The art of deocorating

Art is often thought of as part of the finishing touches of your decor, a last-minute addition to the space. But is this really the case? Art is more than just a decoration. When it is well curated, it can transform and elevate any room. It can set the tone of the space while also adding to the overall design aesthetic. Art can express your personality, add visual interest, evoke emotion or simply calmly complement the surroundings.

Understanding the role art plays in your space is important. A vibrant abstract can create energy, a subtle landscape can be calm and peaceful. The colours, textures and forms found in your artwork can be complementary to the surroundings of the room, adding not only visual interest but also depth to the design. It can create a focal point in the space, or just add a subtle nuance to a small little corner of a room. It can be the starting point when designing, or it could be that extra layer needed when creating a well-curated room.

Dimension, richness and interest

Many feel that great artwork should stand alone and really have nothing to do with the finished decor of your space. However, when working with clients, I often find that art always will have a greater impact and look better within the space when the decor supports the pieces in questions.

Whether you are working with original art, prints you fell in love with, photography from your travels or some great vintage pieces you found while thrifting, you need to decide the role these pieces will have within your space. Is art to be used as the inspiration for your designs, a focal point within the space or simply be a piece that accompanies and completes the overall design? However you decide to incorporate these pieces, know that they will certainly add dimension, richness and interest to the area.

So, the question remains: How do you design a space to highlight your art? One of the more classic and easiest ways to coordinate your art selections within your living spaces is drawing on colour. This is not about having your art “match” everything in the space, but rather developing a palette of colour and texture throughout that will help enhance the pieces. This could be a simple repetition of some of the colours found within the piece through paint, fabric and accessories which will help to strengthen the visual impact of the art. A coordination and balance of colour, pattern and texture within your decor will draw you into the room and visually highlight the art.

For a more modern approach, the design of a room can be a little more restrained, both in colour and composition, allowing the art to become more of an impactful focal point. With the use of strategically placed directional lighting you can add another element to highlighting your art and truly make it the centre of attention.

Subjective and personal

When working with impactful or large scaled pieces of art, put some thought in to how you’d like to display these pieces and make the design or decor of your space complement them, instead of just making the art exist. If you are selecting fresh pieces of art for your room, select wisely, both in size and composition. Look to creating groupings, or collages, with some pieces to avoid simply hanging a single piece per wall. While art is subjective and personal, it does need to vibe with the space it will be in to truly shine.

Art can elevate your interior space. But in the end, artwork should simply make you happy. Make a bold statement with your art selections or create a calm and relaxing environment, whichever suits your personality and style best. Be creative with your selections, and don’t be afraid to play with scale as well. A large piece on a smaller wall can really make an impact in a space, and the same goes for the reverse. Your selection of art is a reflection of you, your life, your history, your travels… have fun with it and don’t be shy to show your true self.