Art can add personality, character, and sophistication to any room in your home. Whether you have an extensive art collection or just a few special pieces, you want to display your art in creative and thoughtful ways. Taking the time to carefully curate and exhibit your art makes it a true focal point and enhances your overall interior design.
There are many innovative techniques you can use to show off your artwork stylishly. By using unique hangings, interesting arrangements, and unexpected backdrops, you can transform bare walls into captivating displays. Follow these tips to artfully exhibit your paintings, prints, photographs, and sculptures throughout your home’s decor.
Hanging Art Creatively on Walls
Walls provide ample space for hanging various sizes of artwork in imaginative arrangements. Take your art presentation beyond routine gallery-style frames and rows. Play with asymmetric or organic groupings, vary heights and orientations, blend art with functional fixtures, and more.
Create Asymmetrical Clustered Collections
Hang art in appealing clustered groups rather than lined up in predictable rows. Hang pieces at varying heights, angles, and distances for visual interest. Mix up different shaped frames, mats, and canvases too. Add rhythm and movement with larger anchor pieces paired with complementary smaller works.
Play with Angles
Tip paintings, mirrors, or photos against the wall at an angle rather than just flat against it. This technique adds dimensions and makes the art pop. Try leaning small pieces on narrow ledges or shelves. Use decorative easels or specialized angled picture ledges to present works on an incline.
Arrange Organic Groupings
Mimic the look of a casual gallery or salon hanging by arranging artworks organically. Place pieces relatively close together intermingled with some intentional open space to prevent a cluttered look. Combining many sizes, subjects, colors, and frame styles makes an eclectic composite grouping.
Take Art to New Heights
Hanging art higher than eye level adds impact and makes a stunning statement. Place a large piece near the crown molding to become the captivating focal point of the room. Arrange clusters so some works hang higher than others for a staggered look.
Hang Art on the Staircase
Showcase both 2D and 3D art all along your staircase. The sloped angle of the stairs makes an ideal backdrop for hanging paintings and photographs. Install shelving built into the stairway framing to display sculptures, vases, or other objets d’art.
Incorporate Functional Fixtures
Incorporate lighting, shelves, cabinets, and mirrors into your art arrangements. Surround artwork with sconces or position it above mantlepieces and consoles. Blend framed prints and photos into display shelving. Make a mirror the bold centerpiece flanked by complementary decor.
Vary Orientations
Don’t limit yourself to vertical canvases and horizontal landscapes. Hang unusually shaped works and very long panoramic prints for drama. Try portraits and tall narrow pieces sideways or even upside down. Rotate square pieces to a diamond orientation.
Use Unexpected Backdrops
Look beyond basic white walls when planning art placement. Hang paintings over a textured wallpaper, bold paint color, or busy patterned wall covering. Wood panels, exposed brick, and stone offer attractive backdrops. Use metal rails or hanging wires to exhibit art floating over these surfaces.
Clever Ways to Arrange Artwork
Carefully arranging collections of art into balanced multimedia compositions creates an artful ambiance. When organizing your varied works, aim for harmony and visual flow. But don’t be afraid to also embrace contrast and eclecticism in your arrangements.
Build a Multi-Layered Art Wall
Take your art presentation to a new level – literally. Start by hanging large anchor pieces like a massive mirror or long painting. Then build up layers with overlapping smaller works on shelving set in front and other works extending higher. The shelving itself can display 3D pieces.
Make Gridded Photo Collages
Neatly aligning rows of matching frames makes uniform photo collages and gallery walls. But you can also artfully arrange mismatched frames in pleasing grids. Vary the size and shape of prints and frames. Hang some pieces slightly out of line or overlap frames.
Pair Complementary Works
Group artworks that share common colors, subjects, styles, or materials. A painting and photograph depicting similar scenery brings continuity. Coordinating colored mats and frames also link separate pieces. Contrasting themes or imagery can make provocative pairings.
Define Vignettes
Section off specific vignette spaces for exhibiting art, like over a sofa or bed. Start with a large focal point piece, then build the vignette around it with complementing works. Repeating colors and subjects visually ties the art together. Leave some negative space around and between pieces.
Make Art the Room Accent
Make artwork the prominent feature in a room by limiting competing décor. Paint walls neutral colors like beige or gray to recede so the vibrant art pops. Keep furnishings and accessories minimal and understated. The art then becomes the room’s outstanding design element.
