C&G’s Guide to Choosing Art to Suit Your Space

Tips & Advice

For the average homeowner, buying art doesn’t come very naturally. We’re often stuck for ideas on colours, styles, sizes and frames, and sometimes your ideas in your mind just don’t work well in the room. In today’s blog, C&G share our top tips on choosing art for your space.

Choosing art for your space needn’t be as daunting as it sounds. Whether you’re investing in expensive pieces from galleries or picking up a budget canvas from Target, you can apply simple principles to help your chosen artworks dress your home effectively.

Colours and Designs

Art is a fun way to bring colour and style into your home. While many modern interior trends play to a very minimal, neutral palette, art is where you can write your own rules. If you’ve opted for a white-on-wood aesthetic in your decor and furniture, art is where you can bring in bright colours, sharp lines and playful prints to lift your space. It’s still worth thinking about what colour palettes you’d like to hero with your art, though. This way, every addition to your walls has a purpose, and fits in with the overall feel of the home. Go for prints and themes that bring you joy – don’t just choose something that you think ‘works’.

Sizing

Contrary to what you might expect, larger prints are actually the easiest to begin with. Particularly in small rooms, large prints can make a room feel much more spacious. Think about the shape of the wall when choosing your art. Long, tall, narrow walls suit art of a similar shape, while wider walls with lower ceilings may benefit from a wider, landscape print that leaves plenty of space above and below. Aim to choose a print that fills two thirds to three quarters of the wall for maximum impact. When hanging above furniture or fixtures, like above a couch or a mantelpiece, the art should be hung 6-12 inches above, and be wide enough to handle the size of the area it’s complementing.

When moving on to smaller artworks, create larger shapes with multiple smaller pieces. Known as a gallery wall, multiple mini artworks spaced apart with clean lines can be a great way of showcasing photographs or momentos. Lay out your arrangement on the floor first to make sure your heights and widths work together.