Learning how to decorate a wall with art can be intimidating. Raise your hand if you have artwork that you keep “forgetting” to hang.
It’s easy to procrastinate and put off decorating when you have no clear creative direction or ideas. And it’s even easier to start then stop, start again and move things around until the process stalls out of frustration.
Yes, decorating with artwork can be tricky. But if you can get it right it’s definitely worth it.
So if you’ve been shying away from buying artwork or have prints you’re not sure what to do with, check out these creative artwork wall decor ideas for inspiration!
How do you decorate a wall with paintings?
1. Go for bold colour
Putting bright colours on the wall can be tricky and scary.
But if you want to safely add some colour to your walls, then a bold bright, striking piece of art can highlight and bring interest to your wall.
Here, the bold colours in the prints create a focal point and really pop against the room’s minimalist decor.
2. Create a shelf display
A great way to display art is to think beyond your walls.
A great example would be using a bookshelf as a designated place to showcase framed prints, small plants, and sculptural pieces.
And keeping the frames and colours consistent helps to keep your eyes on the artwork. This casual display is easy to create and update at any time!
3. Floor to ceiling collage
Another great way to get creative with your walls is by designing a collage of your favourite prints and artwork that speaks to you and your interests.
You can mix and match family photos with wall decals, souvenir art, stylish prints, inspirational wall quotes or whatever inspires you.
For a high-impact look, use bright bold colours and install the pictures from floor to ceiling.
4. Ditch the frames
You might wonder, “how can I decorate my wall with art if I have no frames?” I’ll let you in on a little secret, you don’t have to use frames.
Yup! Feel free to ditch the frames and stick art prints right on the wall. I promise it won’t look tacky and it’s a flexible wall art solution.
And this way you can easily change out the prints or graphics to match the season or your mood.
5. Line them up
If you like clean and uniformed lines, then go ahead and hang the frames in a straight line.
For example, the prints above the bed could’ve been boring, yet the pop of colour in each print and the throw pillows on the bed make the difference with interesting texture and patterns.
Using bold and unusual prints like the ones above is a clever way to bring colour and interest to your space. It’s also a creative and easy way to decorate the wall space above your bed with art.
6. Offset artwork
Feel free to relax traditional art “rules” when decorating and experiment with unconventional display layouts.
Instead of being perfectly aligned and centered, these multicolour silhouette prints are staggered and lean a little to the left.
This arrangement is a great way to capture the attention of all guests in your home.
7. Use a large scale print
If you really want to go bold and make a statement, hang an extra-large print.
This large abstract art is eye-catching in this minimalist space next to the soft grey wall colour and grey brown floors.
When displaying oversized artwork, try to stay away from colours and patterns that could overpower the rest of the room. Everything should feel cohesive and flow nicely together.
8. Create a grid
The idea behind hanging multiple art prints in a tight grid is that it creates the feel of one singular piece of work.
This could be a great way to display artwork of similar size that don’t match but can be arranged in a grid and still look cohesive.
Here black and white prints create a central theme for the wall, yet each piece is its own stunning work of art. This type of display idea is perfect for a large blank space above a sofa, bed frame, entryway or even a bathtub.
9. Use smaller prints
Although it’s tempting to ignore or discard smaller artwork when decorating your wall, get creative and mix smaller prints with bigger ones like the picture shown above to create eye catching displays.
It’s okay if not all the frames match or they’re different sizes. The key is to hang art that compliment eachother and look pleasing to the eye.
Throw in a few wall plants or wall graphics and a small table for a polished look.
10. Make use of odd numbers
The “rule of threes” is a good rule to apply to your decorating projects. In general, odd numbers of objects are more pleasing to the eye.
You can arrange odd numbers of objects symmetrically, or try a more creative, casual look with an asymmetrical arrangement.
Hanging in odd numbers is also a good technique to use when hanging artwork that don’t match, ie. different sizes, mismatched frames etc.
11. Make a ledge
Ledges are a simple yet stylish way to organize and display framed art.
Take advantage of wall ledges and use them in your art display to add dimension and function.
Not only are wall ledges good for showcasing artwork, you can also use them to show off small mementos, sculptures, and houseplants.
12. Use assorted frames
If you want to fill your wall with beautiful framed art, but the frames don’t match, don’t stress about it. This could be a good thing!
Depending on the look your going for, it’s entirely possible to use mismatched and assorted framed art to decorate your wall and make it look good.
To get the best results choose artwork with similar styles or colours to tie it all together then hang them in a gallery on your wall. Using assorted frames creates a gathered-over-time feel.
13. Mix shapes
If you don’t have enough artwork to fill the wall space, that’s okay.
A great work around is to mix assorted prints, photographs, and sculptural pieces together to create a cohesive display.
Allow your creativity to run free when deciding what to add to your display. You can add, antique plates, giant letters and even candle holders like the example above. Simply start by experimenting with the arrangement on the floor before nailing or hanging your art display in place.
What next?
If you were wondering how to decorate a wall with art, I hope the ideas above gave you enough inspiration to take away some of the hesitation about decorating with artwork. As you can see it doesn’t have to be hard nor complicated.
You can use bookshelves to display art, create eye catching grids or even line them up.
To really get creative you can even create your own artwork. You can try this Pretty DIY Paint Pouring Wall Art Idea that requires the use of a hair dryer! So go get creative!