More often than not, wall art gets placed on the backburner until a room has been completely designed. Once it’s styled and furnished, the only thing left is those empty walls. To fill the space, you end up choosing a few pieces that “work.”

But you should have something that’s more than just what works! Whether it’s a painting done by a local artist in your town or memories from your travels, think of wall art as a representation of what you love. There’s no right or wrong.

After speaking with our Cambridge Store Manager Georgianna Stevens, we want to inspire you to rethink the way you bring wall art into your space so you can have fun with it and add more personalization to your home.

Why wall art shouldn’t be an afterthought or a finishing touch

Wall art can complete any room, no matter what size. As Georgianna described, “You’re allowing your eye, your vision for the space, your taste, your style to leave the floor plane and come upward and really envelop you.”

When it comes to home design, however, people naturally focus on the furniture first because it serves a purpose (like having somewhere to sit). This is why artwork ends up becoming an afterthought or a finishing touch.

But wall art is just as important as the furniture.

“By waiting until the last minute, you’re overlooking opportunities to have that art play a more meaningful and successful role in your space,” Georgianna explained.

What she means is expressing your individuality and interests through art as well as allowing it to influence the direction a room can take.

How to bring wall art into your home design

When thinking about the wall art you’re going to put in your home, ask yourself, “What do I enjoy?”

“If it’s a reflection of who you are and what you like, then it’s exactly what it needs to be,” Georgianna said.

Wall art doesn’t have to be obvious, either. It can be as literal or abstract as you want. Here’s how Georgianna explained it: 

“Maybe you went to Aruba and you loved the boat ride - that doesn’t mean you need a picture of a sailboat. Maybe it’s an abstract painting that shows the colors of the water and it takes you to that place.”

She also said that “no one piece should be doing the heavy lifting,” describing art as a composition. In other words: Think of art as part of a team. It can work on its own, but it takes on a whole new look and feel when considered with the rest of a room’s design.

A couple of other things to keep in mind when decorating with wall art is placement and lighting. For example, a bigger piece that’s hung over a sofa can feature lighting on both sides or even above it to highlight the art. You can also play off of what’s already in a room by getting a fixture in the same finish as, say, the knobs on the coffee table. Doing this makes everything more cohesive.

On top of that, there are ways to repurpose what you already own into art. Photographs are a great example. One idea is to create a beautiful gallery of photos in neutrals like black and white or sepia. All you need to do is buy the right framing and even lighting, if you choose. Not only do you get that element of personalization, but it’s also a way to save money.

Moving away from what’s trending

When it comes to trends, Georgianna hopes for more creative expression found through wall art:

“In an aspirational sense, something that I hope to see is less of a dependency on dictation from HGTV and more of an introspection and exploration of things that bring you joy in your life - travel, friends, whatever - and how that can be applied to your art.

Embrace your style. Even if you can’t articulate what that style is, there is something in everyone that is worthy of being articulated and manifested in artistic form.”

Where to start

It’s okay if you don’t know where to start with your wall art. Georgianna recommends taking a photo of the wall you want to decorate and bringing it to your designer. From there, they can sketch out different ideas to inspire the direction you want to go in.

If you have a piece of art that you love and want to serve as the focal point, your designer can help figure out which colors from the piece can be emphasized in your room design. You can incorporate them in the rug, accents, or even additional artwork.

Whether you’re completely stuck or you just need a little support with executing your ideas, we’re here to help. Contact one of our Design Consultants to get the ball rolling and rethink the role wall art plays in your home!