. Say Goodbye To Framed Wall Art
Not everyone likes their art assemblage to be displayed formally like it is done on a gallery wall. If you are one of them, you can consider displaying art in a more informal fashion.
For this purpose, you can consider installing artwork with the help of wooden skirt hangers, which would add an industrial feel to the art. You can also consider using Japanese washi tape to stick the art for a more casual feel.
But remember that to display artwork correctly can involve hefty expenditures and one might not always have the budget for it. Luckily, this cost-effective method would help you make use of blank walls without driving a hole in your pockets and it also works for displaying photographs.
For the best results, we suggest that you arrange the artwork to utilize blank space most effectively. Pro tip: you can even get prints of digital arts.
2. Put Up Wall Art In Odd Numbers
When displaying artwork, we suggest that you use the ‘rule of three’ to your benefit. If you are unaware of what that is, let us break it down for you.
In general, when you display objects in odd numbers, they tend to look better and that applies to wall art too. But if odd numbers seem distracting to you, try to find a symmetrical arrangement that would give the wall hangings a holistic feel.
However, you can try arranging them in an asymmetrical arrangement as well if you would like to go for a more relaxed feel. This scheme of arrangement also works well when you try combining a range of wall art like plates, paintings, and other collectibles.
3. Use The Floors
When you have installed precious wallpapers on your house walls, it hardly makes sense to cover it up with wall art. But should that stop you from displaying art altogether? The answer is a definite no!
In order to tackle this situation, all you need to do is make use of the floor. For example, in your dining room or living space, you can simply make artwork rest on the floor.
If you are feeling more experimental, place the artwork on a cupboard or a shelf and lean it against the wall. This method is particularly helpful when you move into a new space and do not want to get the walls drilled.
You can experiment with artworks of different styles and change them in a jiffy every time you feel like giving the room a makeover. It is a clever way in which you can display art without causing any damage to the walls.
4. Mix And Match To Your Rescue
Unless you want a sophisticated look with similar artwork framing the walls, it is best that you mix and match. You can mix the kind of artwork that you decide to put up but make sure that the works have an underlying unity.
For this, you can mix and match art pieces by different artists, all the while maintaining unity in the color scheme. A creative mind can match artworks from different eras too; just imagine mixing pottery with concept art!
The easiest way to mix and match is to play with frames. You do not have to necessarily stick with the basic black frames or install all frames in the same color. Simply go ahead and experiment with frames of different colors and shapes.
5. Amp It Up Like A Gallery Wall
There’s no better way to inject personality into home decoration than creating gallery walls filled with your personal favorite works. Be it your master bedroom or living space, a wall filled with your prized paintings and photographs would enhance the beauty of the rooms like nothing else.
And we have some of the best tips for wall decor. To create the perfect layout, we would suggest that you first try placing the frames on a floor to check if the arrangement would look nice on the wall.
Hanging art is a risky affair if you end up using a hammer on the walls without any prior thought. So, you can make use of an art visualizer app for this purpose. Try placing the largest artwork in the center and placing the rest around it in any arrangement that you like. Our guess is that you would have to try out a few arrangements before landing on one that you like.
Handling multiple pieces is not easy, we agree. But then playing with artwork arrangement is something that will only make you feel more relaxed.
6. Use Prop Out Picture Ledges
For framed photographs, you no longer need to restrict yourself to the wall. Use your creative side to install picture ledges that can house your prized art collection. You can even mix and match them with other art forms that you decide to showcase.
A picture ledge might feel narrow to you, but trust us when we say that they are broad enough to showcase your mementos and memorabilia too. You can even try to create a cozy feel by adding miniature plants or cactuses to the mix.
Keep in mind that unless you place the frames correctly, you might face the problem of blank space. However, that won’t be too much of a problem if you can use the negative space to your advantage.
7. Wall Art in Matching Colors
You should not restrict yourself to maintaining a color scheme only for the bookshelves. Maintaining a color scheme while putting up your favorite artwork would help you achieve coherence in display and would give them unity.
For this, you do not need to purchase new art and can easily work around the artworks that are already present in your collection. All they would need is a little rearranging.
A black frame or a white-colored flower vase, for example, would look great against the backdrop of a monochrome painting.
8. Widen Your Vision
When thinking of artworks, why restrict yourself to just paintings, sculptures, and photographs? Extend your vision, and bring out the vintage china that has been sitting idle on a closed cupboard in your dining room.
Use your creativity to properly place the plates on the wall, or go on a complete whimsical ride to come up with an esoteric arrangement. In case you have nothing that you like in the existing collection, consider visiting the local auction houses every now and then to pick something unique.
Once you have ideas about how you want to arrange the plates, and the other collectibles, everything else will fall in place. Also, pay special attention to the smaller items, as they would add a holistic touch to your arrangement.
You can even consider putting them on open shelves if you do not want to hammer the walls. In fact, put them up on anything depending on the style you like.
9. Experiment With An Oversized Mural
Who does not love the artworks created by the Old Masters? But if you are unwilling to spend hefty amounts on owning one, there’s a way to introduce the classic works of art to your home in a cost-effective manner. You can get the art made by world-famous artists directly on your wall.
For this, you would have to buy a big print that would come in the form of manageable strips that can be easily transferred to your walls. Make sure that the amount of light that falls on it is not too much as that can slowly damage the quality. Oversized murals are great alternatives to regular paint and wallpapers. They are quite a conversation starter at every party.
Once installed, make sure that you style the mural with the right kind of furniture to add to the chic feel.
