Decorating with wall art 101
Decorating your home doesn't need to be hard, but it does require a little bit of thought, planning, and maybe some measuring.
Did you know your home decor impacts your mood, your attitude, your physical and mental well-being? Well, it does! Not only does your home decor tell others a story about who you are and what is important to you, but more importantly, it tells YOU a story about who you are and what is important to you. Your identity defines your home and your home defines your identity.
So what does all that woo woo stuff mean? I say woo woo, but there is some science behind how your home impacts your well-being. If your home is a hodgepodge mess of needed repairs with clutter all over the place. Whether you are aware of it or not, you will tell yourself a story about who you are and it won't be positive. On the other hand, if you create a space that feels good, is true to who you are, and surrounds you with all that you love, you will tell yourself a positive story about who you are and that story will be your reality.
So let's get making your house YOUR HOME! I'm right there with you, I've been in my house for almost 5 years and it still doesn't feel very me, so this might be the kick in the butt I need!
Obviously, this goes a little beyond the artwork. But all of these tips work together so that your artwork fits your home and is everything you dreamed of.
Style
What style is your home? Or what style would you like it to be? This is too big to get into every style here, but it's something you should think about. You can take an online quiz to help you narrow down your style. Here's one from HGTV.
Balance
Think of the items in your home, your furniture, and accents as visual weight. you want to balance the visual weight, based on size, texture, patterns, etc. Don't forget about adding variety. When your room is finished, it should feel complete and balanced.
Focal Point
Every room needs it. The one thing that the eye is drawn straight to. It can be structural, like a gorgeous fireplace, or a piece of furniture, or DUH! a stunning image of your dog! Whatever that focal point is, make sure it's clear and no other items are competing, which will create tension in the room.
Color Palette
This is another huge topic because there are endless options and once you choose, then everything you add to your home should fit. Instead of going into actual colors, I'm just going to focus on warm and cool palettes.
Warm Colors
- Warm colors include oranges, yellows, reds, and of course, browns. Grays with reddish or pinkish undertones are also considered warm. Warm colors can make a space appear smaller because the wall is pulled towards the eye. A warm color would be ideal on a wall at the end of a long, narrow bedroom, for example.
Cool Colors
- Cool colors include greens, blues, purples, and grays with these undertones. Cool colors make a small bedroom appear larger because it pulls the wall away from the eye. A cool color wall on the side of a bedroom can help a narrow room seem wider.
Patterns and textures
This goes back to balance. Having a variety of patterns and textures will help your home to feel complete and balanced.
Don't forget to add your own personality to your home.
Now that we have the basics covered, let's consider what to think about when planning for your session
Color palette and portrait location
I am going to assume you are ahead of me and you have your wall color(s) figured out, and your furniture works with the wall color(s). So maybe you have warm browns or beiges or cool blues and blue/grays? Keep your color palette in mind when you consider locations. Maybe a park with lush green grass won't mesh well with the tones you love so much, but the yellowy winter grass will.
Focal point
Where will you hang your artwork? will it be the focal point? Will it be one piece or a grouping? It will be difficult to know what size you would like without knowing this. Maybe you don't have wall space at all and you would prefer a desk print for the office and an album for your coffee table.
Style
What do you like? What will fit in your home?
- Metal prints are vibrant, but not overly so, with a matte finish that can fit into just about any style.
- Acrylics are glossy, electrifying, and modern and will pop in any modern or eclectic style.
- Canvas can be traditional but timeless.
- Framed, matted prints are also traditional, but timeless.
Balance and scale
Back to where your wall art will hang. you'll want to measure the furniture it will be over. You want your piece or grouping to be about 2/3rds the width of the item it's above. Smaller will look awkward and larger will feel heavy.
By now you should have a good idea of the sizes and colors you would love to see in the artwork on your walls and we can plan your session accordingly. Don't forget to come back to check out my tips for hanging that beautiful artwork, in my blog post linked below. Happy decorating!
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