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5 reasons your home needs art

It’s a decorator’s secret weapon. - by Laura Barry
  • 02 Oct 2018
5 reasons your home needs art
Getty

Quick, easy and affordable, a piece of art can instantly elevate the style of your home, make a room feel more expensive and add personality to a bland space. No matter how cheap or expensive, a canvas, art print or vintage painting can be the difference between a show-stopping interior, and one that doesn’t quite hit the mark. Whether you’re looking for a focal point, a pop of colour or a way to communicate the mood or personality of your home, a well-placed piece of art will do the trick. Read on to discover the five reasons your home needs art.

Art creates a focal point

A design rule when it comes to interiors is to ensure every room has a focal point, like a large fireplace in a living room, for example. However, if your home has a room that lack a true focal point, a large piece of art is the perfect way to draw the eye towards the centre of the space and make a statement with style and colour.

art hanging above fireplace in living room
Getty

Art adds visual depth

The key to good interior design is a balance between colour, texture and depth. Hanging art of your walls will add an extra layer to your overall interior scheme and make the whole room feel more considered and complete.

blue painting hanging on wall in dining room
Getty

Art communicates a mood

Picking the right piece of art for the right room comes down to understanding what sort of mood you are trying to set in the space. If you’re trying to create an energetic or lively mood, red or orange work well, blues and greens have a calming effect, and warm colours can make guests feel welcome.

chair with gallery wall of images
Getty

Art can inform your colour palette

If your home is a study in neutral colours, then a piece of art is the perfect way to inject colour into your scheme, in more ways than one. The art will act as a source of colour in the room, while the colours in the painting can inform your choice of cushions, rugs, throws and other decorative items.  For example, if you chose a painting in shades of yellow, pink, orange and red, choose cushions in similar hues of yellow and pink, a rug that incorporates red and perhaps a throw rug in a burnt orange for depth.

living room with a wall full of art prints
Getty

Art is personal

Art is a particularly good way to incorporate your own style and personality into a space, especially if your home is painted in all neutral colours, or if you’re renting. Painting the walls, changing up the carpet or investing in a rug and new homewares is one way to communicate your personality, but it can be an expensive endeavour. One well-placed piece of art can communicate just as much as lots of homewares, and that piece of art doesn’t need to be expensive. It can be a pop-culture print from a cool design shop, an abstract image on a canvas from Kmart, or it could even be something you have created yourself. Whatever you choose, make sure it feels right to you.

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Laura Barry
Laura Barry
Laura Barry is a writer, bookworm and interior design enthusiast with a love for reporting on all things homes, travel and lifestyle. When not tapping away at her keyboard, Laura can be found making endless cups of tea or perusing the shelves of Sydney’s many bookstores.

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