Art as a Focal Point in Your Interior

If you are anything like me it can be difficult to decide where to hang a piece of art in your home and what the magic formula is to ensure that it looks great.  I’m often in the conundrum of where I hang a piece and I know that it isn’t right but I don’t know how to fix it. Michelle Clotworthy of Jameson Interiors shared some tips to help guide us with our hanging.  

• Look at how much space you have available e.g. over a couch, over a set of drawers, at an entrance and think about using ¾ of the space above the object.
   - with either a single statement piece
   - with a grouping of smaller objects
   - with a larger piece in the middle and then off setting it with smaller pieces which can create interest and movement and your eye will dance from one piece to another (note that it is important to get a flow of works here tied together through colour or form – you don’t want one piece ‘fighting’ for your attention over another).
   
• Consider ornaments (glassware, lamps, vignette displays) on the shelving and ensure that you are not over crowding the area.  You should be considering the clear space available.
   
• Lining work up so that the bottom or the top of all the works are at the same height. This will create uniformity and cohesiveness to the room and allow your eye to move gracefully around the room without having to zig zag at different heights.
   
• Blocking work together into a defined shape but using different sized works.  This can look fantastic in a modern home but needs some planning and it helps if all the framing is of the same colour and style.

And, as with everything, there are always exceptions to the rules which create unique spaces and work despite the guidelines given.  This is particularly true for hanging saloon style, floor to ceiling and can be used to create nooks of space.  This is how we hang work in the gallery, allowing your eye to move around the room and spacing work so that it allows each piece to shine in it’s own way.  This is always a challenge as we work with the fabulous art we have available and it creates an interesting space for our clients and allows them to see work in a different way each time they visit.

At the end of the presentation we discussed what we should discuss next and there have been a couple of suggestions to start an art group through the gallery to discuss art more specifically.  What do you think? Watch this space for more details but the next talk will be taking place on Thursday 28 April.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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