5 Tips for Adding Art to Your Home
Original art is one of the signatures of my interior design aesthetic. Paintings, photography, etchings, and more can add life to a space, and can show the personalities of the people who live there. I love to work with clients who have their own collections, but I also enjoy curating art to help build my client’s portfolio or to find the perfect piece for their home. Here are my 5 top tips for adding art to your home.
Kara Cox Interiors
1. Consider Scale
If you have a very large piece of art - or a large blank wall - remember that scale is incredibly important. In the room above, you can see that the long wall surfaces on either side of the fireplace needed art that wouldn’t be overwhelmed by the height. These matched paintings look stunning placed there, and work to balance the windows at the top of the room. Think carefully about small pieces of art and smaller wall surfaces, too. Don’t let the scale throw off a beautiful room composition.
Kara Cox Interiors
2. Color Inspiration
Often art will inspire a color palette for rooms that I design. If it’s a piece that my client loves, then I know they’ll love seeing the colors in that art throughout the room. And sometimes we find color inspiration in the reverse. I may have designed a palette that my clients are excited about and then we’ll search for the right art to fit the room and its color story. Many times, I have also commissioned pieces especially for a specific room in my client’s home. That makes it even more personal and finishes the space perfectly.
Kara Cox Interiors
3. Emotional Impact
Emotion isn’t something people often think of when looking for art, but it is so key to the process. If a painting or sculpture speaks to you, then you should purchase it. You will live with your art for a long time, so you want it to include things that you love, and that are important to you. You can even frame mementos, special photographs, and other items from your past or heritage. Having those items in your rooms really will tell your story, and you’ll love to look at them every day.
Kara Cox Interiors
4. The Perfect Height
One of the worst things that I see in people’s homes is art that’s hung too high on the wall. That can ruin the balance of an otherwise lovely space! A good rule of thumb is to hang the art so that the center of the piece is about at eye level for an average person. After all, you want people to be able to appreciate your collection without having to raise their heads to see it.
Kara Cox Interiors
5. Multiple Choice
Using multiple pieces together can fill a space nicely and create a lovely vignette. When hanging several pieces together, remember to think of them as one large piece for placement. Consider the center of the overall grouping as the point you want at eye level. And be sure to use consistent spacing between each of the individual pieces. That will give you a balanced look once you’ve hung the art.
Use these ideas to curate and hang art in your own home. And if you need any help designing a home to perfectly support your art collection, give me and my team a call!
All the best,
Kara