Decorating With Art

Decorating With Art

I’m going to deviate a little from my usual chronicles of creating art, and talk about some things which I hope you will find useful.  In the days and weeks ahead, I want to share some nuggets of what I’ve learned over the years in dealing with originals and prints, matting and framing, what glass to use, decorating, and so forth.  Tonight I will discuss some simple tips I’ve learned while decorating with art.  Simple things that make a huge difference in creating just the right look in your home or office.

So, you just brought home a beautiful new piece of artwork!  You love it and want to showcase it in the best way possible.  Aside from special spotlights and making it the in-your-face focal point of the entire room, how can you accomplish this?  Not all art work is going to be the huge cherished painting over the sofa, so what do you do with others to show them off to best advantage?  Here are some tips that might help.

First, color, Color, COLOR!  Identify the color or colors in the art that you most want to play up.  Hang the art in a room that has harmonizing walls and/or floor coverings. They can be totally neutral, but try not to display the work in a room where the walls or rugs just flat-out clash with the dominate color(s) of the art.  When you know where you want to hang the art, if possible, have a small table or other flat surface under or very near it.  You might even consider installing one of those attractive but inexpensive wall shelves found in so many stores.  Place it to the side or underneath where the artwork is to hang, depending on your space.  Second, most of us have lots of little nick-knacks that are often packed away because we love them, yet have not found a way to display them.  Or maybe they’re tucked into an already crowded china cabinet.  Items could be figurines, special bowls, a decorative plate you could display on a stand, vases, even art glass or pottery objects.  Check those out to see if anything has the dominant color(s) found in the art.  If you don’t have anything that works, thrift shops, antique malls, and flea markets are great places to find that perfect object with the right colors at an inexpensive price.  Once you have hung the art over or near the table, dresser, shelf, or other flat surface nearby, place your chosen object(s) on the nearby surface.  One larger object or a couple of smaller ones is all it takes to tie that art to the rest of the mini decor you’ve just created for that portion of the room.  It will not look haphazard, but planned by a professional!  Suppose you don’t have room for a table or shelf?  Place your art over or very near an upholstered chair or love seat that plays up the same dominate color(s).  Don’t forget the drapes on the windows!  You can also hang the art next to a window treatment featuring the same colors.  One BIG caveat:  never buy art just to match the drapes and walls!  Buy it because you love it!

I’ve attached a series of mini-decors from my own home that I hope illustrates what I’m describing.  Can you pick out the one that doesn’t meet the criteria?  I hope this has given you some ideas of how to blend some favorite decorator objects with your art into the decor of a room, tying them all together coherently and beautifully!