Tell a Story
Use your art collection to convey a unifying story or theme. Historical, nautical, and music themes work well. Black and white photography tells a monochromatic tale. Arrange works in sequence to illustrate progresses like seasons, life stages, or times of day.
Showcasing Sculptures
Paintings and wall art naturally take center stage, but don’t overlook displaying sculptural pieces as artistic elements too. Utilize plinths, stands, coffee tables, mantles, bookshelves, and more to exhibit impressive 3D artworks.
Use Decorative Stands and Pedestals
Specialty stands and pedestals are made specifically for presenting sculptures, vases, and other breakable artwork. Stone, wood, or acrylic plinth-style stands in neutral hues keep the focus on the piece. Ornate gilded pedestals make lavish displays.
Style Coffee Tables and Consoles
Clear glass, stainless steel, or stone table tops essentially allow decorative sculptures to be showcased through the tabletop. Leave coffee table tops clutter-free to let the art take prominence. Set figurines or busts atop console tables against a wall or dividing room spaces.
Place Pieces on Shelves
Leaving shelves open allows you to use them as ideal staging for displaying artful objects. Position sculptures, vases, blown glass, treasures from nature, or any artwork directly on shelves without detracting boxes or trays. Floating shelves make artworks appear suspended.
The exhibit above Fireplaces and Mantles
The mantle is prime real estate for showing off cherished sculptures, especially smaller-scale ones. Ceramics, bronzes, and glass pieces make excellent mantel décor flanking a mirror or clock over the fireplace. Collections can be grouped along a long mantle.
Integrate into Bookcases
Work sculptural pieces into bookcase vignettes alongside books, vessels, and objects. Place bookend figures or book-top statues. Set small sculptures on lower shelves and larger statement pieces on the floor. Illuminate glass shelves to spotlight art from behind.
Creatively Arranging Collections
Displaying collections as an art form itself adds impressive visual impact. The repetition of shapes, colors, or subjects makes a bold artistic statement. Use creative techniques to exhibit your sets in appealing ways.
Make a Wall of Identical Frames
Line up rows or grids of matching frames in graduating sizes for a tailored look. Black and white photography and botanical prints work well. Paint frames the same color to coordinate. Hang some works slightly off-kilter for interest
Overlap Matching Canvases
Creating dimension and depth using duplicates is an intriguing trend. Hang identical abstract prints or canvases overlapping and extending off the wall. This contemporary display technique adds a sculptural style with duplicates.
Align Identical Objects
The power of displaying multiples shines with simple aesthetic objects too. Line up matching sculptures, vases, boxes, or any decorative items in precise rows or grids for artistic symmetry. Keep backgrounds neutral to let the collections stand out.
Exhibit Collections in Grids
Grid walls with cubby-style built-in shelving are ideal backdrops for displaying similar objects in an orderly composition. Display your sets of valuables grouped in each cubby for a cohesive framed look. The dividers neatly separate the collections.
Make Thematic Vignettes
Tell a visual story with your collections by keeping vignettes thematically related. For example, create a still-life gallery of fruit-related items. Or narrate seasons and holidays with indicative objects. Use backgrounds and props to support the theme.
Unexpected Backdrops for Art
Sometimes all that plain white wall needs is a creative twist to become a captivating art display backdrop. These innovative ideas add mood, texture, and interest to the artwork.
Fabric Covered Panels
Staple, glue, or tack bold print or solid colored fabric onto plywood sheets. Then lean against the wall as art backdrops. Change fabrics for variety. Use tapestry fabric for an ornate look. Panels also make customized bulletin boards to pin up photos and papers.
Weathered Wood
Distressed wood planks, salvaged barn wood, and reclaimed wood panels make attractive backings for displaying art, especially with rustic or vintage styles. The wood textures and natural patinas contrast beautifully with framed artwork. Wood panels can be mounted to the wall or lean.
Paint a Bold Wall
Color-blocking walls or painting geometric patterns creates eye-catching backgrounds for art. Try painting scalloped shapes that paintings sit centered within. Vivid paint hues like emerald and sapphire enhance bright white frames and mats. Keep surrounding walls neutral.
