Decorating and choosing the right piece of art for your home can be a challenge. Assessing the merit of a work of art by whether it will ‘go with the green of the sofa’ or ‘the colour of the wallpaper’, makes the process problematic. This can result in a hesitance – on the part of people doing up their own home or professional decorators – to approach the art world and a fear of being judged. But the process should be a simple one, art is all around us, in many forms and in all walks of life. There’s no right way or wrong way to go through this process and it all depends on your particular taste or interiors.
When it comes to picking artwork pieces for my home, here’s a couple of tips that I try to use to make sure that the room looks styled and that everything works together. Remember all art is art, as long as you love it.
Tip 1
My first tip is, you can’t go wrong if you choose art because you love it. You have to look at the piece everyday and it should bring you personal joy. When something holds emotional currency for you, what does it matter if its financial value increases or not? This leads on to my second tip……
Tip 2
The frame can make or break the artwork, whether its an expensive piece, an art print or a simple quote. Good framing can turn an ordinary artwork into something really special and one of a kind, especially when you’re creating a gallery wall. When choosing frames for a room, I typically stick to one colour for all frames so that it creates a cohesive look but also allows you to have different pieces of art. Sticking to one colour, means that you can have lots of different frame styles from thin borders to thick borders with oversized mounts across the display.
Tip 3
If renovating a room from scratch, try designing around your favourite work of art. Whether you’ve made the art yourself or have a small piece that you just can’t get enough of and need it in the front and centre. Things to remember here are to look at the colours and try and pull them in through cushions, side tables and other fabrics.
Tip 4
A commissioned piece of art is an ideal way to get exactly the right size and colour for your space. It’s a great way to have a piece that you can talk about to guests with ease. My first tip here is, get to know the artist as it will help you to understand the artwork. You can learn so much from looking and listening to artists. The more you look the more you will understand what you like and what you would like to add to your art collection. Follow artists you find on social media for updates and works coming up for sale!
Tip 5
Bigger isn’t always better! When it comes to choosing art for your home it can be tempting to choose a giant art piece and never thinking about art again. But, these larger artworks can often be expensive. Smaller artworks can look more considered and intentional. Opting for smaller pieces of art can be a much more budget-friendly option and a considered gallery wall can make an even bolder style statement.
If you are looking for prints, I've included a selection below:
For blue prints, try this soft blue turtle print.
For neutral prints for any colour interiors, try this bee and giraffe pair.
For bright colour prints try this red lobster print or this yellow bee print.