How to Decorate With a Wall of Art
A wall of art can be the focal point of a room, showcasing your favorite pieces and adding color and dimension to your decor. Hanging and displaying your art requires considering how natural and artificial light enters the room, and also how you use the surrounding space. Worry less about matching art with your upholstery and more about exhibiting artwork that reflects your unique aesthetic. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Art
- Hanging hardware
- Hammer
- Shelves
- Picture rail
- Paint
- Paintbrush and roller
- Lighting
- Level
- Ruler or measuring tape
Instructions
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Determine which rooms and which walls benefit most from decorating with a wall of art. Many people opt for living rooms or dining rooms, where the bulk of entertaining goes on, but narrow spaces such as hallways, entryways and stairwells can also make ideal spaces for hanging art. Make sure the wall you select has adequate natural and artificial light or no one can appreciate your art wall.
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Consider paint colors and finishes for your wall of art. You need only look at museum and art gallery walls to note that while plain white in a semi-gloss or eggshell finish remains a perennial favorite, plenty of art institutions use different colors as a backdrop for a wall of art. Peacock and royal blue provide a cool palette for a wall of art, while a soft gray or a mellow yellow function as modern neutrals.
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Paint the wall your desired color and allow it to dry completely before hanging anything on it. Some colors may require two coats of paint.
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Choose which method you prefer for displaying art. Some people have picture rails that provide an ideal ledge from which to hang art. You can create the effect of a picture rail by installing a narrow ledge that floats along the length of your wall. Art and objects can be displayed on the ledge using tabletop easels and small pedestals. You can also hang floating shelves of various sizes and depths for holding art. Other people choose to hang a single large format work or several pieces in groupings directly on the wall.
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Measure your pieces and your space and sketch your desired layout. Although you can change your wall art display easily, the less you move pieces around, the fewer holes wind up in your wall.
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Hang your shelves or picture rail using the hardware provided when you purchased them.
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Hang your art according to your sketch. Use a ruler or tape measure to keep pieces at the desired height, typically near eye level. You can check the evenness of your artwork against the floor and ceiling by using a level.
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Illuminate your wall of art. Miniature gallery-style spotlights set into the ceiling are perfect because you can adjust the direction of the light to shine on specific art pieces. Wall sconces work well with large format artwork.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep your art wall current by adding new pieces and switching other pieces around.
Have some fun with your art wall, stacking pieces vertically and mixing and matching framed and unframed pieces.
Keep fragile, vintage and important artwork out of direct sunlight and away from any sources of moisture.
