When it comes to bringing a room together in style there is no better way of completing the look than with carefully considered artwork. However, with so many different ways to display and showcase your favourite pieces, it can leave you a little frazzled and confused. In this article, I’ll discuss how to display art and how to get it right with some careful planning and know how.
This is probably the most searched for display style on the net but is the hardest to get right.
With phones full of photos and houses full of walls to fill, a gallery wall provides an excellent opportunity to showcase your personality, interests, and experiences. Essentially, it allows you to curate a collection of artwork, photographs, or other decorative items that hold meaning to you.
This personalized touch adds depth and character to your home. Furthermore, a gallery wall can serve as a focal point in a room. It attracts attention and becomes a visually striking feature that draws people in.
With this in mind, they are perfect for dining rooms and hallways, where people pass or gather and will stop to look and comment. Consequently, great artwork is a great conversation starter so think about a display somewhere social in your home where people come together and chat.
So what’s the secret to a successful display?
The key to a successful gallery wall is thoughtful curation, careful arrangement, and consideration of scale, proportion, and balance to create artistic cohesion:
1 .Think about your style – is it minimalist (keep colours neutral and few). Eclectic? Go for a mix of old paintings and newer abstracts but keep the colours in tone with eachother. Monochromatic? Stick to varying shades of one colour and white or off-white.
That said, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to display all your favourite pieces together – the trick here is to tie them in with frames, shapes and sizes.
2. Frame work – Don’t make the mistake of matching all your frames. This can look staid and boring. The frames can be as interesting as the content so mix and match some styles for interest. To make this work, keep frame widths similar to keep the look less fussy and remember your colour scheme.
3. Planning – Always, always lay out your display on the floor first and even use cut out pieces of paper to stick on the wall before you begin hanging. A perfect display is all about proportion and balance and you won’t get that by guessing!
4. Proportion – So here’s the tricky bit. Golden rules are: keep the same distance between frames to avoid a messy feel( 5-10cm is best); place your favourite piece in the middle at eye level and keep all other pieces aligned with its four edges; If you’re displaying above a sofa or bed, leave 15cm between the bottom of the display and your furniture to avoid the crammed in look; a large piece of furniture below will need a larger overall display to keep in proportion.
5. Use peel off sticky tabs instead of nails if you don’t want holes in the wall. Furthermore, these allow you to change the pieces easily.
6. Use a spirit level – there’s nothing aesthetically pleasing about wonky pictures!
7. Stand back and admire!
A versatile option:
Rather than hanging the pieces on the wall, a picture shelf is a fabulous way of displaying numerous pieces. Moreover, it negates the need for a spirit level and hours of planning and means pictures and photographs can be easily switched and changed when the mood takes you.
One large focal point
While a gallery wall has its advantages, there are also several benefits to incorporating a large piece of artwork as a focal point in your home design. From style to impact, here are some reasons why a large artwork can be advantageous:
1. Impactful Visual Statement – A large piece of artwork immediately captures attention and creates a bold, eye-catching statement in a room. Thus, it becomes a focal point that draws the viewer’s gaze, making a strong impact and setting the tone for the entire space. This is particularly great in dining rooms where people gather or opposite a window for a wow factor to passers-by.
2. Simplicity and Minimalism – Choosing a single, large artwork allows for a clean and uncluttered aesthetic. It can provide a sense of simplicity and minimalism, especially when compared to a busy gallery wall with multiple smaller pieces. This approach can be particularly effective if your interior design style is minimalist and contemporary.
3. Visual Rest and Balance – In a room with lots going on visually, a large, single piece of artwork can provide a visual rest for the eyes. It offers a sense of calm and harmony by providing a focal point that anchors the space. Choose a calming picture of landscapes and nature to ground the aesthetic.
4. Statement of Style and Taste – A well-chosen, large artwork reflects your personal style and taste in a pronounced way. It can showcase your appreciation for a particular artist, art movement, or aesthetic. Selecting a piece that resonates with you and complements your overall design scheme, can help tie in your colour scheme and create a cohesive look. Often, a good way to start a re-design is to pick a piece of artwork you love and create a palette around it.
6. Enhanced Artistic Detail – With a large artwork, you have the opportunity to appreciate the details and intricacies of the piece more closely. This in turn allows you to fully immerse yourself in the artwork and observe the textures, brushstrokes, and other elements that contribute to its beauty and artistic value. For this reason, they are not best hung in narrow hallways and small spaces as the viewer will want to stand back to admire!
Ultimately, the choice between a gallery wall and a large artwork depends on your personal preferences, the specific characteristics of the space, and the overall design goals you wish to achieve. Both options offer unique benefits, so it’s worth considering which approach aligns best with your aesthetic vision and the ambiance you want to create in your home.
For more design help and inspiration, contact Debbie here