Wallpaper Accents
Wallpaper used sparingly adds stylish flair behind focused art arrangements. Frame artwork directly over wallpaper panels, stripes, or geometric shapes. Contrast art with patterns like graphic black and white or metallic prints. Wallpaper just around a built-in gallery wall keeps the accent contained.
Tiled Niches
Installing tile just where art hangs makes a distinct personalized background. Subway tiles, marble, or handmade tiles work beautifully. Extend the tiling well beyond the perimeter of the artwork to prevent visually cutting off edges. Tiling a full wall niche looks integrated.
Readymade Panels
Score budget-friendly and quick art backgrounds using premade panels. Possibilities include woven cane, lattice, faux brick and stone, tin ceiling tiles, beadboard, textured 3D panels, and wallpaper-covered boards. Lean against the wall or mount panels before hanging art over them.
Impactful Lighting Ideas
Strategic lighting transforms artwork displays from ordinary to extraordinary. Illumination attracts the eye, creates drama, and enhances aesthetics. Use these creative lighting techniques to make your art shine.
Illuminate from Behind
Install sconces, picture lights, or LED strips behind artwork to make it glow and appear floating on the wall. This technique is especially effective for accentuating metal, wood, or Plexiglas pieces. Use dimmers to control brightness. Position lights above or on both sides.
Spotlight Sculptures
Direct adjustable spotlights or track lighting onto 3D artworks to highlight sculptural qualities and cast intriguing shadows. Keep spotlights aimed tightly on the artwork so surrounding walls stay dim. Try lights shining from varied angles.
Use Wall Sconces Creatively
Flank artwork arrangements with wall sconces for brilliant illumination. Position lights equidistant from a central piece or align them horizontally along the bottom or sides of grouped wall art. Put sconces on dimmers to control mood.
Illuminate Entire Art Walls
For living gallery spaces, install recessed lighting or tracks with multiple adjustable heads to bathe the entire art arrangement in light. Visually define art spaces by keeping surrounding areas and ceilings dark. Dimmers allow you to lower light levels for ambiance.
Showcase Collections
Enclosed glass-front cabinets and illuminated shelving are ideal for exhibiting valued collections while protecting them. LED lighting emanating from shelves, cases, and the interior tops and sides highlights displayed items attractively. Use lighting to draw attention to specific collections.
Layer Ambient and Focused Lighting
Combine general overhead ambient lighting for overall illumination with carefully positioned accent lighting on specific pieces. Recessed ceiling lights provide foundational brightness, then picture lights emphasize key works. This blended lighting has flexibility.
Finishing Touches for Stylish Displays
The finishing design details bring together all your innovative efforts into a complete artful presentation. Consider these tips for an expertly curated and composed exhibition of artwork in your home.
Choose Wall Colors Strategically
Enhance displayed artwork with wall color choices that complement or contrast. Bold, bright art pops against neutral walls. Black backgrounds make pastel pieces stand out. Monochromatic tones recede to emphasize color in the art. Paint one accent wall in a vivid hue as a background.
Incorporate Mirrors
Mirrors essentially double artwork, reflect light, and add depth. Position mirrors beside, below, or behind art arrangements. A large mirror can reflect and expand a key piece. Multiple staggered mirrors multiply displayed works’ visual impact.
Repeat Colors
Pull out and match colors from artwork into surrounding decorative elements like throw pillows, area rugs, vases, or ceramics. For example, if gold is a prominent frame or mat color, add gold accessories nearby. This color repetition visually ties the whole space together.
Use Decor Sparseley
Edit décor elements around the artwork down to the essentials so the art remains the uncluttered focal point. Minimal ornamentation and clean lines keep the display looking refined. Remove competing paintings and photos from adjacent walls or shelves.
Leave Some Space
Negative or blank space around art provides contrast and breathing room in compositions. Don’t overcrowd pieces or fill every inch of wall and shelf space. Allow some margins and gaps between works to prevent a cluttered look.
Keep It Simple
Let bold, museum-style artwork stand out by keeping surrounding walls, flooring, furnishings, and decor simple. Monochromatic color schemes, unembellished walls, modern furniture silhouettes all recede visually to highlight the art. Less competing décor makes the art pop.
With a little creativity, empty walls in your home can transform into eye-catching art displays. Use these innovative presentation ideas to create a living art gallery laced with your personal style. Arrange and exhibit your collections artfully throughout your interior design. Make your artwork the scenic focal point it deserves to be.
