How to choose the right artwork for your home (and top tips on how to display your artwork when you actually choose it!)
If you’ve clicked on this blog, the chances are you’re trying to find artwork… step 1 is complete because ta-da… I’m an artist! I’m only joking, this blog isn’t intended to make you buy or fall in love with my work because truth be told, you don’t need someone to tell you to do that.
Purchasing art can sometimes feel a little intimidating, but if you see a piece of artwork and you love it and it makes you feel something good; whether that something is “I love it and want to have it” or “I like looking at that… a lot” then providing it is within budget and you have a space for it, just get the artwork! There are no official rules when it comes to choosing your own artwork, it is your chance to express yourself. Of course, there will be paintings better suited to some spaces rather than others and I will put some top tips below, but if you are choosing artwork for your home then it’s up to you and you have to remember that it’s personal choice and it is you that’s going to be living with it! So hopefully, you’ll find something on my page you just can’t live without!
If you’re unsure of what kind of textures or what colours would suit your space and you need a bit of advice, feel free to contact us using the details on the website and we will be sure to give you our honest opinion, based on experience of working alongside some amazing interior designers and creating artwork for a whole number of different spaces.
If you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for in our Giclee print collection, we can either adapt the print for you if you contact us and let us know your thoughts, or we also offer a bespoke service where you can send us photos of the space and we can give you our opinion on what could work for you in terms of a bespoke piece or set of artworks created just for you. Just go to the “bespoke” page for more information on this service.
Displaying artwork – top tips!
So, once you’ve actually chosen your artwork, there are some simple tips that can help to make it the perfect fit for your home. How you choose to display your artwork could really make the piece come to life, so see below for the top tips on how to display your new treasure!
Toni Thornton Art @jopearcephoto for @teclifestyle
Individual, large artworks
If you are going for a larger piece of art, the chances are you want it to command some attention or make a statement, but don’t be afraid to layer up and display larger pieces with seating in front or a side table just nudging over the artwork, or maybe some greenery or beautiful lighting, just edging over the front of the canvas. This can be a way of softening a larger piece of artwork and helping it to become a part of the room. Alternatively, for really large pieces which make a statement of their own, such pieces could look great just leaning against a wall or standing on top of a side unit (*just make sure that these pieces are secure as larger works can often be heavy!)These pieces usually look best when hung from the centre mark of the painting, at eye level. Of course, it depends on the ceiling height and the room itself, but you usually shouldn’t display work so high that it becomes unnatural to look at it, you want it to become a beautiful feature. If you have a huge open space for the work and you want the artwork to create a different kind of impact, and therefore you wish to display it higher, it is all personal, so go with what you feel is right for you and for your space!
Multiple artworks
If you are choosing to display multiple artworks, again – do what is right for you!
However, there are a few tips we’ve found along the way that you might find useful.
If displaying work in pairs or a series of artworks together, make sure the spaces between look right in relation to your artwork. For example, if your artwork is meant to flow across the frames, much like this image here, make sure the gaps aren’t too wide and the paintings are sat together and at the same height. Our customers sometimes find it easier to hang the middle painting first and then work outwards from there.
Artworks in pairs or a series work well above other furniture such as sofa’s or console tables but be sure to leave enough clearance! Ideally you want to leave a gap between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the artwork and try to think of the gap here and how that works with the spaces between the paintings. Try to imagine the spaces creating a frame around your artwork. Also consider the practicality; if your artwork is displayed above a sofa space for example, make sure you leave enough room that you can comfortably sit on the sofa without touching the artwork.
Ultimately when choosing and displaying artwork, it’s still a matter of personal choice, although I hope you find the little tips here useful if you need them. If you have any further questions at all, please feel free to ask and someone from the Toni Thornton Art team will get back to you as soon as possible. You can ask us anything using the contact details on the website and if you want to send any photos or images of your space to get some detailed advice, please feel free to do so and we will do our very best to help!
T x