How to Choose Wall Art for Your Home Decoration
Choosing wall art for your home is a very personal experience as art evoke different feelings and emotions in different people. Therefore only you can decide what pieces of artwork will fit in with your home decor. Still, it can be overwhelming to decide on a new piece of art as there are so many options.
Here I offer my best tips for what to think about when shopping for new wall art, helping you find that perfect piece that you are going to love today and in the future.
Where are you going to hang your wall art?
The first thing to think about is where in your home your art is going to hang. This will also determine how much and at what times of the day you are going to be looking at it. This can help you decide what kind of feeling or atmosphere you want the art pieces to convey.
Let’s look at a few examples:
Bedroom: if you are looking for wall art for your bedroom keep in mind that the art in your bedroom will be one of the first and last things you see every day. The bedroom is a retreat and a place for you to relax, and the artwork should reflect that. Look for something that feels harmonic and peaceful. Avoid stark colors like red or orange. Landscape prints in subtle colors are some of the best pieces for a relaxing atmosphere in the bedroom.
Dining room or living room: This is where you have friends over for dinner and is a great place for more surprising and high contrast art prints that will work as great conversation-starters. Artwork is also a great way to create a more personal home and show off your taste, style and values.
Bathroom: The bathroom is also a place for retreat and relaxation. If you want to create a spa feeling look for serene and peaceful beach inspired art prints or photography that will help you create a calm atmosphere. If you want to create a more informal atmosphere look for humoristic typography art or colorful photography. These work great in a guest bathroom where you don’t spend a lot of time but the right artwork can still give you or your guest a fun experience and create a more personal feel.
To sum up, think about what room you are in, how you use that room and what kind of atmosphere you would like to create. As a general rule light and bright colors give off a more casual tone, and darker colors and structure gives a more formal tone.
Color
In relation to the atmosphere and mood you want to create, colors are one of the easiest way to emphasize this. It is also a good idea to think about which colors are already in the room where you want your wall art to hang - what colors do you see in the pieces of furniture, the color of the wall and even consider how much light the room gets. Pick artwork in colors that complement the room - that does not mean that you should pick the exact same colors. Try to keep the colors in the same color scheme. For example, combine cool colors like blues and dusty greens.
It is also a good idea to use colors that are already in your home decor, but not necessarily the dominant colors. Using splashes of the same color different places helps tie the room together. But the important thing is to pick colors that you like and feel comfortable bringing into your home. If you are usually really into neutrals but want to bring some more color into your home I would suggest you start small, with smaller areas of color and colors that are not too vibrant.
What size to choose?
One of the most common mistakes is choosing artwork that is too small. Think about the size and shape of the wall that you are hanging your art on. The piece or pieces of artwork should “fill” the wall and have roughly the same shape as the empty area of the wall. This might be easier to achieve by combining two or more art prints - or even creating a gallery wall. Combining a piece of art with other pieces can also be a great way to create a whole new feel - the possibilities are endless :)
Let’s look at some examples again:
* When hanging art above a couch or a bed you want the piece or pieces to fill at least 2/3 of the with of the couch for a balanced look.
* If you have a vertical space consider hanging two pieces of art on top of each other instead of just a single one in the middle.
The most important thing is that you choose art that speak to you and creates a feeling in you.. it doesn’t have to be anything provoking, it can be art that reminds you of the good things in life and that it is okay to just enjoy it. That is one of the best ways to create a personal home that you love spending time in.
I hope you found this helpful. If you are inspired to start hanging wall art in your home be sure to grab my free step-by-step guide to creating your own gorgeous gallery wall!
