15 Easy Tips For Choosing The Perfect Artwork For Your Home

If you've spent a lot of time and effort putting together each room in your home, then you'll want to put just as much thought into choosing artwork. As designer Tara Bernerd told Architectural Digest, "For me, art to a room is like punctuation to a sentence; it is that all-important ingredient and without it, a space lacks the layers and attitude that a significant piece can bring."

However, when it comes to picking out certain pieces, there are some issues that you might think are obvious (but may be more important and intricate than you assumed), while there are others that you might not have even considered. But don't let that scare you away from creative décor. In fact, if you know what you're doing, picking out art can be exciting and fun! Read on to find 15 easy tips for choosing the perfect artwork for your home.

It can be easy to feel overwhelmed when it comes to the many different styles of art. That's why it can be helpful to narrow down what you personally like and, in some cases, don't like. Look over the sections broken down by Google Arts & Culture and simply see which styles you're attracted to. Do you gravitate more towards modern art or are you into renaissance art? Does art deco pique your interest or perhaps you lean more towards pop art?

This is the time to really rely on your gut feeling. "Perhaps most importantly, a home should represent its owner, so one shouldn't be too driven by trends," designer Tara Bernerd explained to Architectural Digest. "Something that you are truly attracted to is something that will ultimately stand the test of time."

You'll also want to specifically consider aspects of your walls and furniture when choosing artwork. When it comes to walls, have you opted for wallpaper or paint? If you have wallpaper with a textured or busy pattern, then go with artwork that's toned down. Or, per Houzz, you could use a bold frame to draw attention to the piece. You'll also want the artwork and wallpaper to match or offer an interesting contrast. If you've gone with paint, you can opt for artwork that's more intricate because it won't have to compete with a design on the wall.

As for furniture, the same ideas apply. If you have bold, bright, and textured furniture, then simple artwork might be best. However, if your couch, coffee table, and carpet don't offer much of a punch, then you can add a kick to your room with impactful art.

The lighting around art can completely change how it's perceived which is why you'll want to think about what lighting exists in areas where you want certain pieces to go. Granted, you can always set up specific lighting to properly display your art. LEDs, halogens, and incandescent lights are among the best options, according to Park West Gallery.

It's also not necessary "to light the whole space. Start at ceiling level with something that lights key furniture arrangements, mantelpieces, or credenzas," lighting consultant Harry Triggs told Christie's. From there, "com[e] down to wall level," where you should "use something like picture lights to lower the apparent height of the ceiling, create a cozy ambiance, and bring out the colors in any artworks." Then, "add table lights and floor lamps around the room's focus areas to draw people to them."

There are rules when it comes to how big a piece of art should be for certain spaces, according to Canvas Pop. First, when hanging artwork on your wall, ignore space that's covered by furniture, windows, details, or décor, and instead focus on the empty space. Of that, an artwork should ideally cover just over 1/2 to 3/4 of what you can see. Secondly, any piece of art should span around 2/3 to 3/4 of any furniture it's placed above. SF Gate also has a few measuring tips while Franklin Arts offers an online wall art size calculator that you can take advantage of.

The same basic rules and guidelines apply to choosing the right sculpture, large figurine, or other kind of stand-alone piece: It needs to be slightly smaller than the available area and shouldn't overwhelm nearby furniture.

If you're interested in artwork that stands out, then pick something with bold colors — like red, cyan, or magenta, per Adioma — and eye-popping patterns or impossible-to-ignore subject matter. Perhaps it's a noticeable nude picture in the bathroom or a jarringly realistic photo of a fly in the kitchen.

Beyond that, you could go with art that makes a statement. Think along the lines of the politically and culturally conscious art from Banksy. The Academy of Art University also points to other politically motivated creators, like Faith Ringgold and Barbara Kruger, as well as the late Frida Kahlo and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Deciding on art that makes a strong statement can be a great way to make sure that your home truly represents who you really are, but you'll also want to be sure it's something that you fully understand and stand behind.

Nothing lasts forever, including art. Photographs can fade, sculptures can become tarnished, while anything in the kitchen could end up with splatters of food on them. Art in the bathroom can succumb to specks of toothpaste and steam from the shower. So when you're picking out art for your home, be sure to think about how long you want each piece to last, how durable it is, and if it can stand up to the spot where you'd like to display them.

If you're still worried about your art potentially getting wrecked, then you might want to have it insured. "Some people think that their homeowners insurance will cover [fine art]," Victoria Edwards of Wasserman & Associates Insurance Agency, LLC, told Artwork Archive. However, "if you don't have a separate policy, and think it's covered under your homeowners insurance, you need to check the exclusions."

Have you ever considered commissioning an artist to make a piece for you? Take a look around galleries and art festivals or even Instagram and online art spaces to find an artist whose work piques your interest. If they have a website, then see if they have any information about commissioning a piece from them. If they don't have those details anywhere to be found, then you could still reach out to them to see if they're interested.

Let the artist know what you're looking for and in return, Art Acacia notes that you'll want to know their fees, payment details, shipping info, schedule, and any other essential info such as copyright ownership. If everything works out, then you could end up with a one-of-a-kind piece of art for your home that's truly special.