From choosing the perfect sofa for your living room to selecting the perfect headboard for your bedroom, you have a lot of choices to make when decorating your home. The furnishings you choose for your home should be a reflection of your individual taste and style, and you want to get it right.
But even after all those pieces of furniture are in place and the last bookcase has been selected, you will still be staring at blank walls. What you put on those walls can make or break your home décor, and choosing the right artwork for your home is a key part of the aesthetic process. Here are some tips to help you create a stunning art gallery in your home.
Decorative Object or Strategic Investment?
If you want to transform your walls into a stunning art gallery, start by thinking about what you want to achieve. Is your interest in art merely aesthetic, or is there a financial element as well?
Works of art can be a great investment, but there are a lot of factors to consider. In many cases, the works with the greatest potential for appreciation may not be the ones you most want in your home. There are some exceptions, of course, but budding art collectors will need to strike a balance between their individual tastes and their home decorating goals.
Forcing collectible artwork to do double duty as wall décor may create additional challenges, starting with how to keep the paintings and sculptures safe. Acid-free mats and UV framing are good places to start, but you may need to invest in additional protective measures, especially if you hope to make a profit down the line.
Creating a Focal Point
Whether you choose to adorn your walls with collectible pieces or merely decorative ones, placement will be important. The best works of art instantly draw the eye of the viewer; they are nearly impossible to ignore.
If you want to maximize the impact of the artwork you have so carefully chosen, give them a place of honor in the room. The exact placement will depend on several factors, including the size of the artwork, the type of room, and the look you are trying to achieve.
You may need to experiment with several different placements until you find the right home for the piece, so take your time and get it right. Great art should serve as a beautiful focal point, drawing the eye of the viewer and creating a profound visceral reaction.
Original Artwork
If you want to create a one-of-a-kind art gallery on your walls, purchasing original artwork can be a great choice. When you buy works of art for your walls, you avoid the cookie-cutter look that is so common, and often so problematic.
Unfortunately, finding quality works of original art is not always an easy task, especially if you are not an experienced collector. It helps to be an art lover, but your status as an aficionado may not be enough. If you are willing to learn about the art world and do your homework, you may be able to discover up-and-coming artists and incorporate them into your stunning in-home gallery.
Work from Beloved Artists
If you are an art lover, you probably have a list of favorite artists, luminaries whose work is simply too great to be ignored. Even if you plan to create an in-home gallery comprised of original works of art, there is always a place for established artists in your collection.
If your tastes run to art world legends like Picasso, Monet, and Van Gogh, original paintings are almost certainly beyond your budget. But that does not mean you cannot adorn your walls with stunning works of classic art – museum-quality prints and replicas are readily available, and often quite reasonably priced.
In the end, choosing artwork for your home is a bit of a balancing act. You want to choose the best works of art, including experimental works by up-and-coming artists. Maybe you even have visions of becoming an art collector. At the same time, you have a budget, and you need to choose works of art that are beautiful, affordable, and fit well with your overall home décor. Striking the right balance is not always easy, but when you stroll through your home gallery, you can enjoy the fruits of your labor.
