Interior Redesign: Choosing the Right Artwork for Your Room

Like other accessories, framed artwork can either be disruptive and jarring to the eye or put the perfect finishing touch on any room. You can find many books in your local library or home decor store loaded with the "do's and don'ts" of artwork. However, one author's do is often another's don't, so it's not surprising that decorating with artwork can be a source of confusion.

There are many aspects to choosing artwork to complement your room, but if you get the two basic considerations right, you should be on your way to creating a harmonious element that will enhance your room.

A formal portrait in oil can look very out of place in a casual family room. Likewise, those posters that graced the walls of your college dorm probably aren't right for the living rooms of your post-student years. So the first step in choosing artwork for any room is to make sure that the piece is in harmony with the mood and style of the room. Evaluate the artwork by asking the following questions:

Is the piece suitable for formal or casual rooms?

While the formality of a piece can be modified to some extent with the type of frame and mat used, there are pieces which just don't make the transition well. On the other hand, there are many types of framed art prints which work equally well in formal or casual rooms. Artwork should always enhance the mood of the room and, in fact, can play a major role in establishing the appropriate mood.

Is the subject matter of the artwork appropriate for the room?

While many advise restricting depictions of food or dining scenes to the dining room or kitchen, I think it is more a question of the piece's style and that each piece should be evaluated based on its own character. It is, however, advisable to keep erotic art in private areas of the home, usually a bedroom. Very personal photos should also be confined to non-public areas of the home. If the subject matter is disturbing in any way, try to place the piece a room where the viewer has physical and emotional distance from it, such as a hallway. Never use pieces of this nature in dining rooms or bedrooms.

Is the quality of the piece suitable for the room?

An aspect of harmony often overlooked is the issue of quality. A room will look much more cohesive if everything in the room is of a similar quality. It holds true for artwork, as well. Bear in mind that the style and materials used in matting and framing can have a major impact on the overall quality of a piece.

The second basic consideration in choosing artwork for you room is the shape and size of the area in which the artwork will hang. If you draw a mental box around the wall space available for the piece, its shape will become immediately apparent to you. Vertical spaces should be filled with vertical framed art prints whose relative proportions approximate the shape of the wall area. Horizontal wall spaces take horizontal pieces. Square spaces can be used for square or round artwork. As to size, be guided by the size of the wall space as well as the scale of the furnishings immediately surrounding it.

When decorating your home, choosing the right artwork for the right room can be the perfect way to put a great finishing touch on your interior design.

5 Simple Tips for Decorating with Art

Choosing art can be a difficult process. Not only are there millions of pieces out there for you to sift through, look at, dismiss and decide upon, you must also have a good understanding of what it is you are trying to accomplish when decorating with art. Below are five simple tips that can make selecting artwork easier and ultimately more enjoyable.

· Connect with it: You have to find art you like! Of course, this might seem obvious, but it can often be left out of the equation when selecting art. Don’t be so willing to take other people’s opinion of what is “good” and neglect to understand your own. Art is many things to many people, but when choosing how to decorate with it, it needs to be yours and yours alone. Whether the piece inspires you, calms you, excites you or just generally makes you happy, that is where you need to start.

· Blend it: Not only should the artwork affect you internally and emotionally, it must help create a space that surrounds you externally. Aside from within the walls of a museum, art is rarely viewed independently. Meaning, there are usually other elements that will affect your perception of the piece. Whether it is furnishings, accessories or the people who occupy the space, the art you choose should be a reflection of that and be able to pull it all together.

· Hang it: What good is wall art if is not on the wall? Here are a few tips for hanging your artwork:

o Bigger is often better by creating more of a statement. Go with small prints on narrow walls large works for large surface areas.

o When hanging above a desk, try to get the frame about five to ten inches above the desktop. Also, when hanging wall art over furniture, it should, generally, not be longer than the piece of furniture.

o Hang art so that the center point of the piece is at eye level for the average person. However, with high ceilings, it is often times good to go up a bit, if you are trying to emphasize the height. Bring the print lower if you want to create the feeling of a smaller space.

· Mat it: A white or subtle cream mat is what you may often see in stock or default fine art prints because it brings the most amount of focus to the artwork itself. However, when actually decorating with art, you might choose something that gives the artwork a complete and whole look, emphasizing colors and surroundings. To create maximum impact with your prints, consider choosing a mat that contrasts your wall color: light mat with a dark wall and dark mat for wall painted with a light color.

· Frame it: Usually, when selecting a frame, you want to avoid choosing a color that is too similar to the color of the mat you chose. Again, like mat and wall colors, it is a good idea to find a mat and frame option easily distinguished by the eye. A dark mat and a dark frame can leave the eye confused as to where one starts, and the other begins. Blending and selecting mat and frame colors that are evident within the painting itself, can provide a cohesive and complete look. Like a well-dressed suit, you can think of the mat and frame like a sharp shirt and tie combination.