When I first started working as an interior decorator, I was surprised at how few people painted their walls and hung art on them. I have since started and continue to do paint/color consultations to help my clients confidently choose color but still find folks are nervous about using art in the home.
First – choosing art is highly subjective, so I rarely choose art for my clients. The most I can offer is to lead a client to a website, gallery, art festival or artist who may have pieces the client may find of interest. I almost always defer to the client to make the choice for his/her home (although I may still have an opinion!) However, one of the things I MOST enjoy about home staging is that I get to choose art that I enjoy and watch how people respond to it. Here are my tips on using art in your home.
Play it up BIG!
Don’t be afraid of large art, even in small spaces. Many times, one great piece can really fill up a space nicely. This is one of my first model home staging jobs and the large art on the right of the picture is one of my favorites. It is almost the same width as the sofa and takes up most of the wall but it helps to really fill in that room. I tend to lean more toward the large canvas pieces for art that is larger than 30” wide, to help cut down on the weight of the piece. And, makes it much easier to hang than a solid piece! (art is 40” by 30”)
Still nervous about large art?
Can’t decide on one piece to use? Use smaller pieces in a big way and create a wall collage. Even though this is a few pieces of art, it will read like one piece. This is great for art that is between 8” wide to 30” wide. Use an odd number of pieces, and hang the set behind a sofa, above a console table or buffet, or even over your bed. Use a variety of textures from art on canvas, framed art, colored glass and even a mirror to brighten the space. If you have art smaller than 8” wide, frame it with a good wide frame or 3-4” mat to make it appear larger. It will look better on the wall.
If it’s small, its NOT for the wall!
Any art or framed photo that is smaller than 8” wide should NOT be hung on a wall. Use them on any shelf – mantle, bookshelf, buffet, or nightstand! Just not hanging on the wall!
I hope this encourages you to use art to brighten up your space. Have fun with it!
Written by:
Roslyn Ashford
Professional Designer & Stager, www.rarooms.com
