Five Tips on How to Style and Pick Art for a Space

A lot more of us are spending more time at home and have found the value at making our spaces more welcoming. Personally, my home is FILLED with art and now that I work primarily from home I’ve come to appreciate having something beautiful art pieces to look at. Are you noticing that your walls are lacking in color or personality? Here are some tips for how to choose art pieces for your space and how to bring your space together with things you already own (or better yet…ONLINE SHOPPING SPREEE!)

1.Pick Your Favorite Color or Choose From Colors Already in the Space

Now this tip is pretty straightforward. What’s your favorite color? What colors do you typically gravitate toward when shopping? Another thing to consider is what colors are already in the space you are decorating. Do you have an awesome yellow chair? What about a black and white rug in the space that is waiting for a splash of color to accompany it. What color(s) are the walls in the space? These are great starting points because they give you a baseline to work from when choosing art for the space. You can start by searching for art that complements the colors that you already have in the space or colors that you would love to see. And do not be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone! 

Remember the color wheel from elementary school art class? I bring up the color wheel because you can use it to determine what colors would go well together in your space. The color wheel is the foundation of color theory. Color theory considers what colors look good when placed together. The color that sits on the opposite side of the color wheel from another color is considered to be its complementary color. For example, on the color wheel red and blue sit opposite from one another, thus they are considered complementary colors. You can also choose a monochromatic color palette which are different shades, tones, or tints of the same base color. For example, if you have a dark blue couch, you can choose art pieces that have different shades of blue to jazz up the space. Once you figure out what color(s) you want, find art pieces that have some or all the colors that you love.

2.What Type of Vibe Do You Want the Space to Have?

Another one of the first questions you should ask yourself when decorating your space is what you plan on doing there? Is it your office? Living room? Bathroom? Then ask yourself “How do I want to feel when I’m in here?” If you’re looking to decorate your office, you may want a space that invokes focus and inspiration. Green is said to be an excellent color for improving concentration and clarity, which makes it a good choice for an office. Are you looking to create an oasis in your bedroom? Try to find art pieces with soft hues of blue for a serene and calming vibe. Google and Pinterest can be your best friends here. Type in ‘office setup for productivity’ or ‘comfy living room’ and see what types of colors and textures inspire you.

3.Match Art with Textiles and Patterns

If you know anything about me, you know that I LOVE me some patterns. Pattern clashing and intentional splashes of color are effective ways to brighten any space. I love rooms that make your eye dance around the room. Pairing art, especially abstract art, with textiles and patterns from pillows, throws, couches, and rugs is a great way to bring the whole room together. Having lots of color can be very intimidating or intense for some people, but do not fret! One thing that helps me muddle through lots of colors or patterns is to pick my favorite color out of all the ones I see in the piece and then make that color the main color in most of the rest of my decor for the space. Follow me. Say you love a painting that has blue, red, brown, and yellow in it. You can put that painting in a room with a blue couch with brown pillows on it. Start with one color from the piece of art and find decor to match. It will all come together and I think you will find yourself less overwhelmed by lots of colors if you learn to parse them out.

4.Don’t Forget the Plants!

If you’re here, you also know that for me art and plants go together like peanut butter and jelly. Not only are both beneficial for your mental health, but they can make your space feel and look more inviting. You can even match your art with plants. Take the pothos plant for instance; it comes in several variations like the marble queen, which has beautiful cream-colored leaves with patches of green. You could pair that green queen with a green, white, or blue piece of art. Plants also come in other fun colors too! Have you ever seen a Pink Princess Philodendron, or an African Violet, or a Flamingo Flower?! They are to die for and you can pair these green beauties with colorful paintings to create an oasis in your home.

5. Dollar Store & Thrift Store Finds

Dollar Tree is my second home. And do not even get me started on Salvation Army! You can find so many hidden gems if you have the patience and determination. I find so many nice pieces to pair with my decor from these affordable stores. You can pair the gems you find with art pieces for a little mix of old and new or affordable and luxury items. Take the picture below for example; I found that big yellow piece years ago in an alley outside my old apartment. It has added just the right amount of color in every space I have had it in since then and I have paired it with lots of pieces of art. And it was free .99! Happy hunting!

I hope these tips were helpful! Do you have any suggestions or things you have tried to spruce up your space using art? Let me know!