Article Headline: How to Select Art for Your Home
by Lynne Taetzsch

As an artist, I’d certainly prefer that everyone buy the art they love and then find a place to put it.  If you feel strongly about a particular work of art, this is certainly the way to go.  But you may find that when you get the art home and place it on a wall or pedestal, it doesn’t work with its surroundings. By not “working,” I mean the art looks out of place in the room.  Placing art in the wrong surroundings takes away from its beauty and impact.

What should you do if you bring a painting home and it clashes with its environment?  First, hang the painting in various places in your home, trying it out on different walls. It may look great in a place you hadn’t planned on hanging it.  If you can’t find a place where the art looks its best, you may need to make some changes in the room, such as moving furniture or taking down patterned wallpaper and repainting in a neutral color.  The changes will be worth making in order to enjoy the art you love.

If you prefer to do the room first and then find the art, size and color are the two major criteria for selecting art to fit its surroundings.  For any particular space, art that is too large will overwhelm and art that is too small will be lost and look out of proportion.  The bolder the art, the more room it needs to breathe. 

When selecting a painting to match color, select one or two of the boldest colors in your room and look for art that has those colors in it.  You’re not looking for an exact match here.  Picking up one or two of the same colors will send a message that the painting belongs in this environment.