Art plays such an incredible role in interior design, and I'm often asked, what comes first? The art or the design? Well the answer, is, either or both! When designing your interior space, art will inevitably become relevant either at the beginning or the end or it will become the spearhead (and reason) of your design!
How to design a room around a piece of existing art:
So you have a beautiful piece of art, and you want to design a room around it, but don't know where to start? Try these steps:
1. Select a wall to showcase your piece of art.
2. Make sure the piece of art is anchored by a piece of furniture, like a console table, side table, or sofa. Don't let your piece of art 'float' on a wall by itself, and don't hang it too high! I always hang a piece of art between 6-10 inches off of the anchored piece of furniture.
3. Coordinate your design color scheme to highlight and complement the art. If your art piece is bold in nature, then calm the eye by neutralizing the furniture and pillow fabric. If your art piece is neutral in color, then go bolder with the decorative accents. Conversely, you can maintain the color scheme in full by going either all neutral or all color!
Photography by Kathryn MacDonald Design by Price Style & Design
How to add art to an existing design:
So you've got a room you love, but no art on the walls? Don't worry! This can be fun!
1. Select where you would like your art to be placed.
2. Create your budget and start researching art and the genres that appeal to you. And, take your time doing this...really. I encourage you to specifically search for original art. Original art always provides a better conversational story. (And, send me an email if you need my sources on where to find affordable original art - I'm happy to share!)
3. After you have determined the genre of art that speaks to you, start looking for a piece (or pieces) of art in the colors that inspire you. No doubt, if you have a room that you love, it already includes color and accents that speak to your design aesthetic -- so follow your instincts!
4. And, again, don't hang your art too high!
Photography by Kathryn MacDonald Design by Price Style & Design
One final tip about Art in Interior Design:
What if you have a wall where you would like to hang a piece of art, and you will not have a piece of furniture underneath to 'anchor' the piece? Then use this tip: Make sure the art is larger in scale than you would normally put on that wall space, and hang it so that the top 1/3 of the piece is in the average person's eyesight (estimated between a 5'6" - 5'10" person).
I'm passionate about Art and Interior Design. Please contact me if you would like help with art selection, interior design and styling.
Thanks for stopping by!