We are excited to share some information on art in your home today. We had such an awesome response to the gallery wall post that we wanted to do a few more art related posts. Today I am going to talk about mixing art styles in your house and some steps to grouping art collections together. In the beginning of February I will be back with tips on selecting new pieces of art and sharing some of our favorite sources and artists. Mixing art of different styles and periods can sometimes seem like a daunting task, but luckily we have some great tips to keep in mind that will hopefully make it easier.
Overall, you want to try to achieve a collected look, like your pieces have been gathered over time rather than bought all in one fell swoop. Maintaining some element of contrast in what you are using is definitely key.
6 TIPS FOR MIXING ART STYLES
1. MEDIUM: Mixing mediums is a great way to group an art collection together. This helps achieve great visual interest and makes your art have that collected look we mentioned above. For instance, if you have a couple of charcoal sketches add some variation in the grouping with a brightly colored oil or modern watercolor.
2. SCALE/DETAIL: You want a room to have visual interest, but not be overwhelming to the eye. Pieces with lots of intricate detail, such as architectural prints and botanicals, look best in groups. Your eye takes that in as one large piece, not 4 to 6 individual elements. This helps tone down the busyness of the subject matter and create a more simplified visual. I would also recommend mixing in a large scale photograph or an abstract landscape into the grouping.
3. SUBJECT MATTER: This is important both in selecting and grouping art together. Select things that speak to you and our relevant in your life. As we have shown, different styles of art mix beautifully together, but more importantly choose a subject matter that is relevant to your personal experiences. Do you love to travel? Then gather pieces along your journeys and group them together in a collection. That way you will be happy looking at them and remember your trips whenever you see them. Are you deathly afraid of horses in real life? Then you probably shouldn’t pick a large portrait of a horse. On the other hand, just because you love something doesn’t mean you should cover you house in only that one thing. Just because you love florals doesn’t mean you should only have paintings by Lulie Wallace or Helen McCullagh in your house. Variety in your groupings and collections is what creates interest!
4. COLOR: As you are mixing your art together, also keep in mind the primary colors in each piece. Pairing a classic oil painting with a beautiful watercolor will work, but try to choose varying color palettes since both pieces are paintings will likely have a lot of movement. However, when you do have art from lots of different styles or time periods, it does help to create some continuity by choosing similar color palettes. It helps create cohesiveness and unify all the different style together.
5. STYLE: Art works best when juxtaposed next to things that bring something new to the table. Do NOT be afraid to mix styles in your home. If you have a modern piece in black and white, mix it with a brightly colored floral photograph or map, or a delicate etching. Art is just another layer in your home, so if the piece feel like you then they should also feel like your space and fit well with other design elements in your home. When it comes to style it is best to go with your gut.
6. TEXTURE: Including an item or items with dimension really help add interest to your collection. You can show these items off with or without a frame, and these types of pieces are typically the best conversation starters. If you have a pendant, a piece of jewelry, a beautiful scarf or a intricate tapestry, do not be afraid to include those in your collection.
If you are looking for some inspiration on art or art display, there are a few bloggers who do it really well. I would recommend checking out Jenny from Little Green Notebook, Brittany from Brittany Makes, Chris Loves Julia, and Emily from Emily A. Clark. They have beautiful collections and a great eye.
SHOP SOME OF THE ARTISTS AND PIECES FROM THIS MIXING ART STYLES POST:
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Feature Image: Brittany Makes
Love this! Such good info here… Thanks so much for including my work. Can’t wait to read more posts!
XO,
Kate
http://www.katherinejury.com
You are so welcome Katherine! Thanks for sharing on your Facebook page. Your work is beautiful!