How To Choose Wall Art

The Importance of Having Wall Art in Your Home

Here are a few reasons why you should add wall art to your home.

Expressing Your Personal Taste and Style

Let’s be very honest with ourselves; bare walls can be very boring! It doesn’t matter how gorgeous your pieces of furniture are, wall art can be a perfect and creative way of expressing who you actually are. Wall art can powerfully transform your home into a unique and original space by reflecting your personality and taste.

As Tara Bernerd tells Architectural Digest; “Art to a room is like punctuation to a sentence; it’s an all-encompassing ingredient and without it, your space might lack the layers and attitude that an important piece can bring.”

So it doesn’t matter the style, era, or medium that you choose, wall art is a superb way to reflect your taste and personality. It’s a unique and creative way of expressing your character and enriching your life. “Wall art can help in creating a home’s soul while putting your personality into the house,” says Shaynna Blaze.

Setting the Mood and Atmosphere of a Room

Wall art can also enhance your space by setting the mood and atmosphere that you desire. As Blaze puts it; “One of the most important principles of interior design is for every room to have a design element or focal point that can instantly draw attention and give an idea of what to expect.”

This means that adding distinctive wall art, be it a sculpture or painting, can create an attractive focal point that boosts the mood and atmosphere of the room.

Making Your Space Look Larger

Again, having wall art can create the illusion of space and can make your room feel and look larger than it actually is.

For example, you can use wall art to make space feel bigger when you’re about to place your home on the market. You can do this by adding images that are designed to pull the viewer into deeper landscapes, horizons, or aerial visuals. You can as well use bright and vibrant colors such as yellow and turquoise. Such elements can add a fascinating sense of space to any home interior.

A Great Way of Stimulating Conversation

There’s no doubt that wall art can be a superb way of starting a conversation. In most cases, wall art goes beyond the visuals and languages and can tell a very intriguing story. It can engage a viewer with layers of various symbolic or contextual meanings.

As such, hanging art on your wall can be a superb way of starting conversations. It will unquestionably catch the attention of your guests and arouse questions about its meaning, who the artist is, where you bought it from, what attracted you to it, and so forth.

What are the Different Types of Wall Art?

They include:

Painting

Painting is, without a doubt, the most obvious type of wall art that comes to mind. For centuries, painting has been used to decorate rooms. They’re generally created by hand, through oil or acrylic paint on a canvas or board.

The best thing about painting is that it gives you a lot of options to be creative and thoughtful. For example, you can use oil paintings in ornate wooden frames in a more traditional setting. On the other hand, you can use vibrant abstract art for a more modern setting.

PRO TIP: As Holly Traffas puts it; “Painting can be done in various styles and subjects and can be great for both traditional and contemporary art.”

Photography

Generally referring to any subject captured using cameras, photography is a superb type of wall art that can be printed as one large print or smaller prints to bring a more cohesive look to a room. Whether you’ve displayed posters or pictures on your wall, these are vintage pieces of wall art that are ideal for creating a nostalgic mood.

Wall Decals

A popular choice for condos and apartment living, wall decals are essential in bringing a distinctive and aesthetic feeling to an otherwise very ordinary apartment. It can also be used to save the walls from holes. Better still, wall decals can be easily peeled off when it’s time to adopt something else or move on.

Geometry

Typically contemporary, geometry as a form of wall art is designed in various patterns and are usually made up of bold lines and shapes.

Retro

This type of wall art refers to the reproduction of classic or vintage prints to produce high-quality prints not just with vivid colors but also with excellent detail. They can include magazine covers and old-school travel posters.

Botanical

This refers to wall art that’s basically floral. They can either be done by hand through painting or photography.

Abstract

This type of wall art is non-representational or non-objective and usually puts focus on lines, color, tone, and texture.

Tapestries

This type of art wall can be ideal if you want to easily bring color and/or texture to your space. They’re generally ideal for bohemian homes.

Things To Consider When Choosing Wall Art

Bringing home the art that you love requires a lot of things including time, money, and emotion. It doesn’t even end there; you’ll still have to find the right place to put it. Sure, there are a lot of things to consider if you want to get it right.

Here are a few things to consider.

Choose what You Love

The number one rule of thumb is to choose wall art that works for you; something that you love. You should make sure that any wall art that you bring into your home is a piece that you definitely want to look at every single day.

