Design Tips for Art on Display

Artwork should infuse both personality and taste to make your happy home.

Be Creative with Artwork

There are no rules on which pieces speak to you. There has to be an emotional connection and attraction between the person and the artwork. Pieces are like your family, your friends that have invited into your home and are there to stay. They tell a story, a visual storyteller, if you will.

Art fairs, markets, antique shops, open studios are the best places to start looking for emerging artists. Speak to them and ask questions, this will make you a more informed collector and understand what, how and why this resonates with your own taste. Do not be afraid to blend mediums, from sculptures to prints, to photographs to oils, everything is permissible; this is your artistic voice emerging.

When arranging artwork at home, think of it as narrative. Perhaps you can choose an obvious theme or completely random. There are no rules, just ask yourself if the placement coincides with what you want your guests, those who visit your space, to see, read, and feel.

Often you will find that the pieces in your collection are diametrically different from one another. Perhaps there is no other theme other than that they speak to you. In this case, for framing, choose a common frame colour and play with depth and thicknesses, chat with your framer, with the artist and with yourself.

Artwork will complement your furnishings. Just remember that it is an expression of you, of the person who inhabits your space–your safe haven; own it and love it.