Home Decorating & Styling

Home Decoration Tips for Art Collectors

Anyone who loves surrounding themselves with artworks from their favourite artists will already know how much a beloved collection can enrich your every day. From perfect conversation starters during dinner parties to the simple pleasure of a moment of deep appreciation on a serene Sunday morning, having artwork around our homes can inspire and transport us whenever needed. Even a small collection of original artwork is key to beautiful home decoration.

But it’s not simply a matter of decorating the house. With original artwork, you’ll want to make sure that the pieces are installed safely. This includes being free from exposure to the elements, especially harsh sunlight, as well as first being adequately insured.

Here’s practical guide on home decorating and styling tips for amateur art collectors and homeowners who want to add a bit of culture to their home decor.

Find Your Artworks

First, it’s a matter of selecting your pieces. Digital galleries offer collections for online browsing and making offers. They also offer art auctions. Alternatively you can find events which are also offering to display the work of local artists. Currently, Adelaide is playing host to the SALA exhibition, where businesses of all kinds double as art galleries for viewing a purchasing the works of South Australian Living Artists.

Looking for artworks at local community events can help you connect with artists around you. And if you’re looking for your art pieces to potentially appreciate in value, purchasing works created by local young artists on the rise may strengthen your chances of finding some hidden gems.

What every you decide to buy, just make sure you add them to your home contents insurance cover. You’ll also want to hold onto your receipts to provide proof of purchase and documentation that confirms the individual value of all your pieces in the event that you do need to make an insurance claim.

Identify Prime Exhibition Spots

Once you’ve selected your artworks, now its time to decide where they should hang. To showcase them at their best is an art form in itself. The key to mastering home decoration placement, is to identify the main focal points of your home. Every interior has areas where people naturally tend to congregate for socialising or eating. Typical examples are the entry and the hall or walkways leading to main rooms.

Use these central areas, like above the fireplace, behind sofas, or the big wall in your dining room, for large statement art pieces you’d like to feature. Reserving your most cherished works for these spots will set the tone for social rooms and ensure the pieces get the attention they deserve.

Illumination and Placement

Control how your collection is seen with proper lighting and positioning. Assess how the direction and intensity of sunlight changes throughout the day and whether you prefer natural or artificial light when showcasing art.

Remember that while sunlight might enhance the colours and textures of particular works, over time, it will also cause costly damage through fading and warping. If you prefer natural lighting, it’s wise to invest in UV-protective coverings in addition to adjustable window blinds and shades.

Indoor lighting solutions to feature artworks include picture lamp fixtures with shrouds or backlit configurations. Adjustable tracks, LED strips, string lighting, and lamps with varying wattage are also worth considering. Experiment with each option to work out which ones best suit your budget, room and display goals.

Avoid overwhelming the room by covering each wall with as many pieces as you can fit. Aim for a healthy balance of art while preserving the room’s original use, and you’ll allow each item the space to be appreciated for its own sake.

Aligning Artwork & Home Design

Sound home decoration highlights the individual aesthetic of each room. Once you’ve worked out the predominant colours of each piece you can use them to create the room’s cohesive palette. For instance, contemporary modern homes with a darker colour scheme could be perfectly complemented by hanging black and white photography.

Think about the style and themes of the artwork. Do they oppose this room’s vibe, creating tension through a mismatched look? Occasionally, mixing different tastes creates an eclectic ambiance, but be sure there’s an element that ultimately ties everything together.

Use your furnishings to play the leadership role in framing this room’s statement. If you’re showing contemporary art, opt for chairs and tables with clean lines and minimalist approaches. Exhibit traditional and vintage art alongside antique furniture and ornate accessories to create a complementary ambiance.

Include extras like pillows, blankets, throw rugs, and curtains to complete the room’s cohesive appearance. Use strategic furniture placement to direct eyes toward the artwork where possible.

Mounting and Positioning Tips doe Home Decoration

When adorning your walls with prized artwork, make it easy for viewers to enjoy the experience. Use the eye level rule by hanging items about 57 to 60 inches from the floor, reducing eye and neck strain.

Home decoration should create balance by allowing for 2 to 3 inches between each piece and grouping them according to classifications like style, theme, and/or colour. Designate some open floor space where you’ll generate tentative layouts, allowing you to experiment with different placements and compositions before making holes in the wall.

Cultivate interest and variety by combining different sizes and shapes. For instance, if you’ve all but fallen in love with Indigenous arts, you can tell a story using a dynamic gallery that mixes photographs from contemporary Indigenous Australian artists with more classical paintings and prints.

Balance the visuals by placing the larger or darker pieces near the centre or bottom while locating smaller and lighter items towards the top and edges. Use frames and mats that supplement both the artwork and your interior’s tone.

Layering more minor elements in front of larger ones creates depth and increased visual interest–a great technique for including three-dimensional art, such as sculptures and ceramics, to create texture and scale for viewers to appreciate.

Home Decoration Key: Embedding Art Into Daily Life

Finally, keep things fresh by regularly rotating and adding new pieces or moving them throughout different rooms for new perspectives. A new location might allow you to uncover interpretations you never noticed, similar to hearing a favourite song on someone else’s audio system.

You can also do this when there’s a change of season or a special occasion to mix things up and gain a new appreciation of each piece’s statement while commemorating family achievements or celebrating holidays.

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