Curating Art for Your Home
Does the idea of collecting art for your home overwhelm you?
Curating art for your home can be an enjoyable project. It can also be overwhelming if you don’t break it down into doable steps.
Art can add warmth and character to your home, as well as showing some of your personality. I totally get that finding the right pieces can be intimidating, especially if you aren’t sure what you like, where to find it and what will work in your space. Keep reading for some practical help!
HERE ARE 6 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED:
1. ART THAT SPEAKS TO YOU
The art you choose for your home should reflect your personality and taste. You want to feel good when you look at it. It could be calming, interesting, bold, it may trigger a memory of a time or place. Take a look at the emotions you feel when looking at art that you are drawn to, then decide if you would be comfortable with feeling that whenever you see it. Does it inspire you? Excite you? Calm you? Cause you to be curious? Only you will know what is right for you and your home.
2. VARIETY
You want the art you have to be varied, not all the same medium or style. Intersperse sculptures and photography into the mix. Incorporate textile art, ceramics, glass and metal to really take your collection to another level and provide lots of interest. Displaying both drawings and paintings is a great way to add another level of difference that is pleasing to the eye.
3. ORIGINAL ART
Mixing originals with a few prints will help your collection stand out. Original pieces are wonderful conversation starters and often reveal a part of you that people may not always see. Also, no one else has it! There is something so special about owning a piece that is one of a kind, and having that original piece can help give your home character and warmth. It gets so old seeing the same mass produced pieces of art in everyone’s home, it drives me crazy!
4. USE SURFACES TO LAYER
Layering different art forms and mediums together on one shelf or display area can bring so much interest and dimension to a room. Sprinkle some various types of art in one grouping , a sculpture for example, in front of a painting. Books are an easy way to bring interest too as you can stack them on a surface under a painting and get instant depth.
5. TELLING A STORY WITH COLOR
Your artwork should bring colors to the room that compliment it, not clash with it. If the room is already colorful, something more neutral would be soothing. If the room is neutral you can really liven it up with colorful paintings. In one case it’s the focal point and in the other, it supports what’s already happening in the space.
6. SIZE & SCALE
A large wall needs art that’s big enough to be the focal point and not get lost. Another great option with big impact for a large wall is to hang several small and medium pieces in a grouping together. There are great ideas online for how to hang them and looking on Pinterest will provide some great visuals as well. A small forgotten corner would be brightened by having a small piece or two added to it.
Some concepts to think about when re-decorating:
If you have rooms that need refreshing you can start with a piece of art as your anchor. It gives an instant focal point and palette for you to work with. You don’t want your art to look like an after thought! If it looks like it doesn’t quite fit your space aesthetically, consider reframing it, this can immediately solve your problem. For help on framing go check out my previous blog To Frame or Not to Frame.
If you feel stuck and need inspiration on arranging the art you have, visit galleries and museum spaces and see how they have done it, take note of what you like and don’t like and re-create the ideas that resonate with you.
Remember there is no “right” art for your home, it’s determined by your taste and what you love.