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Leaving your walls bare and undecorated might not be a crime against good taste, but it’s certainly a missed design opportunity. So why do so many people put up with boring, empty walls? The answer is usually a simple lack of know-how. If you aren’t a professional designer or an experienced DIYer, choosing the right wall art scheme can be daunting. So to make things easier for those taking their first steps in wall decoration, here’s a list of 5 tips that will help you design a wall art display bursting with character.
#1. Create Wall Art Using Your Own Photos
Some decor features will be quickly replaced – but others are likely to remain in your home for decades. And wall art usually belongs to the second category, which is why it’s vital to choose images that you have a genuine connection with. Personalization is one of the hottest trends in interior design right now, and what could be more personal than your own photos? Try giving some of your favourite pictures a new life in print – you’ll find a lot of old photos don’t just hold precious memories, they have great design potential too!
#2. Consider Unconventional Printing Substrates
Traditional photo paper has long been the first choice for the photo printing industry – and with good reason. Quality photo paper can achieve great results, and it’s easily framed or stored in photo albums. But these days the leading print companies are offering a range of other formats too. Canvas prints, metal prints, prints on acrylic glass, hardened foam, wood panels…there are tons of unorthodox wall art options that will let you dress your bare walls with style and originality.
#3. Choose Freestyle Arrangements
It’s always tempting to hang prints in neat rows – after all, this classic wall art layout never really goes out of fashion. But is it the right choice for every home? A tidy grid of photos lined up with millimetre precision can work perfectly for some interiors (for example, designers usually recommend symmetrical wall patterns for formal spaces and rooms that require proportional balance). But other spaces cry out for a more imaginative approach – so why not set your creativity free and display your prints freestyle?
Whether you install just a small cluster of prints or a fully-fledged gallery wall, going asymmetrical lets you experiment with the layout to create a truly unique wall art display with a stylish eclectic feel.
#4. Make Big Decor Statements
Sometimes you don’t have to do a lot to get great results. If a full gallery wall isn’t an option for you, why not display one single high-impact photo in XL size? A large statement print will instantly become the focal point of any interior and set the room’s atmosphere.
But there are a few precautions to take before ordering a large photo reproduction. First, make sure you really like the photo in question! Second, think about its resolution – the image is going to get significantly enlarged, so the pixel count needs to be high enough. The most reliable printing companies – MyPicture.com.au, for example – check all photos automatically as soon as their customers upload them to the site. The system then offers only those print sizes that are suited to the picture’s dimensions – eliminating the risk of blurry or pixelated prints.
#5. Mix Up Different Prints
The arrangement isn’t the only factor to consider when choosing your new wall art – the size, colour palette, style and texture of the prints are just as important. But this doesn’t mean you need to limit your creativity to identical prints. On the contrary, diverse wall art arrangements usually make the most impact. A framed picture can look great surrounded by photo tiles, while a canvas print can work perfectly displayed next to a pair of posters.
Perhaps the most important (and challenging) wall art rule is this: you need to try and find a unified mood that runs through all your prints, even if they’re different styles and sizes. Any successful wall art display should bring a sense of integrity – meaning that even visually disparate prints need to form a coherent whole. The easiest way to design an eclectic yet unified arrangement is to choose one single theme for your wall art display. Think travel memories, family gatherings, tranquil landscapes, pet portraits… Work the theme through every item in a way that feels meaningful to you, and you’re on the right path!