Using wall art for inspired and colorful interiors
Whether you are a minimalist or love the maximalist look in your home, having a piece of art on your walls is always a good idea. It will help you create a beautiful focal point and maybe even inspire the colour palette for styling the rest of the room.
Incorporating wall art through a statement piece or a collection of smaller ones in the way of posters, art prints or even tapestries, is a smart and effective way of giving a space some personality too.
Choose art based on a theme
This is where you can choose your art based on the location, use or type of home. This makes the art connect to the space and not feel completely out of tune with the place. Here are some examples:
Beach theme canvas prints are perfect for a sea-side property. Think of sea photos, beach huts, aerial shots. Use accessories like pillows, baskets, shells or even some driftwood on a side table to enhance the look and feel.
Contemporary prints for a city loft, such as black and white photography, architecture shots. Abstract art could be the starting point for many discussions with guests and can be interpreted differently by different people.
Calm, nature inspired art for rental flats, like close up shots of leaves/flowers, as shown below. These have an appeal to most people, you don't want a rental property to be infused with your own personality! Notice how one color from the print (mustard yellow) is echoed on the soft furnishing (pillow); this helps bring the scheme together.
Left: 'Round Dance' by Priska Wettstein. Right: Green fern water color minimalist painting by Joanna Szmerdt. Find this and more green leaves posters on Fine Art America.
Choose art based on a color you love
There are two schools of thought here. If you have furniture (like a jewel-colored sofa) or soft furnishings like rugs that cannot be changed in a room, then it's best to choose art prints with colors to compliment your existing scheme. In this instance, your art can either be in a complimentary color or in a contrasting colour.
In the image below, the colors of the canvas print (‘Desert Gems’ by Hailey E Herrera) are reflected in the soft furnishings (cushions, stools) and help bring more warmth into this room. Notice how the art also incorporates the lavender and blue colours from the lamps and carpets but it’s the orange and red that shines through.
An art print with more blues would have made the room feel cold (given that the larger surface – the floor – is already covered by a ‘cold’ color).
Above: Bedroom decor does not have to be boring. Dare to inject color with a colourful eye-catching piece of art work to really brighten up the room and use the right size to create a focus point in the room.
On the other side, your home might be a completely empty canvas, because you are just moving in. If this is your reality, it’s an opportunity to let the colors of a favorite poster or canvas print influence your décor.
If you have a fabric sofa in a very neutral colour, you could be quite bold with your art choice, something with a real splash of colour. Choose one or more colours from your art piece and use them in your décor as accent colors.
Think outside the box
If you thought that art should always be framed, think again! More relaxed home settings will benefit from beautiful tapestries that will invoke a bohemian vibe and that ‘California cool’ aesthetic. And remember that when it comes to art printed on fabric, the bigger the better.
My top tips when purchasing art
Whether you are buying for yourself or for a client, these are the simple rules I personally follow to make sure my budget is used wisely and creates the biggest impact.
Size does not matter – the smallest of prints could really create a visual feast if it is placed in the right place and framed correctly. I love these soft colored abstract art prints which you can mix and match. So, go on and invest in petite artwork too. f you're looking for prints, Singulart is a great platform to consider when looking for unique original art pieces for your home.
Art does not only go on walls. Netflix favorite design influencers, Studio McGee, are often seen propping art on kitchen counters and bookshelves too. You can even use an easel to display your art.
When looking to create a gallery wall, avoid using the same size art prints or same colour frames. Mix and match for a more powerful result.
In a formal setting, use same size prints in odd numbers (usually as a triptych).
When working with small spaces and petite art, consider hanging asymmetrically. This works especially well when you have a very narrow space to work with like an alcove.
When placing art on the wall, do not hang it too high!
Before you put a single nail on the work, look at your composition by placing all the works of a gallery wall on the floor to make sure you are happy with how they look grouped together.
Conclusion
Art has the potential to lift your interiors and inspire creativity as well as show a glimpse of your personality. Use it to create focal points in your rooms and to bring a color scheme together. Don’t be afraid to go big and bold when the space can take it or to invest in petite artwork that can work better in tight spaces or even bookshelves. Above all, remember to buy art that appeals to you personally, excites and inspires you.
Art available in a variety of mediums on Fine Art America | Follow them on Facebook and Instagram
Jenny Kakoudakis likes to blog about interiors. She launched award-winning Seasons in Colour in 2014 and the luxury interior design blog All The Pretty Homes in 2024. When she is not chasing criminals out of the financial system (her day job), she gets creative by redecorating her own home.
