How to Incorporate Art into Every Single Corner of Your Home

Making art an integral part of your home décor might sound like a snobbish and elitist thing for some, but the truth is that this is a flawed way to look at things. Art has many benefits apart from the simple fact of being a sensory delight; it helps with stress management, allows you to be more creative, increases your problem-solving skills, and can even have therapeutic benefits.

It is quintessential to your emotional well-being, enhances cognitive function, and can even help you become more social and build a larger group of friends as you find more people to share your passions and interests. However, finding the best way to integrate the art you invest in into your home can be quite challenging.

If you’ve been looking for ways to make your home more artistic without losing the characteristic feeling of a welcoming and organic place, here are some of the things you should consider.

Photo by Birmingham Museums Trust from Unsplash

Various Displays

If you’re passionate about exploring the internet for original fine art prints for sale, you’ve likely curated a unique collection of pieces that you’re eager to display. The key to truly showcasing each piece is to carefully consider the ideal location and medium for each one.

By doing so, you can ensure that the art enhances your space in a meaningful way. However, be prepared for the process to take time—it’s not uncommon to rearrange your pieces multiple times before finding the perfect placement. One of the most effective ways to display smaller prints, paintings, and sculptures is by using shelves, as they provide a versatile and elegant setting for these items.

To create a cohesive display, you can mix art with statement pottery in complementary tones, ensuring that everything harmonizes with the overall setup. If you’re looking to hang art without causing any damage to your walls, a picture rail is an excellent solution. For a more relaxed approach, consider displaying your artwork on a mantelpiece, leaning it against the wall rather than hanging it, offering both ease and style.

Challenge:

However, some areas of your home might present a bit more of a challenge. Many interiors feature nooks and crannies that seem to beg for decoration but can leave you unsure about how to approach the space. These tricky spots may require thoughtful consideration to determine the best way to enhance their aesthetic.

Solution:

The art you use doesn’t need to be particularly large in order to have a big impact on the space it occupies. In fact, you should always take the area and general layout into account when bringing an art piece to a particular space. In some cases, a small art print is more than enough, but there are also situations in which you can place a large figurative sculpture in one small corner and have it dramatize the place, producing a unique effect. You’ll have to go through some trial and error to find the thing that works for you.

Fine vs. Applied Art

Fine art is the category that includes pieces that have been created to be ornamental and serve little to no pragmatic purpose. The applied arts, on the other hand, are items that are decorative and aesthetically pleasing but are fit for practical use as well.

Whether it’s a sofa, a vintage chair, metalwork, or ceramics that can be used to serve dinner but look like artwork at the same time, applied art makes daily life more visually appealing. One of the best ways to find objects like this is to look for them in secondhand markets or antique stores.

Nowadays, designs tend to be much more minimalistic and simpler, focused on the fundamental forms and shapes of an item. While this is great for functionality, a lot of the aesthetic appeal tends to be lost. The items might require some reconditioning if they’re not in very good shape; an opportunity to gain more knowledge on how goods like these can be preserved.

The fiber arts are also incredible and can add so much to your home. Knitting, crocheting, quilting, and thread painting are among the skills you can learn yourself if you want to make your own items, but there are also plenty of artisans and small producers out there designing sturdy handmade items you can shop for.

Speaking of which, if you have many old books that don’t look great on your shelves, you can always take them to a traditional bookbinder that will give them a makeover and make them look like genuine works of art.

Expand Your Horizons

Once you start delving into the art world, you will learn that there are so many different artistic endeavors out there and so many creative artists that you can and should support if you have the means to do so. Kintsugi is a Japanese art that repairs broken pottery with lacquer that has been mixed with powdered gold.

In some cases, platinum or silver are used as well. The practice is a longstanding tradition in Japan, where it signifies the beauty of imperfections and sees breakage as an integral part of the object instead of something that should be hidden. Scrimshaw is an engraving or carving traditionally made out of the bones or teeth of large marine mammals, as well as tusks.

The use of ivory began with sailors on whaling ships, who had direct access to the byproducts of their catches. Over time, however, synthetic ivory has been developed, and unless you’re purchasing vintage items, this is the material you should seek to avoid indirectly supporting the killing of elephants for their tusks, a significant environmental and ethical concern.

Another lesser-known art form is pyrography, which involves decorating wood with burn marks created through precise, controlled applications of heat. This technique is part of the folk traditions in Argentina, as well as in various European countries, including Romania, Flanders, Poland, and Hungary.

If you’ve been looking for ways to incorporate art into your home, you have set an ambitious goal for yourself. There are many different types of art out there that you might want to have in your home, and you must also learn about the fundamentals of interior design to create a pleasant look. Make sure to support local and contemporary artists in order to help the art world continue to evolve and thrive.