Displaying Art Ideas

Photo by Lisa Romerein

Let art imitate life

Who says that art has to be serious? Hanging a picture of a bed, above the bed, is just the right amount of cheeky.

Photo by Thomas J. Story

Provide a common denominator

Diverse mediums and frames are brought to together by a single, shared wall color.

Photo by Lisa Romerein

Embrace unexpected placement

Art is a sweet surprise when hung for the benefit of those with their head on the pillow.

Photo by Thomas J. Story

Interrupt the pattern

A boldly graphic piece give the eye somewhere to land in a room full of patterns.

Photo by Lisa Romerein

Use negative space

Corners are notorious difficult places to fill. Take the opportunity to make your own curated corner gallery.

Photo by Thomas J. Story

Create a mood

A moody vintage oil painting ties together a heavy wooden mantel and a wrought-iron candelabra.

Photo by Lisa Romerein

Create balance

By hanging a pale piece of art on a pale wall, it becomes an equal player in a sweet tableau, instead of the focal point.

Photo by Thomas J. Story

Don’t commit

For less serious art, like concert posters, keep them off the wall so that you can rotate them on a whim.

Photo by Lisa Romerein

Bring the outside in

Landscape photographs printed on foam core are a sweet reminder of a favorite place.

Photo by Lisa Romerein

Introduce old to new

A slightly stuffy wood block of trees looks sweet against a modern cabin wall.

Photo by Thomas J. Story

Shelve it

Have more bookcases than free wall space? Hang your art on the shelving itself. This works well for both large and small pieces; with small ones, group lots of them together or they’ll get lost visually.

Photo by Thomas J. Story

Raise it

Draw the eye up (and save your walls from holes) by using the tops of window- and doorframes to showcase small artworks. Color is key: See how the yellow pieces here pop against the robin’s-egg blue.

Photo by Lisa Romerein

Distract with it

Divert the gaze from the ubiquitous living-room eyesore by hanging a painting larger than the flat-screen right above it. Note: Since the TV already has a frame, ditch the one on the art.

Photo by Ericka McConnell

Surprise with it

Art becomes comfortably everyday when you incorporate it into a high-traffic-area tableau. This tip is not, of course, meant for your Chagall—or any other irreplaceable pieces.

Photo by Thomas J. Story

Unify it

Even a random collection feels coherent when displayed in a wraparound gallery. The trick here? Hang the gallery centered on a line just above eye level.

15 fresh ways to display your art

Let art imitate life

Provide a common denominator

Embrace unexpected placement

Interrupt the pattern

Use negative space

Create a mood

Create balance

Don’t commit

Bring the outside in

Introduce old to new

Shelve it

Raise it

Distract with it

Surprise with it

Unify it