Choose great art for your home - Universal Call abstract oil painting in sitting room setting Large statement piece of art

Get 8 Tips on choosing great art for your Home

Choosing great art for your home is a personal and subjective process. There are no hard and fast rules to follow, but some guidelines can help you find pieces that will enhance your living space and reflect your personal taste.

  • Art can be a powerful tool and sets the ambience in any room.  You can change the furniture or the wall colours whereas a piece of art tends to be more permanent. 
  • It can have a historical aspect to it, reflecting a certain time in an artists life or a particular craze at the time.
  • Art can be passed down from generation to generation.

Here are some thoughts and practical tips that you might like to consider in choosing great art for your home.

Tip No. 1 Choosing great Art for your home

Consider the style of your home

When choosing art for your home, it’s essential to consider the style of your home. If your home has a modern design, you might want to choose art that is more abstract and minimalist. Alternatively, if your home has a more traditional or classic design, you might want to choose art that is  detailed and intricate. The aim is to try to choose art that complements the existing decor in your home and creates a cohesive look.

What room are you designing, what height are the ceilings, the colour schemes and the lighting?

Oftentimes, collectors like to display their biggest and best artwork in the family room.  This is the central hub of the house and where most entertaining would be done. So, it could be the best place to showcase your eclectic taste in art and also, an intriguing artwork is a super conversation starter.

Talk to an interior designer, or talk to the artist.  Many artists can show you “in-situ” art whereby you can see the art-piece in mock-up room settings.  Also, they may allow you “try out” some pieces to see how they fit. Choosing art should never be a rushed decision.  

Tip No. 2 Choose great Art for your home
Universal Call Abstract oil painting 30x40 inches - a celebration of our vast, unexplored universe
dalkey island view oil painting with yellow sunset

Allocate a budget

Art can be expensive, but there are plenty of options available at a varying range of price. Determine your budget before you start shopping for art, so you don’t overspend. You could also consider buying prints or reproductions of famous artworks if the original is outside of your budget.

vortex 20x16 limited edition print in texturised acqua - Aqua is a spectral color between blue and green that is named for the color of water.
Tip No. 3 Choose great art for your home

Consider the Lighting

 

Lighting is important when it comes to considering the medium of the artwork. Depending on the light’s intensity, it would be generally recommended to consider glazing both watercolour paintings, prints, pastels and photographic work with a UV protective and antireflective glass or Perspex. Generally speaking, an oil painting should be fine with the natural light but always safer to avoid direct, strong sunlight as this could cause the colours to fade over time.

labryinth encaustic artwork triptych in mottled green and blue
Tip No. 4 Choose Great Art for your home

Choose art that you love

The most important thing to consider when choosing art for your home is to choose pieces that you love. You will be living with the art for a long time, so it’s essential to choose pieces that bring you joy and happiness. Choose art that speaks to you on an emotional level. 

The artwork can be inspired by mood.  Placing it in the correct room so that you can build on the mood from there. 

Place a seascape where you can dream of strolling that sandy beach with the wind in your hair and the smell of sea air is perfect for daylight spaces such as the kitchen.

A  more intriguing abstract work of art might work better in a space which you’re going to relax in the evening time and you can muse over its intricacies.

  • Do some research online.  
  • Visit local galleries and see their online catalogues. 
  • Check out artists living in your own community.
  • Look at magazine catalogues of some of your favourite people.
  • Look at as much art as possible and get a feel for what type of art it is that you particularly like. 
  • Maybe you would like to commission a certain piece of art of a special place for example, so you could talk to the artist about this.

I believe that it is best to see the artwork up close and personal to get a real feel for it but if you know the artist, or there is online evidence of trust such as reviews, awards, then acquiring the piece online might prove more practical.  You can Google many online platforms both internationally and locally.  You could do searches in colour, sizes and styles.

Choosing great art for your home -Glendalough upper lake in Wicklow - Oil painting with pink sunset
Tip No. 5 Choose great Art for your home

Consider the colour palette in your home

When choosing art for your home, consider the colour palette of the room where the art will be displayed. Try to choose art that complements the existing colours in the room. If the room has a neutral colour palette, you might want to choose art that adds a pop of colour. If the room already has bold colours, you might want to choose art that is more subtle and will blend more easily.

