How to Pick Art for a Room

Art makes a room. It takes your interior to the next level, always making it feel more like home. In fact, a good piece of artwork can tie different elements of a room or house together for a finishing touch. It can even be the pop of color your home needs. I prefer art for the pop of color as opposed to using paint in order to brighten up a room. Art or drapery is a very sophisticated way to bring color to a home.

Sometimes, we design rooms and homes around beloved pieces of art that my clients have in their possession, and other times, we bring in art to complement the room. Often we even create custom art for homes with some of my favorite artists that I am lucky to work with.

While artwork should be an individual decision based on preference, I do have a few tips that generally stand true. Let’s go through some of my favorites!

For starters, you should never be afraid to go too big with your artwork. Rarely in my work with my clients do I see art that is too big. It is one of the biggest mistakes to put art on a wall that is too small. So, if you have a small piece of art you love, you can use multiple pieces to fill up the wall or find a smaller wall for that particular piece.

Let’s take a look at Greyton Lane pictured below. In the back left corner, you see multiple pieces of art in the hallway. These are framed abalone shells.

Often people think that art must be traditional paintings or canvases hung on the wall. However, in the case of the framed abalone shells, we simply found something the client loved and created art for their home. Another example of this are the gold leaf circles cast from oil drum lids seen above in the dining room at Greyton Lane.

This specific client has ties to the oil industry, making this art choice really meaningful for the home. Art should be a meaningful conversation starter — especially in the dining room. You can also play with different depths and even 3D pieces, as seen with the gold leaf circles.

Above is an image of the living room in the Greyton Lane project. The artwork in this room was custom made by one of the artists I work with often, Cindy Howard. This room was all about symmetry, and it was important that the art went along with it. The art ties in colors from the other rooms that are visible in this open space. The art encompasses sapphire, tiffany blue, and orange from the draperies in the home all in a subtle way that ties the home together in a beautiful way.

To further enhance the symmetrical look in this room, the art was placed 4 inches off of the wall using a hidden bracket and lit from behind to further show the beauty of the art.

The above photo from Woodsborough Circle includes a beautiful painting from another artist I often work with, Julie Keaten Reed. This is an example of a custom piece that tied in a subtle amount of orange as this was the accent color in this open and warm bathroom.

Another one of my favorites is the artwork from Tulane St. shown above. The large piece on the right encompasses multiple photos of British model Twiggy. This was the high school project of this clients’ child, and we were able to make it into a super cool accent piece of art for the room. This is an important reminder that you can make many different meaningful things into art for your home.

Another critical thing to note is that art can be fluid and ever changing throughout your home. Just as your taste in food changes over time, so does your taste in art. Of course you will have pieces that last a lifetime, but changing out pieces of art as your taste changes is absolutely okay too.

Sometimes, your beloved art may serve it’s purpose in your home, and it may find a home in a new space with new owners that are drawn to it and find meaning. For example, I recently found a wonderful painting and had it in my home. I enjoyed the art and then as I was working on a new project, I knew my client would love it. I brought the art to work into the new home design and my client now enjoys the art every day.

Essentially, art should be enjoyable. You should find pieces that are meaningful to you, and not be afraid to get creative! From high end galleries to weekend markets, finding art can be a fun experience that brings further meaning to your home.

Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram for before and afters of some of my dining rooms and more!