Art Power GIFS: See How Art Upgrades These Rooms

Written by

Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director at AT Media
Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director at AT Media
For more than 10 years, I've led Apartment Therapy's real home content, producing thousands of house tours from around the world. Currently, I live in my maximalist dream home in New Orleans, Louisiana, with my partner, a perfect dog, and a cute cat.
published Jun 24, 2016
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Many of us understand that adding art to a room can drastically alter its appearance. But there are so many ways you can use art to make a visual impact; making the decision on where to hang can be overwhelming. These room gifs represent common art-hanging questions—I’ve removed the artwork from the walls to show you just how powerful art can be when its used in the right place and at the optimum scale. Seeing is believing!

(Image credit: Natalie Jeffcott)

Should I hang art on a patterned wall?

When you incorporate a bold paint color or patterned wallpaper on a wall, you might wonder if art would add to the composition—or take away. As you can see in Katrina, Draz & Eddie’s Melbourne Home, the bedroom above looks absolutely lovely (and not empty in the slightest) with just wallpaper on the wall. But below, a framed art piece (featuring colors that are also repeated in the light fixture and the bedding) helps the room feel cohesive and sophisticated.

(Image credit: Natalie Jeffcott)

(Image credit: Natalie Jeffcott)

Can art help balance the television?

We’ve made the claim before that you can use art on the wall behind your television as a way to distract from a big black screen. But does it really work? If you want to know for sure before you start hammering nails into your wall, you need only check out Kristina & Jason’s Gorgeous, Graphic Australian Home. Above, a colorful rug and a lovely mid-century modern credenza aren’t enough to steal the spotlight away from a large television. But surround that screen with gorgeous art (like below), and you can see that the television isn’t erased—but its visual impact is greatly diminished.

(Image credit: Natalie Jeffcott)

(Image credit: Abe Martinez)

Could this wall use a bigger piece of art?

You could make the argument that the art in the image above is a fine size for the living room. An abstract painting with a bold mix of reds and rusts, it adds a much needed punch of color to a space full of neutrals, and helps balance the large red rug on the floor. But if you’ve ever stood in front of a blank wall and wondered about the size of the art piece you should choose, you might take inspiration from Lesley’s Textured, Sunny Scandinavian Style in Sweden. Below, the original image of this beautiful living room shows that sometimes bigger is better:

(Image credit: Abe Martinez)