Knowing How To Use Art
Art is a wonderful piece of decor that can add a lot of sophistication to a room. When you're staging a property for sale, you want to avoid photos that are too personal - like photos of family and friends. However, if you are staging/decorating a home for a client who just wants a change of space, then you can use personal photos throughout the room. Decorating with wall art isn't complicated. Below, you'll find the top tips to make sure you put the right art pieces together in an appealing way.
1. DITCH PERSONAL GRAPHICS
If you are working on a home that is for sale, remove any artwork that is too personal or maybe offensive to buyers such as nudes, religious-or politically-themed pictures, as well as anything else which might not be acceptable to the general public. Photos and artwork that are too personal are a distraction and can be awkward for buyers. Of course, this isn't a concern if you are working with your client to make the space what they want, and they aren't listing their home to sell.
2. ART BY SIZE
Art that is too large will overwhelm and art that is too small will be lost and will look out of proportion. When hanging art over the fireplace, pick an artwork about the same size as the fireplace opening. If it is going to be hung over a piece of furniture (a sofa for example), it should not be wider than the width of the furniture. As a general rule, art should be about 75% the width of the furniture. By following this, both furniture and artwork will look related to each other. Another general rule of thumb is to use horizontal photos above couches and beds. When choosing art, you simply want to ensure that the shape of the art piece is cohesive with the shape of the furniture under it. Always center art to the piece of furniture, not the room's wall. Only center to the wall if there is not going to be any furnishings under it. All art pieces need to be 4 to 8 inches above the furnishing. You don't want it to be too close and you certainly don't want it to be too far up the wall.
3. COLOR REPETITION
Choose an artwork that can serve as your reference point in choosing your color scheme throughout the house for a cohesive look. Use it on upholstery, pillows, rugs, and other decor elements. Adding repetition through your color schemes can make a room look cohesive. If you have blues and yellows in your couch pillows, it's best to add those color schemes to the art used in the room.
4. WALL ART COLLAGE
If you choose to make a collection of artwork, ensure that all of the pictures have something in common such as a theme, matching frames, or repetition of an accent color. Symmetrical arrangements add balance and are more appealing to the eye than asymmetrical groupings. If you decide to use 2 or more photos in a collection, make sure each photo is no more than 1 to 2 inches apart, and each space between the photos NEEDS to match exactly to the other.
5. MATCH THE THEME
For a house that is full of antiques, for example, you’ll want to use antique-style frames on the paintings you hang there. If you have contemporary furniture in large rooms with high ceilings, you’ll want to hang large contemporary paintings. Your artwork should enhance the feel and look of the space. It’s not just about the pieces you add, it’s about completing the room’s decor atmosphere.
6. ROOM HARMONY
When choosing an artwork, pick something that complements the colors in your room. Choose colors from drapes, pillows, or furniture pieces and mimic one or two bold colors in your artwork to tie everything up. You’re not looking for an exact match here, a lighter or a darker tone will work as long as it is in the same family. This will send a message that the artwork belongs to the room.
7. PRACTICE RESTRAINT
Don’t fill every wall. Have some “negative space” to give the eye a place to rest. Restraint calms the eye and gives everything a sense of purpose. The negative space is a great way to increase anticipation. You'll also want to use art to take the eye away from an unappealing feature in the home. Using too much art can easily clutter a room and backfire on the project's final outcome.
