How To Decorate With Paintings: 5 Useful Tips

How To Decorate With Paintings: 5 Useful Tips

Paintings are a brilliant addition to any home, and your choice of artwork can really let your personality shine through. Where and how to display your paintings is important and has the power to change the entire look of a space. Let us walk you through 5 useful tips that will make decorating with paintings a success!

1. Select your frame with care

The frame you choose for your painting has a huge impact on the overall aesthetic, and there are so many exciting options to choose from. It’s important to keep in mind that the purpose of the frame is to showcase the brilliant painting it holds.

If you have a smaller painting and really want the artwork to stand out, a simple thin frame in a classic shade of black, white or natural wood is ideal. For larger pieces, you can employ larger, sturdier frames. You should also think about the color palette of your painting. For example, if the artwork features tones of gold, a gold frame may complement the artwork. Light natural wooden frames are also a great neutral choice that will exude elegance while allowing the artwork to shine.

2. Create a home gallery

A home gallery is a wonderful way to display your paintings. The most common way to create a home gallery is to showcase many paintings of different sizes on one wall. For the best visual impact and to avoid it becoming cluttered or overwhelming, you should leave a neat gap of at least 3 inches between the frames. To create a sense of unity, choose matching frames for all of your artwork. A fun alternative is to create an ascending art gallery on the wall adjacent to your staircase. This often-overlooked space is perfect for hanging smaller pieces of art.

Another great advantage of the home gallery is that it really lends itself to mixed media, so you may like to intersperse your paintings with framed prints, textiles, glasswork, or metal art, such as this handcrafted Blue & White Capiz Seahorse.

3. Keep the purpose of the room in mind

Every room in your home has its own unique purpose and special vibe. Keeping this in mind when selecting your artwork is key to creating a well decorated home where everything looks as though it is in the right place.

A bedroom is a place of relaxation, making it the ideal candidate for soothing abstract pieces in gentle shades. A home office, in contrast, should be a hive of activity and creative energy. Consider a zany gallery wall that reflects this vibe. For young children’s rooms, there are a variety of wonderful choices, from brightly framed paintings of jungle animals to cheerful paintings of the seasons. Your living room is often the most-used room in the house and where you entertain family and friends. Think about selecting bold pieces that can act as conversation starters.

4. Group paintings by theme

To create a sense of cohesion, many interior and savvy decorators choose to select a common theme for paintings that are displayed in the same space. These themes are often influenced by the room in which they are hung. Seaside scenes are a very popular choice for the bathroom. Sometimes particular themes are trendy, such as the botanical theme that led to the versatile monstera plant print becoming fashionable.

For an exciting twist on a shared theme, feel free to think outside of the box. Your paintings could have different subjects but share a common style, such as Art Deco, Abstract or Impressionist. Take inspiration from Picasso’s blue period; perhaps they could all be completely different in style and subject but share a common color scheme.

5. Choose the right size

No matter how wonderful a painting is, if it is the wrong size for its space, it will look awkward and out of place. As a general rule of interior design, you should not place small pieces of art on a large wall unless they are part of a gallery wall arrangement. Following the same logic, a big painting will swamp a smaller space and stop the viewer from fully enjoying the artwork. A popular trick to avoid swamping a space yet still hang a larger piece is to choose a triptych. With this style, one painting is broken into three panels that are hung with an inch of space between them, creating a sense of balance.