It is true that “Home is where your heart is”. This is the one place that gives us total solace and joy. A House is built with bricks, but a home is built by the heart. It is the place that reflects the owner’s personality and lifestyle. Hence, choosing the right kind of décor to make the loved place a cozy haven entirely depends upon the selection of wall art that livens up the space.
There are three major zones in the house – living room, bedroom and the kitchen. These are the places where you spend your sizeable time through the day on a rotational basis. However, the place that is most important is the living room where you entertain your guests, relax when back from work and spend some quality family time.
A room has four walls. However, it is the way in which you decorate it and bring it to life that truly adds joy. Remember, it is your cozy nest and the look rendered to it should be pleasing and comforting.
Here are some ideas that can help you spice up the place.
SELECTION OF COOL CANVAS WALL ART
As mentioned earlier, the living room is the zone where guests are entertained and you relax after a hard day’s work. Thus, it should have an inviting and yet soothing look. It is a matter of choice and individual’s definition of what is “comfortable”.
As soon as a person enters the living room, he /she should get a glimpse of owner’s character and personality. This is conveyed through the selection of decoration for the living room walls. Normally, an affectionate family photo or picture of your loved ones brightens up your spirits. It is a fond memory that truly gives you joy and becomes a constant reminder of the shared bond, especially if the persons in the picture are staying far away.
Photo frames are one way of decorating empty walls. However, there are other ways in which a plain wall can be transformed into an artistic one.
SELECTING AS PER SIZE
Cool Canvas Wall Art is available in many sizes and making the right choice gives the perfect look to the room. The art size should be considered in proportion to the size of the wall; else the room will look too crowded or too bare.
As far as picture frames are concerned, they are available in 5 sizes – mini, small, medium, large and oversized.
Mini ranges from 25 to 44 centimeters. Obviously they are not suited for a big wall as solo. Thus, they should be put up as collection and should have at least 5-6 pieces or more.
Small are 45 to 59 centimeters and look good over shelves or other pieces of furniture. Like mini, these too go well in pairs or group of 3-6 pieces. The length of frame is suitable for short walls.
Medium is the category of 60 to70 centimeters. Even though they can be placed singly on wall, it is more appealing if 3-4 frames are spaced out symmetrically to give a fuller effect.
Large is 80 to 100 centimeters and makes a commanding centerpiece on wall. Nonetheless, you can balance it with mini and small frames on either side. It can be left as standalone art as well. A couple of large art pieces are normal in a room.
Oversized is defined as 100 centimeters and over. Remember, these are total eye catchers. So unless you have a really large wall or high ceiling, these oversized pieces can make the place look cramped up. However, an oversized art work or mural adds a touch of class to large space.
A golden rule is pictures should not be more than two-thirds longer than your seating arrangement or sofa. There should be a distance of minimum 15 centimeters between the edge of the furniture and the line of picture frame. This gives a neat finish to the wall and room.
COLOR COMPLEMENT
Select wall art that complements the wall color. This should be done in such a way that the picture has at least one prominent shade of the wall color so that it blends beautifully with the background. Subtle color tones, even if not present in accordance to wall color, can create a harmonious look if the shades follow the color wheel rule.
Balancing the colors in the picture with that of wall is easy if you refer the color wheel to get an idea of complementing color combination.
One should understand that it is easy to experiment with bold colors in art form, but cannot apply the same to wall color. Sometimes, it pays to be bold and striking. This is true with neutral background wall. However, please do not go overboard and try to be too dashing. Neon shades and brighter hues add glamour to the room, only if exercised in moderation.
THEME IN MIND
As discussed, every home is special to its owner and every individual has certain preferences in life. Some are nature lovers, others prefer the presence of water – sea and sand, while some more may be animal lovers and others just abstract art and universe.
Decorating the walls with your desired theme brings you closer to your passion. For example, beautiful pictures of beaches, sea and gushing waterfalls will surely bring a smile to your face if you are a water enthusiast. Impressive pictures of wild life or galloping horses or cutely cuddled puppies or kittens will make animal lovers happy.
Just bear in mind that the wall backdrop and the pictures that you select should blend in perfect harmony and not contradict each other. Your décor reflects your passion and personality. Thus, keep it simple yet effective.
SHOWCASE WHAT IS CLOSE TO YOUR HEART
Home décor is the mirror of the owner’s character and inner-self. Every individual likes to decorate the house as per some set ideas in mind and always prefers to be surrounded by memories that are close to the heart.
