3 TOP TIPS FOR GETTING WALL ART RIGHT & FAVORITES ART SOURCES

ART TIP: Art should never be larger than the furniture it is hung over. 

Art Grouping Examples-

The top art grouping I curated for our new kitchen space! I want to order it to go above our banquette seating. As you are selecting art it is really telling the design style you love- I love bright, playful art, that looks vintage.

ART TIP ONE: Pick something that means something. 

When choosing art that is sentimental, think about your family culture. Where do you live? What do you like doing together? What is your favorite vacation spot? 

Sentimental Art- I have a piece that was custom painted by a friend of a picture that I snapped at the beach. It was shortly after moving to CT, and our family was hanging out at the beach. I saw this elderly couple holding hands and walking toward the water. It was so tender and made me excited for the future. When I saw the picture, I noticed little Lola sticking her head in a bucket and I couldn’t help but laugh at the juxtaposition! It was a fun memory for us and I love having it become art in our home!

Vacation photo turned into art- You don’t need to have a custom art piece created either! Is there a favorite snapshot you have taken on vacation? I love to use the waterlogue app to make photos from my Iphone look like water color art! Here is a picture I took of some pineapple in Hawaii (a favorite vacation spot). I uploaded it to the Waterlogue app, and then sent it to Walgreens to print. Easy, inexpensive and meaningful art!

Place you live- This one may seem obvious, but you may be surprised at how many people over look this very basic tip! I loved featuring this “FAIRFIELD” art in Rachel’s kitchen! It is the town where they live! It makes the space feel personal. 

Frame Children’s Art- Framing kids artwork is really the best kind of art you can have. It cost nothing and means everything. Some of Luke’s art was from when he was 6! Rachel, Luke’s mom said it had been hanging on the wall since he was 6 and never moved. And there is nothing wrong with that. But hand-selecting what pieces of art you frame and also rotating art is great to do too.

Hobbies and Interest– When I helped my friend with her bonus area, I spent time choosing art that meant something to her family. They love playing golf and have three sons! This art relates to the culture of their family and works well in a fun, game-type room! We utilized the long-haired cow print as well since their family spent some time living in Texas. When I brought it, she said that they have some Scottish roots and those are native to that country! Bonus!

ART TIP TWO: Know where it is going before you buy it! 

This is really a good tip for not just art, but for anything in your home! It can be so tempting to fall in love with a piece of art or a mirror and buy it without knowing exactly where it will go. You may think that you love it so much, you will definitely be able to find a place only to come home and discover that the size is wrong or the color scheme doesn’t work.  

Sometimes you get really lucky and art works in multiple places! This beautiful canvas from Lindsay Letters was purchased to hang over the mantel at my mom’s house when we redid her fireplace, but then I also loved it by her front door too! Just because you have an idea of where it will go, doesn’t mean it HAS to stay there! It just means that it definitely won’t go wasted!

When I  was working on this makeover for my friend’s dining room, I found that navy-rimmed wall basket at Goodwill and knew that it would be great in her dining room! I already had that navy wall basket and was so excited to find another one to pair it with! Sometimes art can be anything you want it to be.

ART TIP THREE: Consider Size, Shape and Color

This bedroom makeover we did for Robin was so much fun to pull together right before town for the holidays! I had a couple comments saying that the mirror over the bed was too small, or that we should have done three. When I read that, I took another look at the picture, and decided that I really did like just the one. Three would have felt a little overpowering and this piece fit so perfectly in between the boards. And I wanted it to look like a window. 

Sometimes you have the perfect art, but it isn’t quite big enough for the space intended.

When considering what to hang on your walls, try not to be too repetitive. Notice the different shapes and textures that we put in Amy’s master bedroom makeover. The art over her desk was a piece that she picked up from a thrift store, but was originally from Minted. The round shelf was also a thrifted item. When deciding what to hang over the bed, I wanted to add a mirror and chose a shape that wasn’t already present in the room. The gold color unified the other art and the ceiling fan. 

I hope that gave you some inspiration and courage to pick art that is YOU and has meaning!