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Stylish Ways to Bring your Art Collection Together

October 7, 2014

Stylish Ways to Bring your Art Collection Together

Artwork is one of the easiest ways to bring an extra dash of personal style into your home. But rather than simply hanging your art in the center of the wall, why not try something new with your display? From displaying your artwork of random sizes in a geometrical shape to choosing a dramatic backdrop, you will love these fresh ideas for bringing your art collection together.

Consider Your Space

First, determine which pieces will work best in which rooms of your home. Keep in mind that art can go a long way toward setting a mood for a room. In your bedroom, hanging a dynamic piece over the bed can create a focal point while adding texture and color to your space. In lively rooms where you want sparks of conversation, choosing bright and bold prints might be perfect, but in spaces where quiet and comfort are sought, a black-and-white photograph or serene art print would be much more appropriate.

Go with a Gallery Wall

A gallery wall is the perfect way to pull multiple complementary and contrasting pieces together into one place. It could feature a few small pieces of artwork displayed on a picture ledge, or it could cover an entire wall. Whether you collect framed art, canvas prints, sculptures, or loose photographs, gather them together and start planning. Here are the steps:

  • Choose a wall in your home that is a good size and location to become a focal point. A fireplace wall, an accent wall in the dining room, or a hallway all work beautifully.
  • Measure your framed artwork and determine what spacing you’d like between your pictures. Pictures placed close together can tell a story or unite a common theme — ideal for abstracts. Artwork spaced wide apart will put more emphasis on each subject — ideal for portraits and detailed art.
  • If your art collection includes heirloom pieces such as dishes, sculptures, masks, or shadowboxes, leave enough space between your pieces to let each one speak for itself.
  • Arrange your pieces on the floor and use a digital camera to remember your layout.

Have Fun with Your Frames

Oversized frames with smaller mats emphasize the image, while elaborate frames with large white matting can be like art in themselves. If your paint color is a darker shade, the white of the mat could leave a spot for your eyes to rest. If you choose a more neutral palette, bold prints can be that pop of color to give interest to a room. If you have a large wall with no windows, try using varying height displays that consume the entire landscape of your wall. A gallery collection is so much more interesting than a large block of color. And don’t be afraid to mix frame colors; use natural products like prints on wood or carvings.

Use Geometry to Display your Artwork

While you may only consider your artwork as the main attraction of your room, the shape in which it is displayed can also add impact to your interiors.

  • Curved and rectilinear display: Traditional layouts are displayed in rectilinear grids, while curvilinear layouts as well as asymmetrical designs help create gallery walls that have more dimension and character.
  • Radial patterns: Using a geometric shape like a radial pattern can add a hierarchy to your artwork collection by placing the most important piece in the center and using smaller artwork to radiate outward. To add style to your space, bring in your own personal touches such as three-dimensional letters, numbers, symbols, and other nostalgic decorative items to play off of the subjects of your artwork.

It’s amazing how many different ways there are to display artwork in collections. The wonderful thing about art is that as your home continues to grow, so too can your artwork — and your style!

Laurie Laizure is the CEO of Customized Walls and founder of the largest online community for design pros, Interior Design Community. Laurie’s work has been featured on various cable networks such as Bravo and HGTV as well as top publications in the interior design world such as Country Living magazine. She also writes on her own blog, on the William Sonoma Designer Marketplace and for Shutterfly.com. Connect with her here: Google+

 

Categories Accessories, Luxury Interior Design | Tags: , , , ,

  • http://www.RenovationBootcamp.com Robin Siegerman

    Lots of good food for thought here! I always try to get my clients to think of art as an element of the decor that is just as important as the furniture, so it doesn’t become an afterthought. A room really isn’t a home without it. And I think your idea of laying out the arrangement on the floor and taking a digital photo of it is great! Technology is a wonderful thing! Thanks for an interesting post.

    • http://www.faithsheridan.com Faith Sheridan

      Robin, art is equal to furniture! The arrangement on the floor is a great tool for clarifying the finished appearance. And a big aid to the installer of the art! For myself, I cannot imagine a home without art on the walls, in niches, and displayed according to the medium. Thanks for the comment.

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    • http://www.faithsheridan.com Faith Sheridan

      Thanks for the recognition about the post on art and grouping it in the home.

  • http://BettyWasserman.com/ Betty Wasserman Art & Interior

    Great ideas! Thanks for the inspiration!