PRO TIP: Choosing a wall art that you love is probably the easiest part for most of us. Unfortunately, it can also be the hardest part for others. “A home and any art in it should represent the owner, so you shouldn’t be driven by trends,” says Bernerd. You should, therefore, be attracted to a piece of art that will certainly stand the test of time on your wall.

Consider All Mediums and Choose a Style

You should consider all the mediums of wall art including photography, abstract, geometric, retro, botanical, tapestries, wall decals, and many more. You should also choose a style, based on the space you’re planning to put the wall art in. The most important thing is to express your style in a way that enhances the room.

“You should choose a style that matches your existing décor while also accessorizing your room,” says Traffas.  Here are some of the styles to consider.

PRO TIP: “Your art doesn’t have to match your room’s décor, you can choose to be eclectic by mixing and matching,” says Bernerd. It’s okay to mix up different styles if it suits your personality and taste.

What Size of Wall Art Do I Need?

Although your canvas may be wonderful, something will feel off if you get it wrong with the size. If the size of the wall art is too small, it’s likely that it will look like something is missing. On the other hand, the room will feel overcrowded if your wall art is too large.

That being said, you should start looking for the right wall art with size in mind. You have to keep in mind that your walls are like blank canvas but that doesn’t mean that it will look breathtaking if you fill them completely. The idea here is that you shouldn’t go for extremely big wall art or super small wall art that floats on an expansive blank wall.

Here are the basics of wall art sizing.

You should also keep in mind the following wall art sizing rules.

• The wall art shouldn’t exceed 2/3 of your sofa
• It should be about 5 inches from the top of your sofa or furniture
• Consider the height ceilings and ensure that the art has enough space to breathe
• If you have to use small art, piece them together

PRO TIP: “You should scale your wall art and understand how to position it,” says, Traffas. “Remember, this is as important as the subject of the wall art itself.”

How High Should You Hang Wall Art?

You may be tempted to hang your wall art high on the wall. Well, you have to remember that wall art should be viewed from a standing position.

Here’s what to do to get the perfect height to hang your wall art.

• The centerpiece of the wall art should be at eye level
• Allow between 3 inches to 6 inches of space above the mantel if you’re hanging the wall art over a fireplace
• There should be a 5-inch space between the bottom edge of the art and the top edge of the furniture

Choosing the Right Color

Whether you should match the color of your art wall with the color of your room is up for debate. You can choose to match the color of your room with the wall art without interfering with the design elements available in the space. And this doesn’t mean that you can’t challenge the status quo by choosing bold pieces. You, however, have to first grasp how you want to incorporate that color in your home.

In other words, you have to know how different color schemes can affect or evoke certain moods. Here are a few examples.

You should, therefore, keep in mind that the wall art should be a notable focal point within your space and also enhance it. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Choose the right color scheme that can make your wall art shine
• Consider using the color wheel as a reference when choosing complementary hues
• The wall art should have colors that already exist in the room
• When unsure, you can choose to go with neutral colors such as white and black
• Important wall art should have background colors that match the color of the wall
• For a pulled-together look, do not exceed four colors
• Bright and neon colors work great against neutral backgrounds

PRO TIP: “If you’re planning to use the wall art to show off a particular color, make sure that everything around it supports it,” says Blaze. “For instance, if the color of the wall art is bright, ensure that the colors around it are neutral or cool so that it stands out more.”  In essence, the color of the wall art can and should influence the look of the entire room.

What are the Different Types of Frames?

A lot of wall art comes with frames, which means that the designers have already picked the perfect types and sizes of frames. But if your wall art comes without a frame, you should know how to choose the perfect wall art frame.

Here are a few things to consider when choosing the right types of frames:

• Ensure that you get the right measurements to achieve the perfect fit
• You should pick a bigger frame if you have to mount the wall art
• Consider the style of your space. For example, wooden frames look perfect in classic and retro spaces while metallic frames look ideal in industrial rooms.
• You can choose to match the color of the frames with the color of your art wall or craftily mismatch the frames, especially if you love the bohemian look.

With that in mind, here are the most common types of frames.

Aluminum frames – They are light, modern, fashionable, and are available in various finishes including brass, gold, silver, and matte black.

Wood frames – A very common frame option. They’re versatile, durable, and give you the option of choosing various mounts to use.

