A living room is the heart of a home, and it's important to make sure that your most-used space is as beautiful and functional as possible. Whether you're just starting out decorating your home or you're looking for ways to add some personality to an existing living room design, here are some tips for picking artwork that will complement your décor:
Contemporary art
Contemporary art is more abstract, less representational and often more modern than traditional art. Classical paintings aren't always so classical; they were often painted by artists who were experimenting with new ways of representing the world. Contemporary artwork can be pretty avant-garde!
Statement pieces
Statement pieces are the big pieces of art that you want to be the focal point of your living room. These could be large paintings, sculptures, or oversized prints. They can be anything that stands out and makes a statement when people walk into the room.
They are not necessarily expensive objects (though they can be if they’re unique enough). But they do need to have some kind of visual impact on those who see them. They should make people stop in their tracks and say “wow!”
If you want something more subtle then try one of these:
Choose a color palette or theme
You can select artwork that works with your existing art and furniture. Or, if you want to create a new look, choose an art piece that provides inspiration for the rest of the room’s design.
For example, if you have a set of pale colored furniture upholstered in light blue velvet, choose an artwork print with soft colors like pink or peach tones. A bold and vibrant color scheme may appear too jarring when paired with this type of decorating style.
You should also consider whether each piece will stand out from other objects in your living room or blend effortlessly into its surroundings. If the room has plenty of natural lighting, then it may be better suited for something more contrasting than subtle tones like gray or white so that it doesn't fade into the background when viewed during daylight hours (although this will depend on how much light there actually is).
Consider what the focal point is in your living room
When picking art for the living room, you should consider the focal point of your space. This is usually a piece that you can sit and relax at or gather around. Your focal point may be a sofa or an armchair, but it might also be something else entirely. For example, if you have a fireplace on one wall, this could be your focal point—where your family congregates to watch TV or read together. If you're lucky enough to have multiple seating options in your space (a sectional sofa with throw pillows, perhaps), each side could serve as its own unique focal point: one side where people can chat together while another side has more space for lounging and relaxing alone!
Choose artwork based on your design style - contemporary, transitional, or classic
Choose artwork based on your design style - contemporary, transitional, or classic.
Contemporary: Modern, clean lines, bold colors, minimalism.
Transitional: Clean lines, but more traditional and less bold than a contemporary piece.
Classic: Traditional with ornate details and gold accents.
Don't be afraid of blank space
Blank space can be used to create a focal point, or to create a sense of calm. It can also be used to give the impression of openness and order. When you have too much going on in your living room, it's easy to feel cluttered and disorganized—but when you have blank space, it creates flow and clarity.
When buying artwork for the living room, try considering using only one piece at first! You don't want to overwhelm yourself by adding too many pieces all at once; instead focus on finding one piece that works well within your decorating scheme before moving onto others (or if you are feeling ambitious add another piece down the road).
Artwork can make or break a living room design so choose wisely and smartly!
Artwork can make or break a living room design so choose wisely and smartly! When you're looking for artwork, it's important to consider what your style is. Are you more of a contemporary person? Or do you prefer a classic look?
Although the living room is often thought of as an open space, there are actually two focal points in this room: the couch and the TV. If your sofa is at one end of the room, place large pieces of art above it on either side of the fireplace (and place smaller pieces above lamps). The same goes for if your TV is at one end; make sure that any artwork above it also lines up with whatever else happens to be in front of it (e.g., lamps or bookcases).
Conclusion
There are many ways that you can incorporate artwork into your living room design and we hope we’ve given you some inspiration on how to do so. Artwork is a great way to add color, texture and personality to any space, but it’s also important not to overdo it! If you have too many pieces of art in one area it can make it look cluttered or distracting from the rest of the room.