10. Make Use Of The Stairs
The empty wall area beside your staircase is one of the best spots in the house to display your favorite artwork. Here you can display posters, photographs, paintings, and whatnot! You can simply stick with a black-and-white tone that creates a dramatic feel.
Or you can opt for splashy colors that come in high saturation. While you make the installation, make sure that the art pieces are at eye level. In case they are too much above the eye level, viewing them would become a task.
It is best to experiment with a few art forms, like mixing paintings with wall hangings and ceramics. And for the final touch, select a stair carpet runner that would help complete the look.
11. Keep It Simple
Sometimes when displaying art, you need to opt for styles that won’t draw too much attention. This is particularly true when you are decorating your studio that is already filled with antiques and other collectibles.
Framing is of crucial importance here, and we suggest that you stick to elegant frames in black and white instead of experimenting too much. We have noticed that watercolors and oil paints generally go well with elegant rooms. Framed insects or retro prints are also a good option!
12. Vertical Art Collection
Who said that all gallery walls should display artwork horizontally? If you are feeling experimental, why not try out a vertical arrangement for your gallery wall?
When you hang art, you will see that some pieces look better when arranged vertically. In some instances, you will have a narrow space, and it would be easier to use the vertical area. You can stick with one tall artwork or hang many smaller pieces together.
13. Artify The Small Areas
Even if there is a small patch of wall, trust us when we say that it can be a good area to display art. It is true that it won’t be as great as decorating a gallery wall.
Something that is too big or small and is not of the right scale will stick out like a sore thumb. However, when you find artwork of the correct scale, it will amplify the beauty of the place.
14. Find Strength In Symmetry
For the perfect symmetrical display, you would need to match the artwork that is already in your house. For example, if you put up framed art pieces on the wall, make sure that the furniture in your room occupies the same scale on the floor.
In short, every half of the display should be a mirror image of the rest. If you do not like eccentric setups, it is best that you go for a symmetrical arrangement.
15. Find The Perfect Light
When you have a big framed picture on the wall of your master bedroom or living area, try to keep the decor elegant and plush. For this purpose, it is best that you find a suitable light to go with the painting.
In case you run out of ideas, find a low-watt light that would bring beauty and charm to your room without taking the attention away from the painting of the wall hanging.
16. Make A Grid
Hanging artwork in a grid style is not only restricted to college dorms. You can hang posters, photographs, and even your favorite prints in a grid frame to create a cool and upbeat atmosphere. Colorful prints of your travel memories would give a cool and personal touch to the décor of your room.
Treat this like your gallery wall and hang stunning pieces of work. Just look for any large blank space in your room that you can put to use.
17. Oversized Prints To Your Rescue
You would be surprised to see how good extra-large prints look on a gallery wall. They are quite eye-catching and will totally set your wall decor apart. We would suggest that you keep the frames simple so that the focus remains mainly on the image.
You can experiment with botanical pictures with lighter shades of green and blue. It is best to avoid a painting that is done in striking colors.
18. Break The Rules
While it is true that symmetry looks good, there’s no harm in breaking the rules sometimes. Instead of perfectly centering all the artworks, you can align them to the right or left. The other thing to do is to mix the traditional and modern art in your room.
When done right, this arrangement would help create a relaxed feel.
19. Putting The Kitchen Shelf To Use
There’s no point letting the kitchen shelves go to waste. In order to make the most of your kitchen space, it is best to put the open shelves to use. Here you can display small prints or your favorite crockeries up for display.
Chopping boards and china bowls only add to the beauty of your kitchen. Do not forget to add some herb plants to further add to the serene feel.
20. Making The Best Use Of The Bookshelf
Book lovers, we have a great suggestion for you to showcase your favorite artwork. It goes without saying that your house is filled with a number of bookshelves. Treat these shelves as a place to put up your favorite prints, photographs, and smaller sculptural pieces.
This adds a more relaxed look to your room and can be updated at any point in time. You would not need to make extensive changes to stir up the look.
21. Emphasize The Fireplace
Fireplaces are mostly located in the center of a room and are generally a focal point on all family gatherings. So, why not put the works of the best artists here?
It is the ideal place to put larger-than-life prints, posters, and framed art pieces. You can pick the color from the rest of the room decor and keep the elements of that in this art piece so that the decoration in your room looks in sync. In case you have a white mantel, consider putting bold prints that would surely turn some eyeballs.
22. Use Bright Hues
If you are in the mood for experimenting, we always suggest that you play with colors. When your room is done in neutral tones, you have the scope of installing artwork in bold hues that make the rooms stand out.
Go for prints in watercolors or life-like pictures of cities during sunsets. You can even consider putting golden frames and other smaller accents to go with the look.
23. High Ceiling Installation
Your living room and bedroom walls are the perfect places to showcase a wide range of artworks that reflect your aesthetics. When feeling experimental, you can cover the entire wall with artwork of your choice.
For a special look, go for floor-to-ceiling installations that include travel souvenirs, photographs, and your favorite paintings. Mixing different art forms would enhance the look and add depth to your room decoration.
Final Articles
That’s all we have for you today, folks!
We hope you had a great time learning about the best ways in which you can showcase art in the house. You might like cool palettes better than warmer ones. So, make sure that the chosen method to install the art pieces in the house speaks to you and reflects your interests.
Also, do not restrict yourself to just paintings and sculptures but experiment with other art forms too. Take out your favorite bone china and use it to amp up the beauty of your place.
If you have any other tips that we might have missed, we would love to hear about them in the comments section below. And keep a watch on this space for more interesting reads.
Until next time, fare thee well!
