Things To Consider When Choosing Artwork For Your Space

words Al Woods

Art has the power to transform your living space. Any artwork displayed in your home, whether it’s one-of-a-kind original or just a sketch from a friend, can add personality, depth, and mystery to your walls. Whether you prefer modern or traditional, abstract or figurative, your space will benefit from having an array of artwork displayed.

However, choosing the artwork that would complement your space can be one of the most challenging things to do. You’ll have to select the right piece, color, and size, among other important elements. Getting it wrong would mean starting all over again, and this would only be a waste of your time and money. Since this surely isn’t something you’d want to risk, here are things to consider when selecting artwork for your space.

The color of the artwork

Commonly, people would look at color first when choosing art pieces. It’s instinctive as people want to pick artwork that complements the color of their home or room. Though this method often turns out to be an effective strategy, it’s not a rule of thumb, and there are other options you can explore. (1)

For example, you can choose colors that are directly opposite your room’s. You can also select vintage or black-and-white artwork for a change. A black-and-white design would match any interior and has class and elegance in it. (1)

Basically, you can try to experiment with colors. The only key is to find one that complements your space and also matches your style.

The room to be decorated

More than just decorating your space, artwork can remove the feeling of emptiness in your room. Hence, the size of your artwork matters since small pieces may not be able to cover your room, especially if it’s a large one and looking empty. (2)

Consider the number of furniture pieces your room has as well as how they’re arranged. If the furniture is sparse, try hanging a large piece of art to help fill up the visual space. You should also look at how high or low the ceiling of the room is. If you have a high, vaulted ceiling, it’s best to get a grand artwork to cover the space between the wall and floor. If your ceiling is low, go for a shorter frame instead. The artwork can be hung in landscape orientation to cover a larger space across the wall. But generally, bigger is better. (2)

Wall dimensions and orientation

When choosing artwork to display in your space, consider wall dimensions, too. You’d want pieces that would properly cover your wall and not be too overwhelming. Of course, large walls would require large art pieces, but this isn’t the only thing to consider as you may get it wrong if you don’t also factor in the walls’ orientations. (2)

Tall and narrow walls would look good if you use narrow artwork with a portrait or vertical orientation. Meanwhile, horizontal walls would look nice with artwork that has a landscape orientation. (2)

Other interior decorations

The art pieces you hang on your wall play a significant role in making your interior aesthetically appealing. However, the rest of your home décor is as crucial as your artwork. Thus, it’s important to consider all your other décor to avoid making your house look messy. (3)

Your artwork and the rest of your interior décor should match in terms of style and color. This doesn’t mean they have to be similar. You just have to figure out how your art, furnishing, and interior décor should look like. Do you want to have a cohesive look throughout your room? Or would you like different walls or rooms to have different styles? You can explore different forms of artwork, like antique picture frames or old collections, to achieve better design. (3)

Your preference

People react differently to art, especially with its many forms. While you may love antique collections, others may prefer paintings and canvas prints. But this difference in preference is what makes art exciting. So when buying artwork for your space, go for something you love. You’ll spend more time around the artwork than anyone else, so it should be something you love. (1)

You can buy an original piece or a mass-produced work, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s expensive or not so long as you see value in it. Although original pieces can add something unique to your home, they don’t necessarily have more value. What’s important is you consider what you love and just go with it. (1)

Conclusion

There are thousands of art pieces you can pick for your space. It may seem overwhelming to choose. But this article has provided you with five crucial things to consider when buying artwork to narrow down your search. Hopefully, you can take these tips to heart to help you choose the perfect art pieces that would complement your space.