Hanging picture frames of near and dear ones is a common practice, since it helps you get the feeling of being in their company at all times. However, it is not just humans that bring us joy. It can be lovable pets too. Try to capture a candid moment of your pet, solo or with someone. This will serve as cherished memory long after the pet has gone from your life. After all, pictures are meant to create lasting memories.
A well- decorated wall with pictures of the couple, family members and close friends brings happiness and warmth. They are constantly with you, even if not physically. This sense of togetherness and love is enough to comfort any soul. Even the guests get a glimpse of your loved ones and can familiarize with them. Nevertheless, the picture of your adorable pet can speak volumes about you as a caring person and loving owner.
Be selective in display of your family pictures and make sure that you do not cover the entire wall with your big family tree.
WALL ART BY STYLE
Every individual is unique and that is what makes a person special – different tastes, different preferences and variable thought processes.
Sometimes it is good to be bold and experiment with different art forms to decorate. Mind you, wall art is not only restricted to hanging picture frames. It can range from anything like wooden art work, macramé decorative pieces, metal ornamental pieces or some abstract art.
Go ahead and try out these different wall art media and you will be surprised at the stunning effect it gives to the wall and room. Go solo or mix and match two different forms to give unique appeal, like mixing wooden wall art with a metallic piece and so on.
Selection of wall art should always be in accordance with your existing décor and color theme. Blending new additions with original set-up is very important as it lends harmonious feel, without being too loud or out of place.
THINK OUT OF THE BOX
As mentioned earlier, it is not necessary to decorate the walls only with picture frames. Think of other ways that can bring liveliness to your living room space. Adding different textured wall arts, mix and matching two or more art form materials and creating unique sequence all sums up to an interesting living room.
Apart from the picture frames, wooden or metal art pieces and others, it is essential to experiment with colors and textures for the wall. Keeping three walls in neutral tone and highlighting the fourth one in an eye-catching color in contrast can add depth to the room. Currently, textured wall paints are in vogue and you can have different textures in vibrant color or pastel shades to add elegance to the space. Then, hanging some single piece also fulfills the requirement of decoration.
Thinking out of the box implies bring out the creative person in you. Many decorative pieces or frames can be made from simple available materials like fabrics, dried flowers and leaves, sea shells, pieces of twigs and colorful stones and pebbles. Try to be imaginative and create something wonderful from these materials. Later, frame them or just create open art pieces and hang them. You will be surely praised for your efforts and creativity by all who view it. Besides adding color to the wall, it adds a rustic charm that will definitely make you proud of yourself.
ADD INSPIRATION TO SURROUNDING
Only pictures of humans, animals or others are not enough. Putting up frames of some inspirational quotes or meaningful words help in motivating a person and create positivity. Thus, add in such frames along with your picture ones and collectively they will help uplift the spirits. Many a times, when the mood is low and depressed such messages on wall assist in reviving the fighting spirit and brightens up the mind.
TRY WALL PAPERS
Another simpler way of wall art for the living room is fixing a themed wall paper on a wall. If you are not too sure of a theme, then there are numerous designs in pleasing colors to choose from. Wall papers totally elevate the look and if well coordinated with the color scheme, can add an elegant touch to the room. Many people prefer fixing wall papers rather than painting the walls. Many wall papers available are vinyl based since they are easy to install, easy to clean and easy to remove. Wall papers are available in vibrant colors as well as pastel shades. It is simple to choose according to your preference.
Themed wall paper may not require anything to be fixed on it. However, plain or delicate designed wall papers can be decorated further with simple and elegant show pieces.
ORGANIZE THE WALL ART
Any art form, abstract or otherwise, needs discipline and organizing. Group the pieces that you have selected in a wise manner. For a specifically large wall or a room with high ceiling, an oversized art piece will be point of attraction in the room. Therefore, spread out the other comparatively smaller pieces in such a manner that they are put up as collection or group and help in balancing the tone of the room.
When you group various pictures, they need not be of the same size. An assortment of styles and sizes adds more charm than traditional display. Variety is the spice of life, similarly different sizes and styles when clubbed together make surrounding livelier.
Do not hesitate to experiment. After all, it is YOUR home and you have the full freedom to express yourself. Nonetheless, exercise caution while experimenting and ensure that you are not making the room gaudy and loud. An elegant look and sober tone always is best for a living room, as it not only pleases the residents but also the guests.
CONCLUSION
With a little bit of imagination and artistic temperament, it is easy to create a very stunning looking living room. There are so many options available as listed above, that facilitate quick planning and sound decisions in decorating your living room. Just be creative and careful and you will definitely have a living room that is appealing to all.