Decorative frames – Are ideal if you want to display your wall art in a playful manner. Some very popular decorative styles include poster clip frames, floating frames, and multi-aperture frames.

PRO TIP: “Gold and silver frames may be modern and stylish but black and white frames never go out of fashion,” says Blaze.

How To Choose Wall Art for the Living Room

The living room can be the most enjoyable space to decorate since it has more options to work with. You can also choose to be more playful and give it a livelier feel. You can play with brighter hues such as yellow, orange, and red.

The wall art that you choose for your living room should be visually appealing, delightful, and offer a conversational vibe. You want something that will look appealing to your guests as fantastic statement pieces. With that in mind, abstract metal sculptures, large oversized wall art, painting, and photographs are just some of the perfect wall art for your living room.

PRO TIP: Make sure that they’re functional, are great conversation starters, and show your personality and taste. “If you fall in love with a particular wall art, make sure that you research its history, know what attracted you to it, and know more about the artist as well as its background,” says Bernerd.

How To Choose Wall Art for the Bedroom

Your bedroom is your resting place – a serene place to relax and unwind after a long and tiring day. While your creativity should run freely in the bedroom, you should ensure that the wall art induces a state of relaxation and serenity. This is essential when cuddling with your partner while drifting you into a restful sleep.

The wall art should showcase your unique personality using soothing tones and hues such as blue or colors that create a softer feel. You can liven up your bedroom by adding a bright piece of wall art above the nightstand or a piece that fits right over your bed.

How To Choose Wall Art for the Kitchen

The kitchen is a very task-oriented space and can be easily forgotten when it comes to hanging wall art. And because it’s a busy space, you should go for a piece that adds some form of humor or a splash of nature such as mountain ranges, fields with flowers, and beach scenery.

The most important thing is to ensure that the wall art piece is light-hearted and fun, and can enhance a good mood while preparing meals for yourself, your family, and your guests.

How To Choose Wall Art for the Dining Room

For your dining room, you can choose a piece of wall art that’s classic and candid. It should resemble the seating pieces and complement other décor pieces in the room.

How To Choose Wall Art for the Entryway

It’s easy to overlook the entryway when it comes to wall art. However, you can perfectly bring to life a boring entryway by placing subtle canvas with modern design, neutral colors as well as a gallery of memorable photos.

How To Choose Wall Art for the Bathroom

Another easy-to-neglect part of your home, the bathroom deserves to be spruced up and the wall art is a perfect way to do it. The piece that you choose should not only be decorative but also functional.

Choose pieces that bring a sense of serenity and a touch of color such as flowers, landscape prints, and paintings. Although the size of the art that you choose should depend on the size of your bathroom, the wall art for the bathroom shouldn’t be oversized. Instead, it should be mini to medium-sized.

You can go for a relaxing theme by choosing botanical prints or nautical themes. You can also make it livelier by choosing a dynamic fashion or a sunset painting.

How To Choose Wall Art for the Office

Whether at your place of business or at home, your working space should be personalized in such a way that can keep you focused, motivated, and inspired. In other words, the wall art should showcase your values and goals as well as inspirational quotes. You can also choose family photos if they give you the most joy when working.

To this end, each room should have a unique style but you have the right to dictate how that unique style is created. You should have a good understanding of the wall art type, color, and sizes.

How and Where to Hang Wall Art

Hanging wall art may seem difficult but it’s easier than you think. All you need is a hammer, a pencil, a spirit level, and the following hooks/nails:

• A three-nail picture hook to hold a 34-45kg wall art
• A two-nail picture hook to hold a 22kg or lighter wall art
• A one-nail picture hook to hold a 13.5kg or lighter wall art

As far as where to hang your wall art is concerned, the centerpiece of the wall art should be placed at 145 centimeters from the floor. This is the perfect eye level and offers aesthetic optimum appeal. However, you can choose to hang it slightly higher if your room has low ceilings. This can draw the eye upwards and is perfect for creating an illusion of perfect height.

Here is what to do.

How to Look After My Wall Art

Your wall art will fade over time and can be seriously affected by direct sunlight. You should, therefore, avoid hanging them where they’re being affected by direct sunlight. With that in mind, consider placing them in shadier spots. You can also make sure that they are devoid of dust.