Home Decor Experts Share Their Favorite Wall Art Tips and Tricks
Often a nice house doesn’t become a home until you add wall art. Wall art can add style, temperature, and cohesion to your room, no matter if it’s a solid statement piece, a group of framed prints, or a gallery wall. However, how are you able to make your wall art which really adds up to homify decor?
We rounded up tips and tricks from home decor experts who shared their favorite wall art tips and tricks to help you get it right. If you want to sharpen your interiors efficiently, read more to learn how to do this with the proper wall art.
1. Start with a Theme or Story
Expert Insight: All that really matters here is telling a story or showcasing your personality, says interior designer Laura Mason.
When shopping for wall art it helps to consider the mood or theme you wish to achieve in a room. Do you want to create a comfortable rustic setting or a stunningly modern setting? Are you wanting a calm and serene space or a bold and energetic space? This helps in choosing a cohesive look by choosing artworks that you think match your vision for your home.
Tip:
Make a mood board with colors and textures that inspire you, but also that have a kind of style.
Choose pictures you personally dig like travel photos, abstract art, or old posters.
2. Scale Matters
Expert Insight: One of the biggest mistakes people make is not having the wall art to scale with their space, says decorator Mark Henson.
Where the art is placed is greatly affected by scale. When you have a big blank wall, you need something to provide a sizable statement or a meaningful grouping of smaller works. On the other hand, petite prints or single picture frames work best with lesser walls or nooks.
Tip:
When deciding on artwork above furniture, go for a piece about two thirds the width of the furniture.
Consider oversized art for dramatic impact in rooms that are great in size.
3. Experiment with Layouts
Expert Insight: Gallery curator Nina Patel has a point: “A well planned gallery wall can turn a blank space into the place to add focal point.”
But they’re a great way to display multiple pieces, so planning is important to make sure they don’t cluster. Or first lay out your pieces on the floor or use paper templates to map out your layout on the wall.
Tip:
Your frames can be worn in mixed and matched styles and sizes to suit your individual looks.
Pieces should be spaced consistently apart (2–3 inches is good).
4. Choose Colors Wisely
Expert Insight: “Wall art is a way you can join the dots, and tie up your colour scheme,” comments colour consultant Sarah Ellis.
Here's the thing: when choosing art to complement your space, keep your furniture, rugs, and accessories colors in mind. It can enhance your palette of color, or create a strong contrast.
Tip:
Create a thread from a dominant colour from your decor into your wall art.
If your room is neutral, use the art to add bold pops of color.
5. Texture and Dimension bring their reading together.
Expert Insight: “Art doesn’t have to be flat,” says stylist Mia Chen. “And use pieces with texture or three dimensional elements.”
Adding some wall hangings, sculptures or mixed media pieces will introduce depth and interest into your decor. Textured pieces will make your walls feel more dynamic or tactile.
Tip:
Mix up the texture of your art using macramé, woven pieces or metal sculptures with flat prints.
Shelves can be layered with art for both depth and versatility.
6. Lighting Enhances Art
Expert Insight: But lighting expert James Carter says lighting can make or break your wall art.
Artwork that doesn’t follow proper lighting may fade into the background. Use picture lights or track lighting or wall sconces to focus attention on your special pieces.
Tip:
Don’t hang artwork where it will be exposed to direct sunlight so that it does not fade.
Use dimmable (adjustable atmosphere) lights.
7. Mix Different Styles
Expert Insight: "Mixing modern and vintage art in the same space is completely fine," says eclectic designer Jenna Morelli.
Some personality and character are added to your space when you mix styles. A sleek abstract print, pair up to a vintage oil painting, or contrast photography with graphic prints for eclectic beauty in harmony.
Tip:
Try to keep it all in a family, picking a theme — like a consistent color palette or similar frame styles — to avoid visual chaos.
8. Rotate Your Artwork
Expert Insight: Curator Daniel Brooks has a suggestion on how you might consider your wall art: ‘Think of it not as fixed, but fluid.’
Changing out your wall art every season or when you are ready for a change keeps your decor up to date. The rotating pieces also give you the opportunity to spotlight different parts of your collection during different periods of time.
Tip:
Floating shelves or picture rails make an easy swap.
Buy multipurpose pieces to use across the house.
9. Hang at the Right Height
Expert Insight: According to interior stylist Chloe Reed: "The best impact comes with artwork at eye level."
The rule of thumb is to hang art about 57-60 inches above the floor with the center point of the piece. If your room is mostly seated, like in a dining room or living room, it can be slightly lower.
Tip:
Do not put art too high that it does not connect the room.
If you’re hanging art above furniture, give yourself 6 to 8 inches of space between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the artwork.
10. Personalize Your Space
Expert Insight: According to home stylist Karen Miller, 'the most fundamental thing about your wall art is you should be able to see yourself in it.'
All of this makes your home personal and unique from behind home decor photos and DIY projects to artwork from your travels, there are so many ways to add your personal touches.
Tip:
Make a collage with children’s artwork, or even frame some of it.
Commission pieces available to fit your taste and decor (custom size and color).
Final Thoughts
What you do, or better yet don't, put on your walls can make a world of difference and will say a lot about you. Buy the best canvas and best prints of art to show off your style and complete your home with that feeling of belonging and connectedness. Follow these expert tips and make thoughtful choices that will add to your space and reflect your personality.
Ready to refresh your walls? Take things slowly, try things boldly, and of course, pick fabrics that you will always love to see as you walk into the room.
