It’s easy to add art at home

Artwork has a means of adding that special something to any interior composition and injecting it with a degree of uniqueness, feeling, interest and meaning. It offers the home owner a way of incorporating a sense of who they are and what means something to them into their home, as well as surrounding themselves with items that resonate with their character and their souls.

Selecting art for your home can be an exhilarating journey that can last a lifetime. Keys to success pivot around finding out what kind of art you enjoy, understanding how it will fit into your home and décor, as well as knowing how to exhibit it to its fullest potential.

Finding out what kind of art you like is the first step to take when selecting art for your home. This can be done by viewing as much art as you can before deciding on anything. To explore a wide variety of art, you can visit art exhibitions, art fairs, flea markets and art galleries; page through books and magazines; or research various art on the Internet, which offers the largest variety of artwork worldwide. By doing this, your understanding of what appeals to you will gradually start to evolve, and the more art you look at, the more acute and developed your understanding of your likes and dislikes will become.

However, it is important to understand that art is ever evolving and changing, and that your tastes and appreciation might change over time too. Also, many art enthusiasts note that the art of personal art selection doesn’t only lie in understanding technique and style, but also the ability to be in tune with yourself emotionally and pick items that make you feel something – that speak to you on a personal level.

If you are decorating your home from scratch, you will be sourcing furniture, soft furnishings and art at around the same time – making it relatively easy to stay within a particular colour or topical theme. If however, like most home owners, your home décor is something that has evolved over time – choosing art that will fit into your home is not always that easy.

It is rare to come upon a work of art that you feel really strongly about. So if you do, then you ought to buy it and then think about where you are going to put it. If the work of art really resonates with you, then you can always create a space specifically for that piece of art or adjust your home’s interiors slightly to fit in with the chosen piece, such as adjusting the lighting, wall colour or furniture layout of the room for example. If, on the other hand, you are looking for art to fill in a particular space or fit into a particular room, then there are a number of various things that need to be considered first. In other words, unlike the first case, the art won’t choose you, but you will choose the art.

When choosing art for a particular space, the most important criteria are size, colour and style. Here are a few tips on the afore-mentioned principles:

- Size: Essentially, it is all about proportion - art that is too large for a space will overwhelm, while pieces that are too small, will be lost. Traditionally, the bolder the piece, the more room it will need to breathe.

- Colour: When selecting art to match a particular color palette, it is essential to select one or two of the boldest colors featured throughout the room’s décor, and look for art that features shades of those colors in it. It isn’t necessary to source an exact match – merely picking up on one or two similar shades and tones will suffice and create a sense that the art work belongs in the room in question. Alternatively, selecting art with muted colours, black-and-white art or art that has been framed in neutral colours, will go in practically any environment.

- Style: Style is an important consideration - if your decor is filled with antiques, for example, you’ll want to frame your art in corresponding antique-style frames. If you have contemporary furniture in large rooms with high ceilings, you’ll want to hang large contemporary paintings.

The art featured in your home can add up to a sizeable investment, and as such, you will want to display it to its maximum effect. There are a number of ways to create an art-friendly room - the most important thing is lighting. Natural lighting is very important, however direct sunlight can ruin the piece, which makes artificial lighting crucial. If you shine light directly on to your artwork, you will undoubtedly highlight its details and beauty. You can either install special lighting, or alternatively, if your home has existing track lighting, you can make use of these light fittings to accentuate the art featured in your home.

Another important aspect to consider, is that much like art galleries, interior spaces that show art off to the best effect, are those that are not over cluttered or crowded. Try play down other elements within the room, such as window dressings, carpeting, wall coverings and even furniture – making the art the centre of attraction. Interiors with an over abundance of colours, textures and objects will undoubtedly take the focus away form the art featured in that room. – Antonella Dési