What’s hot (and not) for art in 2018
Updating your home’s look can be easily done by simply changing what’s hanging on the walls. Whether you swap new prints into the same frames or put up something new altogether, it’s a great way to give a room a new look. But beware what you install. Some decorative art trends took a thrashing in 2017, so here’s what to pick up and put down in 2018.
In
Artisan made: With the craft movement ever-increasing in popularity, distinctive, decorative art made ‘real’ local makers is what’s in hot demand.
If you need ideas for a few local names to collect, check out our Meet the Maker series on www.stuff.co.nz for a rundown on cool artisans producing interesting works near you.
Super-sized: When it comes to art in 2018, go big or go home. Think large and framed, or larger still, and transform an entire wall using a creative decal. Perhaps travelling hand in hand with the 80s colour palettes now popular, one big picture on a wall is again the ideal.
Abstract geometric: Use strong geometric art in bold shades like marigold, fuchsia, ultra violet, cobalt, and teal to give your home a contemporary edge. Go abstract with forms. Is it a crystal, a popsicle or a face?
Woven on walls: Flip woven cane objects like baskets, hats and bowls on their edge to hang as decorative art.
Position in a cluster and use differing depths of woven objects for a fresh perspective.
Out
Quotes: The days of inspirational quotes plastered across every wall are well and truly done. Their motivational wisdom might give you the ‘warm fuzzies’ but mostly, they’re just really cringey.
Botanical drawings: More gorgeous than quote-art ever could be, botanical illustrations are beautiful, but can be a little overplayed.
If these are up art your place, don’t throw them out. This delicate drawing style is bound to come back en vogue again.
Bitsy clusters: Gallery walls are still going strong - just at a larger scale than before. Exchange a fussy display of many pictures for a cluster that’s lower in number, but bigger in size.
Woollen hall-hangings: Okay, okay, they might not be totally ‘out’ but this trend is on the definite decline.
If you prefer to be an ‘early adopter’ of trends, begin phasing these out now.