Artwork can be a wonderful compliment
to the décor of a room, or it can detract
from the design. That’s because there
are so many elements to consider when
looking at art on the wall and determining
if it works there or not. Some of the
considerations include where the art is
hung, the size, and the style. Another
obvious one is if you even have art at
all. Following a few guidelines will
ensure your art looks great.
Where to hang art
One of the most frequent crimes against art is
improper hanging. Some people believe art
should hang in the middle of the wall. Others suggest hanging it at the eye level of Oompaloompa. This makes the picture hang too low. In general, art should be hung at eye level for an average-sized person. To be precise, the center of the picture should be at eye level. This would make the center of the picture somewhere about 67” high. Anywhere close to this would probably be fine and should be judged against the size, height, and width of the picture.
Make it have impact
Art has more impact when it’s sized right for the wall. Small pictures on large walls look silly. It’s not always the other way around, though. Big pictures on small walls can look bold and dramatic. If you have a large wall, be sure to hang a large picture on the wall to give it more heft and balance. Sometimes art on the walls loses its impact because it’s scattered. This often happens with groupings, such as plates and small pictures. All groupings should all be kept together rather than spread around the house. This gives them much more design punch.
Maybe you have great art already.
If you do, but still want to make improvements, light it up. Nothing says “pay attention” to artwork like lighting does. Plus, lighting stores and home centers have all kinds of new lighting options for artwork that will make it look fabulous. Even if you don’t own an original, you can make any art piece look more special and have more presence just by putting a light on it.
Every space needs art
A home or office without art is missing something. Even children’s rooms, hallways, and kitchens should have some kind of artwork. Large spaces also cry out for art. These can be large wall areas, like those over sofas or beds. When they don’t, it usually boils down to cost. Even simple prints at the local décor store can be very costly depending on size, framing, and matting. If you’d like to have art on the walls, you’ll be glad to know that with just a little imagination and effort you can.
Make your own art
There are so many ways to add art to your walls. One of the simplest is with fabric. Armed with a staple gun and a yard or so of fabric, you can attach a graphic fabric to a painting frame (available at art stores) and you have an instant art piece.
Artist’s stretch-canvas frames are great ways to make your own art and they only cost a few dollars. You can also buy a large artist frame and a small poster. Paint the outside of the frame a predominant color from the poster and then glue the poster to the center of the frame. Paint over the whole picture with gel medium (available at art stores) to make it looking like an actual painting. Depending on the price of the poster, you’ve got a realistic-looking painting for under $25.
Another option is to hang fabric, such as tapestry fabric, on the wall. Hem the edges and make a rod pocket at the top. Hang this on a decorative rod and, again, you have a piece of “art” for just the cost of fabric and the rod. Other ideas include having small photos printed in black and white and then placed in very large frames. Have plain white mats cut for the photos. The small picture in the large frame captures interest and looks very high end and custom. Best of all, plain white mats are inexpensive. The only major expense is the frame and even simple, inexpensive black frames can be used for a great look.
What if you have a zillion family photos? This is a common problem. The problem is that when there are too many family photos, they’re usually all in different frames and they’re spread out everywhere. This creates a disjointed look that lacks impact and just look like visual clutter.
To correct this, take all the frames down and spray paint them one unifying color such as black, gold, silver, red, etc. Then, put all the photos back on one wall grouped together. If you’re not sure how to position them, cut pieces of paper the same size as the frames and arrange them on the floor or the wall, hanging them with some painter’s tape. This will help you to group them attractively before you begin putting holes in the wall.
Create a unified and attractive look in your home by assessing your artwork. You’ll find that it doesn’t require a houseful of original oils and masterpieces to create art that is visually interesting and that has good design.
© 2007 Kathryn Weber, all rights reserved
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Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Everydayclean.com Cleaning Calender, that calender that puts you in control of your home by ending the power struggle. For more information log on to http://tinyurl.com/d9rh5.
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©2001-2007 Kathryn Weber
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