7 Tips for Using Art Correctly when Home Decorating

When it comes to home decorating, art often makes the difference between a good room and a great room that people enjoy spending time in. But just choosing a painting and sticking it in an empty space is not enough, there are ways to really make a piece of art pop in a room. Here are some tips to getting the most our of your artwork.

It may seem obvious, but make sure you like the painting. Don't choose something just because it fits the home decorating style of the room. Matching the style is important, but there is a lot available regardless of the style, so make sure you will enjoy the painting, it should make you feel something positive every time you look at it.

1. Hang the picture at a comfortable height for the average person to naturally enjoy without having to look up.
2. If you have a large space, but small, similar pictures, create a grouping. It looks a lot better to a have a grouping of similar art even spaced, but hung close together, than to have it widely spaced out across a wall.
3. The power of a large piece of art in home decorating is obvious, but don't underestimate the power of small art. When placed correctly, small art begs to be looked at, it works great in groupings, and should use the next tip to its advantage.
4. Most work really needs a matt to set it off, a matt can add a finished and professional look to a nice piece of art. It can highlight the colors and subject matter in the artwork, drawing people to it more than the art alone. This is especially true of the small art mentioned above. I have seen small pieces of art framed with large mats that cause a really dramatic effect, it begs for you to come over and look at the piece, to see what was so good that it needed such a dramatic framing. Remember, there are always exceptions to this, some (especially large) art is better off without a mat.
5. Do not feel obligated to have all matching frames, mixed frame styles often work really well together. The frame is also part of the home decorating style of the room, so choose accordingly. But, do keep in mind that sometimes, especially in certain groupings, frames should match and should be low key so that it is the art that stands out. An example would be a grouping of black and white photos, simple black frames with white mats draws attention to the photographs instead of competing with them. Also, like with mats, occasionally you come across a wonderful large canvas that simply does not need a frame.
6. Finally, give the correct lighting to draw the eye to the painting. There is nothing worse than having a nice piece of art that is hidden in shadows of the room. If the wall does not get good natural light, then consider accent lights.

Once you have chosen a piece of art that your really like and that sets off the home decorating style of the room, use these tips to help you make the most of the painting. If you hang the painting, and it just doesn't feel right, that doesn't mean that you need a different piece of art. Just revisit these tips to see what can be done to really make the painting pop.