Try This Decor Trick: Pair Wall Art With Other Objects

Forget expensive art framing. You've surely seen many beautiful homes whose wall art just look so well-placed, put-together, and attractive despite the lack of fancy frames. Their interior decor trick? Spotlight an art print, photograph, or tapestry on the wall just by decorating around it!

Here, we'll show you some examples and tips on how to arrange other objects around your wall art to create an inviting, multi-dimensional display.

 

Complementing art with furniture

The wall art-and-furniture combo is a classic, as we typically pick the wall decor to hang based on the furnishings already in the room. But you can see it the other way around, too -- you can decide which piece of furniture to position right by a particular wall art.

 

Decor tip #1: Coordinate the dimensions. Whether you are hanging a single wall art or a gallery of them, the matching furniture must not be too small or too big for it. Take a cue from this elegantly balanced display from blogger mom Rochelle:

 

Decor tip #2: Coordinate the colors, too. A good rule of thumb would be to 'pull' a color from your art and incorporate it into the furniture. Notice how the rust-orange of the wall art is matched by the pillows and the stools below. The complementing furnishings really lead the eyes up to the art.

 

Displaying art with other wall decor

Think outside the frame, so to speak. There are other kinds of wall decor that you can hang apart from visual art. From hanging plants to decorative plaques to metallic accents, you can put them up around your art to serve as a nice visual border.

 

Decor tip #3: Do you have collectibles that can be displayed on the wall? See how you can install them around an art piece. Mom's china doesn't have to be confined in a dusty old shelf!

 

Decor tip #4: Consider getting decorative flourishes that are affordable and versatile. We love the wrought-iron wall accents that our customer Shasty L. used below. They're the most graceful companions to our "Family... Love" Square Canvas Print!

(Psst. See how our other customers have used our canvas prints to create fabulous wall scenes!)

 

Decor tip #5: It doesn't always have to be symmetrical. In fact, decorators sometimes prefer asymmetrical wall arrangements to evoke a sense of vitality and easiness. Just look at the relaxed nursery space below. The cute cloud-shaped coat pegs are a breezy complement to our baby-themed canvas print.

 

Combining art and light

Lighting fixtures are not only practical, they can be decorative, too! And when strategically paired with a lovely artwork, they can create a look that's straight out of an art gallery.

 

Decor tip #6: The lighting must enhance -- not compete with -- the art. Pick a pair of wall lamps that are interesting but sleek. For example, see how they don't lord over the romantic "Soulmates" Canvas Print here:

 

Decor tip #7: If you don't feel like installing wall lighting, you can place a lamp or two on a horizontal surface instead (like the floor or a table). Choose a lamp that is cohesive with your art, whether in color, shape, or design.

Also, for an overall unified look, make sure your lamp stands tall enough to reach or 'overlap' with the artwork. Don't hang your art too high or place your lamp too low! Here's a good composition example, with our dad-themed canvas print:

 

Decor tip #8: For full impact, flank your art with high-luminosity lighting! It's a surefire way to make the artwork the focal center of the room. You can also opt to use multiple energy-efficient lamps, creating interesting light directions and angles. See how the dynamic lighting really highlights our pink calligraphy artwork below!

 

Everyday objects become artful

Realistically, we can't avoid hanging everyday items on our walls -- from keys to cooking pots to clothing. Can our walls ever look decent with this 'clutter' on display? With a little styling, heck yes! The main thing is to be a little more deliberate in our wall hangings. Pair your everyday objects with a piece of art, and it can look tasteful.

 

Decor tip #9: If you have a skinny little wall that you don't know what to do with, turn it into a fashionable hat display! Hang your favorite hats in a vertical arrangement using wall pegs, then complete the look with a vertical wall art.

 

Decor tip #10: The kitchen is one room in the house that's especially prone to unsightly wall clutter. To make it more visually appealing, do some tidying up of your kitchen walls, and brighten the look with a pleasant kitchen art:

 

Wall art duos

Sometimes, one artwork isn't quite enough. Good thing you can display more of them together! If you're not sure how to combine artworks yet, we highly recommend starting with a wall art pair. Just two art pieces. This way, you can easily look at them side by side, ensuring that they complement each other in terms of size, color, orientation, and visual content.

 

Decor tip #11: When you're scouting for wall art and you find one that you like, find out if it has a 'sister' piece. Plenty of artists actually create art pairings or groupings. Ask the store or browse the online gallery for any decor match. At Gear Den, we occasionally recommend wall art pairings such as this pink, feminine duo:

 

And finally, our favorite tip for affordable yet stunning wall decor:

Opt for canvas prints! They're beautiful, durable, and easy on the budget. Our prints at Gear Den come in lightweight wood frames, so they're ready to hang on your wall. Browse our customer-starred collection now!