How do you pick the right art? 8 tips for choosing the perfect piece

Introducing carefully selected items of art is also one of the best ways of expressing your personality and injecting your own character into rooms. But how do you select the right pieces for your home?  Our guide will get you started…

Choosing art is a rewarding and pleasurable experience. Art completes a room and often brings the décor together. This can greatly increase enjoyment of the space and add interest to rooms that might otherwise lack a focal point. Introducing carefully selected items of art is also one of the best ways of expressing your personality and injecting your own character into rooms; less troublesome and costly than a major makeover.

But how do you select the right pieces for your home?  Our guide will get you started…

TIP 1 – DO THE ROUNDS

You may not know exactly what you enjoy or what you really like and fear making a commitment to a certain style or piece because of this. Try and see as much art as possible before you make a decision, to help you narrow down your own preferences and identify the styles you are drawn to again and again. Visit a Whistlefish gallery for an idea of the kind of techniques and styles you enjoy. Going to art shows at local universities is another great way to understand what you enjoy and start to create a baseline for the type of art you’d most enjoy in your home.

TIP 2 - BROWSE ONLINE

Browse through our huge range of styles without having to leave your home! This will also give you an idea of what your budget will realistically get you. We have over one thousand art prints and a large collection of canvas art to choose from. Whether you’re after something cool and contemporary or a coastal scene there are a variety of styles to choose from.

TIP 3 - LISTEN TO YOUR HEART

Buy art you love! Art is a personal choice and it must be something you will enjoy having in your home every day. Have you had a sudden impulse for a particular piece? Then go for it, if you love it that much you can almost always make room for it.

TIP 4 - SELECT BY SIZE

Size matters when it comes to art. If something is too big then it will look wrong in your room and can overpower the space. Equally bad is picking a piece that is too small and gets lost in the space. Measure before you buy and try placing similar size items in the allotted location. Don’t be afraid to be creative and work around size restrictions – you don’t have to have one big picture for example, you could try a piece of art depicted across three individual pieces such as a triptych. However if you want to create a more formal atmosphere or draw attention to a focal point in the room; a fireplace or bed for example then go for one large piece.

TIP 5 - HARMONIZE WITH DÉCOR

You don’t want your art to jar or clash with other elements in the room. If you have white walls almost anything will harmonise perfectly with it. But if you have feature walls, strong patterns or a more eclectic pallet, a good rule of thumb is to identify the boldest colours and try and find art that also uses these shades and hues.

TIP 6 - MATCH STYLES

There may already be some art hanging on your walls, in which case you need to match anything new to that style. Having an abstract painting next to a classical watercolour just doesn’t work. Stick with the style you have or change it completely if you dislike it.

TIP 7 - PLAN AHEAD

Make paper templates of your picures and blue tack them into position; this will let you try out different placements until you get them just how you like. No awkwardly holding up pieces to see how they will look. You can also use the template to mark exactly where the hooks will need to go making the necessary holes on the templates.

TIP 8 - PLACE IT WELL

Hanging correctly is key to seeing all the fruits of your research, planning and shopping; you need to have the middle of the picture at roughly eye level. It should also form the central attraction of the room. But really learning to place it and hang it the way you enjoy is all a job of trial and error. Ask your partner or a friend to hold the artwork in place and adjust positioning until it looks just right.

If you are into maths then as a general rule don’t use more than half the wall space for hanging art at home. In open spaces the centre of your art should be approximately at eye-level, five feet or so from the floor. In rooms where you mostly sit keep the bottom edge of the frame 6-12 inches above chairs or a table top.

But remember art is jewellery for your walls...place it where it pleases you

Are you putting up new art or planning to rearrange your current pictures.? Let us know how you get on via our social media pages. We love seeing our customer’s photos.