You have spent lots of time planning and selecting the perfect furnishings for your home, from pillows and lighting to the correct wood tone on your side tables. Somehow it still feels incomplete and maybe even lacking personality- becoming somewhat of a showroom instead of reflecting the true you. Any style can be enhanced by art, and it is relatively inexpensive and easy to do.
How do you want that room to feel? Will it be spicy and hot like your last Mexican vacation? Or calm and relaxed- full of white noise, a place you can relax after a busy and sometimes chaotic day. Your space can benefit from the healing energy of art, which will enable you to align yourself with the experience you desire.
It is even possible to create different experiences with the same art in different styles of rooms. These two images of the same paintings are used in vastly different spaces. Art can be more versatile than you realize. For instance, there are times when contemporary design can feel cold and too hard-edged. When a painting contains natural and warm subject matter it can ground the hard edges in other areas of the room instantly creating a sense of comfort.
On the other hand, this is a very formal room that has benefited from mother nature's atmosphere in the paintings. Taking a virtual step outside and breathing in the fresh air helps you relax a bit.
It is always possible to hang an impressive piece over a fireplace or a sofa. If there is an empty space in your home, you can also use a statement piece of art to brighten it up with color or interest. Art can even be used as a focal point when surrounded with other objects such as in this room below.
Adding a small painting to a collection of objects can make the room more interesting, and make you notice the piece as soon as you walk in. The workhorses of the room, paintings, help with a variety of tasks such as enhancing the colors from your accent wall or area rug to unify the room.
What a wonderful idea it is to consider hanging multiple paintings from one artist throughout your house. It will become instantly cohesive while carrying the same style or emotion from room to room. Consider purchasing from beginning artists and become a collector of an emerging talent. It will encourage them and you can get a great deal!
"Remember every artist was first an amateur."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Setting an emotional mood with art is very effective. In the bedroom, choose art pieces that will give you calm reflection as it's the last thing you see at night and the first thing you see in the morning. It can remove you from the outside noise and make your room feel like a retreat.
Don't forget, art is not just for your home. In the office it can change the temperature of the room to reflect your personality. It's a great way to get inspired for the day and be welcoming to others. Consider a large piece of art even if it is in a small room. A larger painting will make it feel less cluttered than several smaller ones and it will make the room itself appear larger. And while we are addressing the harder places to furnish, an awkward wall or unsymmetrical space can be visually diminished with an attention-grabbing painting.
And finally, you don't have to hang! This is the top of a chest in my family room. It doesn't matter whether your artwork is related or not, it can be used in a collection. A high window behind the chest allowed me to prop the painting up in this corner that badly needed some color. Boom, instant texture and interest. Sometimes being eclectic will add a sense of surprise or even playfulness to an otherwise static design.
These guidelines are just suggestions, because after all, anything goes in the world of art. Discovering your style and becoming familiar with your favorite artists is easy with social media, such as Pinterest. In connection with that, I invite you to take a look at my website. I have several interesting paintings that have been reviewed very well. And, as always, like and subscribe!
Love, Mary
http://www.MaryRylantArt.com