The way you choose to decorate your home says a lot about your personality and style. When guests come into your home, the decor will be the first thing to make an impression and give them an idea of who you are. It can be tricky, however, to get the decor just right in every room.
To nail the interior design style that you’re aiming for, you need the right pieces of art and you need to display them in the right way. With global online art sales increasing by 74% between 2013 and 2017 alone, there is an endless amount of artistic choices out there. Let’s take a look at how to choose the right pieces out of this huge pool of art and make your home into the comfortable and inspiring space you want.
In the Kitchen
While the kitchen is often known as the heart of the home, and a minor kitchen remodel has an average return on investment of 82.7%, many homeowners don’t put much thought into decorating this space with artwork. The design-conscious do often give a kitchen a stylistic theme and 76% of homeowners even change the style of the kitchen during a renovation project. However, the indicators of style typically come from the larger and more functional elements of a kitchen, such as the countertops and cabinets. You don’t often see pieces of artwork hanging on the walls of a kitchen.
By putting art up in the kitchen, you can add some character to the traffic-heavy space. Prints that are funny and social can add a little laugh to your morning and make your kitchen a welcoming place. As you may be short on wall space in a kitchen, try incorporating art on countertops or the spaces above cabinets. You’ll want to lean towards smaller pieces that complement the space rather than overwhelm it with large pieces of art.
In the Bedroom
You want your bedroom to be an oasis for relaxation and the right artwork can go a long way in making the room exactly that. Try hanging art on the wall directly over the bed or on the wall opposite the bed. Using these walls will complement the bed nicely, which is likely the largest object in the room. If you’re hanging a piece over your bed, it should be about two-thirds the width of the bed or larger to look proportional. Large pieces hung at eye level work well in the bedroom, as you don’t want to make it too chaotic with many small pieces.
As for what should be depicted in the artwork, try choosing abstract pieces with soothing colors and tones. Art can really help decrease stress levels. And what better place to de-stress than in your bedroom? For those who prefer photography, landscapes and desaturated photos work well. You could choose a landscape of a foreign city or country where you’ve traveled or want to travel. If you’re a fan of the Spanish language and want to visit all 21 countries where that is the official language, having photos of those countries can serve as motivation to buy that plane ticket.
In the Kid’s Room
Whether you have some blank wall space in your child’s bedroom or the kids’ playroom, adding artwork there can inspire your little ones. There are no hard rules about the kind of artwork to hang in these rooms. Framing illustrations from your child’s favorite picture books can be a great way to incorporate beautiful artwork while showcasing your child’s interests. Many local artists make child-friendly prints and designs and will sell their pieces on platforms like Etsy.
You can also hang images that have to do with your child’s life. When they make art, frame it as you would with any other piece of art and put it on display. By showcasing it professionally, you’re showing your child that they are as important as any artist. You could also hang pictures that inspire your child. For instance, a child who has Down syndrome might not always see people who look like them in the media or the real world, as the population of people with Down syndrome is decreasing by 30% because of prenatal screening. You could find groups that advocate for people with Down syndrome and hang pictures of them in your child’s room to give them the representation they lack in the wider world.
In the Living Room
The living room is often the most exciting room to decorate for the enthusiastic designers, but the most intimidating for the less-experienced. As most of your guests will see the artwork in this room over the pieces in your bedroom or the kids’ playroom, you want to get the decor here just right. You might spend up to 4% of your home’s value on annual maintenance, so why not include updated art in that percentage? With the perfect pieces, you can solidify the feel of a space or provide an interesting conversation piece. Try opting for one large piece or creating a large gallery wall with a unifying theme. You can also use pieces that aren’t prints or canvases, such as 3D wall hangings or tapestries.
As you decorate your living room, don’t forget about your home’s basement. You can get an ROI of 77.6% by finishing your basement and transforming it into a useful space. If you decide to turn your basement into a family room, you can use the tips for decorating your living room for your underground space as well.
Every room in your home could use a little boost from some well-chosen pieces of art. Even your garage, which 85% of home buyers want for extra storage space, can be a great place to hang prints and decor to give it some character. No matter where you choose to decorate, choose pieces that bring you joy and convey the style you want to communicate. You’ll soon have a home that doubles as your personal art gallery.