You can create endless bespoke combinations in a room with dramatic or harmonious artwork.   Look at the colour palette and ask yourself, do you want it to match, contrast or redefine the tones of its surroundings.

dancing queen 10x8 oil on canvas - flamenco dancer
Reaching for the sun abstract oil painting of blue and purple flowers
Tip No. 6 Choose Great Art for your home

Consider scale

Consider the size of the room when choosing art for your home. Large art pieces can make a small room feel cluttered, while small pieces can get lost in a large room. Consider the size of the wall where you want to hang the art and choose pieces that are proportional to the space.

When it comes to buying for your home, measure the space that you want to fill. You’ll want to gauge how it will look like in your space and what size fits best.  A great way to help you visualize it in the room is simply by outlining different potential dimensions with decorator’s tape, or paper. Take a step back to see how it looks.

In general, bigger is better as a big canvas will create a beautiful focal point.

You can hang smaller pieces in a smaller area, place them side by side, or you can group them together to create an eye-catching gallery wall.

 

Goats Island Oil Painting Donna McGee 30x40 Inches Oil on Canvas
Carton boat house Co. Kildare - Oil painting with orange sunset
Tip No. 7 Choose Great Art for your home

Framing

Artworks and frames should always be complimentary.  I personally like to frame my work in white or cream wooden frames that give an overall contemporary look. Thankfully, I have a great framer who can do this for  me. The artwork should be complimented by a frame and not compete with an overbearing, heavy frame, unless of course that it is suited to that space.  When buying work from an artist, the artwork is probably already framed in a complimentary fashion.  However, you can always request a particular type of frame e.g., with a gold or silver trim. If an artwork just doesn’t seem to work, a lot of things can be improved simply by reframing. 

Nowadays, it has become quite popular not to frame oil paintings that have been created on a block or thick canvas.  This is usually a canvas with a depth of 3 or 4 inches and it sits flush against the wall. It has a minimalist look and feel.

Another popular variation are tray frames or sometimes referred to as box frames, where the painting sits inside a wooden box.

If you have commissioned a certain work of art from an artist, you can of course discuss the framing  in advance.

Tip No. 8 Choose Great Art for your home
labryinth encaustic artwork triptych in mottled green and blue
safe haven oil painting of a cave in the west of ireland along the wild atlantic way

Mix & Match

Don’t be afraid to mix and match different styles of art in your home. Eclectic combinations can create a unique and personalized look. You might choose to combine different types of art, such as paintings, prints, sculptures, and photographs, to create a diverse collection. You can also experiment with textile art, ceramics, glass or metalwork.

Buy an art piece that marks a milestone, like a birthday or a wedding anniversary.  This way, you are building memories and this has to be heart-warming.

 

Undying Love Forever 3D Oil based magenta flower painting
8 tips to choose great art for your home purple abstract painting collage
8 tips to choose great art for your home Seascape Encaustic painting interiors

In conclusion, choosing art for your home is a personal and subjective process.  Consider it as an investment in your own happiness.  It is also something you can pass down to your family.  

There is a great philanthropic feeling when buying an art piece knowing that you’re supporting a talented local artist whose work you really like.  You are actively helping to keep their career going and enabling them to create more incredible work.

 “SHOP LOCAL”

So in summary, consider the style of your home, your budget, and your personal taste when selecting pieces. Choose art that you love, complements the colour palette of the room, and is proportional to the space. Don’t be afraid to mix and match different styles to create a unique and personalized look.  And most important of all, have fun!

sunlight through the gap of dunloe oil painting
Atlantic Call Oil paintingof evening sky over the ocean and the seagulls
Harmony 16 x 12 inches limited edition Giclee Print of original irish art oil painting
blue incandescence 30x40 inch abstract oil painting in room setting
natures blue abstract oil painting in room setting
Grand Canal Dublin 16 x 20 inches Oil on Canvas in gold frame
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