Wassily Kandinsky prints - a popular choicefor clear open spaces needing a pop of colour
If you are looking for ways to add finishing touches to your home decor, wall art is a great place to start. Wall art can complement the style and colour scheme of a room, make a statement, create a more welcoming atmosphere, or stamp your personality on your interior space. Wall art is also easy and quick to install or change, making it perfect for making a big difference without blowing the budget or embarking on a major project.
Admittedly, buying art for your home is a very subjective business. However, there are some basic guidelines that will help guide you when it comes to choosing the perfect wall art. The modern art prints found in any major art galleries and online stockist are often geared towards those looking to make a statement and offer something a little out of the ordinary.
CHOOSE WHAT YOU LIKE
This is a tricky one, I’ll start with the first thing that springs to mind: choice. You’ve just bought a much-needed addition to your home; maybe it’s given you more living space or a way to switch up your interiors and make them feel fresh. But look around your new home and ask yourself this – do you really like what you see? To be honest, I find that the answer is usually no. But it’s important to remember that art isn’t just about choosing something because it looks good. Choose pieces that make you feel good to live with everyday because if you don’t like them, then what’s the point in having them there? A lot of people forget this and go for things that they think will match the room or look stylish, but when you don’t genuinely enjoy looking at it anymore then they really don’t serve their purpose.
If there are other family members involved in the decision making you may have to compromise - but not too far!
Piet Mondrian the Dutch pioneer of abstract art, who developed from early landscape pictures to geometric abstract works of a most rigorous kind
FRAMING AND LAYOUT OPTIONS
Andi Lucas, contemporary elephant illustrations
While framed prints are usually first choice there are also deep edge canvas options which look great without a frame when the image is mirrored on all of the edges. Don't just stick to placing one large print in the centre of a wall - experiment with groups and clusters of smaller prints which can make for a more interesting feature.
ART WITH IMPACT
Scandinavian art for modern spaces
Why not make a feature of your favourite artwork. A bold choice can stamp your ersonality on your space.
FIND YOUR STYLE
The most popular way of choosing art is to select pieces which complement your room style. This can make your space feel more coherent and is a safe option which can enhance your home rather than clash with your existing decor. An added advantage is that this approach can narrow down the often overwhelming options in wall art.
If your home has evolved in line with a particular theme, you can reflect this in your choice of wall art.
Victorian, country cottage, urban jungle, rustic, minimalist loft and coastal cabin are all examples of popular themes. Having a theme makes it much easier to narrow down your choice of art, but be careful not to overdo it, and include some pieces that aren’t themed to create balance and add personality to your home.
Marthe Donas a Belgian abstract and cubist painter and is recognized as one of the leading figures of Modernism
Paul Nash, British surrealist painter and war artist, as well as a photographer, writer and designer of applied art.
CONSIDER SIZES
The size of your wall art will be very much dictated by the size of your wall and your room. It can be tempting to try and make something work because you love the print, but if it’s the wrong proportions, it won’t look great. Measure your walls and the height of any furniture that is against them, so you know exactly what size space you’re working with. You might find it helpful to draw a to-scale sketch of the wall, you can then play around with sizes and layout to get a good visual of what’s going to work.
Oversized wall art is generally considered to be over 100cm long. It’s great for creating a focal point or making a statement in a room, and works best in large spaces. Large wall art, typically 80-100cm long can also be used as a statement piece in smaller areas. Large frames also look good when combined with smaller pieces, or hung as a set of two or three identical frames.
Medium wall art is 50-70cm long and works best when hung as part of a group or in smaller spaces. It’s a good size to incorporate into a gallery wall, and it’s well-suited to smaller rooms. Small wall art is up to 50cm long and is ideal for hanging in groups, pairs and threes. Again, this is a good size for inclusion in a gallery wall, and ideal for small spaces. Aim to leave a minimum gap of 15cm between the top of any furniture and the bottom of the frame. If you’re hanging art above a sofa, it will look best if it’s about two thirds as wide as the sofa itself.
Abstract art grouping above a sofa
COLOUR CHOICES
When it comes to the colour of your wall art, there are two approaches you can take. The first is to choose your art in a colour palette that complements the colours in your room. This is a great way to get a coherent, calming look. You can use a colour wheel to work out complementary colours, or use the same colour in a variety of shades. Try also to keep the proportions of colour in your wall art similar to the proportions of colour in the room. The other approach is altogether more bold. Wall art allows you to play around with colour in a way that you wouldn’t get away with on the walls themselves. Use it to introduce bolder shades of the room’s colours, or to really make a statement with a different colour altogether. Again, use the colour wheel to help you get it right.
