Display Your Art Pieces Like a Pro: Tips for a Natural and Stunning Look

Owning amazing works of art becomes even more fulfilling when you can find the perfect spot to showcase each of them. Display your art pieces in ways that make them shine with these creative and useful ideas for integrating your art collection into your home décor.

Are you looking for the perfect setting to showcase those art pieces that you longed for and are finally yours? Do you want to fill that spot in your home with some great artworks, but you can’t decide on which ones? Have you decided to set up a room in your house to display your art pieces?

Whether you’re planning on using the guest room to showcase your art collection, or you wish to display your art pieces around the house, integrating artworks into home decor requires careful consideration to create a harmonious and aesthetically pleasing environment, while ensuring the art pieces stay safe and retain their value.

As tough and tedious as it may seem, figuring out the appropriate setting to display works of art is not impossible – moreover, it can become an artistic endeavor itself, offering you another intake on art: the art of displaying it.

You can always count on professionals to give wise counsel or even carry out this task for you, but if you are up for some DIY time, there are definitely some tips and tricks you can try. In this article, we will share a few insights on interior design and explore some best practices for displaying various types of artworks in a seamless and appealing manner. Get ready to transform your home!

The Art of Displaying Art: A Technical Overview

Interior designers and art gallery professionals know that displaying fine works of art is not only about showcasing them for others to see, but also about giving art the importance it deserves. Each art piece conveys meaning not only through its visual content or characteristics, but also through the history it holds within, from the artist who created it to the artistic movement it belongs to.

For this reason, when figuring out display settings for artworks, they are thoughtful about many things: showcasing their attributes at its best, maintaining a suitable environment for their preservation, and ensuring that both the pieces and the surroundings complement each other.

This last consideration might seem redundant and pointless, but it’s actually quite relevant. An unsuitable room configuration might decrease the artistic attributes of an art piece, and a single misplaced artwork could alter the entire meaning of an art collection. Furthermore, the ways in which an art piece is displayed tell a lot about the owner and, as thriving art collectors, we don’t want to give the wrong impression or make it seem like we are trying to force perceptions in.

Let’s go over some notions around art display that might serve as a guide to accurately arrange your art pieces.

Focal point

A focal point is a center of activity or attention. Just as art paintings have a focal point (usually the area of the picture that most attracts the eye), a room or a wall can have a focal point as well. An art piece such as a large painting, sculpture or gallery wall arrangement can become a focal point in a room or within an artistic composition. 

Designate a prominent wall or area as a focal point for displaying a significant piece of art. You can create a focal point with a single art piece in between home furniture, or arrange a group of artworks to create a balanced bouquet. For the latter, the three-to-one rule is one of the most effective alternatives, which consists in displaying elements in odd numbers at different heights, in an offset, eye-catching composition.

Scale and Proportion

The size of the art piece might determine its placement within the focal point. A large piece may overwhelm a small space, while a tiny piece might get lost on a vast wall. At the same time, large paintings are better off in the middle of a wall, whereas big sculptures are usually placed at the corners.

Minding about scale and proportion will allow you to achieve balance and symmetry, even with asymmetrical pieces. You can place larger or visually heavier pieces on one side and compensate with smaller pieces on the other side,  or arrange different pieces proportionally for a formal and orderly look. 

Composition: Contrast, Variety & Textures

To create a cohesive and visually appealing display, it's important that pieces within a composition are related to each other in some way, either by similarity or contrast. You can try grouping artworks together, whether by theme, style, medium, artist, type of frame, complementing or contrasting colors or forms… the possibilities are quite diverse.

If you prefer to explore divergent compositions, you can introduce contrast by pairing different styles of artworks or mixing different mediums, such as paintings and sculptures, or create an assortment of different-sized pieces for an intriguing effect.

Frames are great alternatives to play with, as long as they don’t outshine the main artwork. Some alternatives include choosing frames and matting that complement your interior décor, or using the same framing style to tie together a diverse art collection. Additionally, you may layer art pieces with other elements like shelves, decorative objects, or plants to add depth and visual interest to the display.

Room Setting

To successfully integrate art pieces with home décor, it’s key to consider a few things about the rooms. Background colors should be neutral to allow the artworks to stand out. Sometimes, proper lighting becomes crucial to highlight the piece's details and create an atmosphere; consider track lighting, wall sconces, or adjustable spotlights to illuminate your art pieces.

In addition, the art arrangement shouldn’t obstruct natural traffic flow in the room, and there should be enough space to be able to appreciate pieces from all angles. For art paintings or framed printings, remember to hang them at eye level (about 57-60 inches from the floor) for comfortable viewing.

Art For All Sizes: How to Seamlessly Integrate Different Artforms

Framed artworks are the most popular, as they can seamlessly decorate hard-to-fill walls like hallways or drawing rooms. Sculptures may seem more expensive or harder to integrate into a collection, since some would take up more space or require additional investment in lighting, however they add an extraordinary value that enhances any type of room.

If sculptures are not really your cup of tea, designer furniture may be just what you need if you are into three-dimensional works of art. Designer furniture adds an extra feature to art pieces, which is the functionality. Designer chairs, coffee tables, bar tables, couches, TV racks, bookshelves… you will be amazed by the creativity and beauty of designer furniture!

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