Whether in your bedroom or your living room, paintings and art objects give a unique and good light and aesthetic value to your home. These artifacts also reflect the refinement in your tastes in home decoration. Selecting art for your home can be an exciting adventure and also a pleasant source of satisfaction even in the future. The keys to its success are figuring out what kinds of objets d'art you like, how they will fit in with the rest of your interior design plans, and how to exhibit the artifacts to the best effect in your home.
Niti Joshi, Consultant at Park Shop in Park Gallery, Pulchowk, says that it all comes down to personal interest and taste while choosing an art piece for home. "Paintings are hung at homes so that they refresh the homeowners and the guests," says Joshi, "So it's entirely upon the homeowners about what type of paintings they want to have at their homes."
Here are a few steps to successfully choose the right kind of art for your rooms.
Look at as much art as possible before you make your selection
Check out local outdoor exhibitions, school art shows, co-op and non-profit galleries, and art in public spaces such as banks, restaurants and libraries. Search for the specific kind of art you're interested in, whether it's photography, impressionism, bronze sculpture, or abstract painting. Find out when students are going to exhibit their work, and attend the show. There's always some kind of art exhibition going on, put on by art school students. In such shows, you'll probably be buying cheaper than at a commercial gallery, and you can also be sure that they have put a lot of work into their piece.
Select art by size to fit a particular space
Artworks too large will overwhelm and too small will be out of proportion and get lost. The bolder the art, the more room it needs to breathe. Measure the space you want to hang the art and leave enough of the wall so that the painting will not feel crowded.
Choose the art that harmonizes with your room
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. Also if your house is filled with antiques, for example, you'll want to use antique-style frames on the paintings you hang there. If you have contemporary furniture in large rooms with high ceilings, you'll want to hang large contemporary paintings. This will send a message that the painting belongs in this environment.
Amend your room if the painting doesn't suit it
If you find that the painting you brought home doesn't quite work with its surroundings, first try hanging it in various rooms on different walls. It may look great in a place you hadn't planned on hanging it. If you still can't find a place where the art looks at its best, you may need to make some changes in the room, such as moving the furniture or taking down the patterned wallpaper and repainting the wall in a neutral color. The changes will be worth making in order to enjoy the art you love.
Hang correctly
A painting should hang in such a way that the center of the painting is at eye level. Sculpture may sit on the floor, a table, or pedestal. Rules should be considered guidelines only, however, so feel free to experiment. Who knows, a painting may look great on your ceiling so you can view it better while lying down! Also, a room crowded with other colors, textures, and objects will take the spotlight away from the art. So, sometimes it may be necessary to play down other design elements in a room such as the window coverings, carpeting, wall coverings, and even furniture, so that the painting can be the center of attraction in the room.
Here are a few guidelines as to the type of paintings to hang in specific rooms.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are an extremely personal area to most homeowners, and the art that hangs there should reflect that. Great choices would be paintings that incorporate romance. Choose pieces that reflect on how you feel about your significant other. Examples include romantic settings and surrealist oil paintings.
Kitchen and dining room
Whether you're cooking three meals a day or just occasionally show up to make a cup of coffee, your kitchen décor should at least be completed with a painting of a subject matter that includes food and wine. With that, a landscape scene or a still life to your kitchen can also add an extra element of depth and focus.
Similarly, the dining room is predominantly used for evening entertaining with food and drink. So, many homeowners generally paint the dining room using bold colors like deep reds and blues. These especially stand out under artificial lighting like chandeliers and overhead lights. Paintings that follow the same suit should be used to make a lasting impact. Choose paintings with bold colors and appropriate subject matter that stands out and creates a talking point.
Living room
Since this is usually the most public room in the house, you need to choose a painting that is appropriate for all to view. You may want to use this space to either make a statement or spur conversation, or complement the décor you've already put in place. If you're more interested in making a statement, choose a painting with vibrant colors and an interesting and even abstract subject matter. As for suiting the décor that's already in the room, just as mentioned above, choose the frame and art accordingly.
Information Courtesy:
Park Gallery, Pulchowk, Lalitpur, Nepal
Call: 01-5522307; Email: contact@parkgallery.com.np
Park Shop, Pulchowk, Lalitpur, Nepal
Call: 01-5009039
North road, Narayanhiti Royal Museum
Call: 01-4419353
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