Guest Blogger: Transforming your Blank Walls with Eye-Catching Artwork

Guest Blogger #629, Entry #1503, August 22, 2012

There’s more to displaying artwork than simply framing your favorite images and hanging them haphazardly on a wall, or copying the configurations you see in a Pottery Barn catalogue. If you want to beautify your home and populate your walls with more than just paint or cobwebs you need to take a few things into consideration before you start pounding nails at random. You must think about which pieces will fit into a particular room (both physically and in terms of aesthetic) and then make a plan for laying them out in an organized and studied manner. So here are a few good tips to help you get your artwork out of the attic and onto your walls.

Prep your wall for your artwork

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Choose your art with care.

The pieces you select for display will say something about you. For example, hanging only impressionist artwork will show your knowledge of and appreciation for a particular style while adding an element of the ethereal to your space. But if you pair Van Gogh, Kandinsky, and Warhol, people might wonder what the heck you were thinking. This is not to say you can’t display an eclectic collection, but you need to think about how each piece works with the others in order to create a cohesive look.

Prep the wall.

Hanging your art on a plain, white wall is fine, but you can improve the look and feel of your room and really make your artwork pop by prepping the walls beforehand. Even using a neutral tone like a sandy color can make your room a bit warmer, and if you add an accent wall in red, plum, or some other saturated color (or put up shimmery wallpaper on one side of the room) you can direct the eye towards your artwork to enhance it and make it more of a focal point in your space.

Hanging wall artwork tips

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Use a guide.

Whether you’re creating a photo wall, displaying a collection of pieces you’ve done yourself, or trying to arrange a bunch of eclectic artwork on one wall, using a template can help you figure out how to hang a variety of pieces could make the process a lot easier. You might purchase a paper template to lay out your artwork in a precise pattern (although it will likely require you to procure certain sizes of frames) or you could simply use measurements and tape to mark boxes where paintings will hang. Either way you’ll end up with a patterned gallery.

Create the perfect space for your artwork

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Create a paint backdrop.

If you really want to make your artwork pop you should consider highlighting it even more with the paint you put behind it. Once you’ve chosen the pieces for your wall and gotten them framed, you can trace out where you want them on the wall and then use paint to create color blocks that will act as a backdrop to further enhance your artwork. Select a color scheme to stick to (rather than going crazy with the color blocks) and you can embrace this modern trend while making the most of your artwork.

Consider alternatives.

If you’d rather leave your collection in storage rather than having to arrange for art transportation, consider that you may be able to decorate your walls with alternatives to traditional artwork. For example, you may consider adding 3-dimensional pieces made from found items (sprockets and springs, driftwood, etc.). Or maybe you’d like to get your kids to do some abstract finger-painting that you can frame and display. Don’t get stuck on the idea of creating an old-school gallery; your home is your personal space and it should reflect your personality when it comes to décor.

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