One’s home should always be the most honest translation of their personality, and art is one of one the most personal mediums to showcase taste. A successful display of art is all about scale, balance and composition but also about style and mood. Although, placing artworks and sculptures is the most effective way to add a luxe effect to your home, remember the golden rule — not to overdo it and keep the design principles uniform to the rest of the interiors.
What is the ideal way to display art at home?
A home should have a mix of both small and large artworks — Smaller art pieces can be placed at close proximity in order to fully appreciate it, and larger ones, that offer focal points in a room. For paintings or other works that are too tall to hang on a centre line, it often works to place them around 15 inches off the floor. Larger installations, sculptures, and interactive art should be placed in party rooms or formal entertaining rooms, while more personal pieces of work such as abstract paintings should be peppered around the casual spaces used most by the family. Paintings with deities can be displayed at the entrance of the house or in the home temple. Ishaan Sarna, CEO of Sammsara, elaborates, “While each person has a different preference, the most basic advice for displaying paintings is to abide by the rule of twos in the bedroom (if the painting has people, it should be in pairs, quadruples, etc.) with more traditional and abstract themes in the living areas. Kitchens should generally be devoid of art as it’s not a room frequented by guests, and thus mustn’t house prized possessions. Sculptures and larger installations add a dimension of culture to rooms and thus should be housed in larger spaces, such as formal living rooms or party rooms. These 3D pieces catch the eye and are natural conversational starters, which is why they should be strategically placed in areas that will host the most number of guests, while getting you your art appreciator’s due, and also do maximum justice to your priceless pieces.”
What are the rules for lighting?
The lighting will completely depend upon the work of art and the placement of it to ensure the piece truly shines through. Parikshit Deshmukh of Meuble India, says, “Ceiling-mounted accent lights are best for making art the focus. Pin spotlights that direct light onto individual artworks are a great way of highlighting them. The ceiling fixtures can be recessed or surface-mounted, and allow the direction of light to be adjusted. They can also be specified with a range of light-beam spreads, so you can ensure that light covers most of the artwork. Track lights are best for a constantly changing display. Track-lighting systems have come a long way, and many now have a cleaner, more minimalist look than the tracks of decades past. Equipped with the right lamps, they perform largely the same as ceiling-mounted accent lights but provide a few more advantages; they’re easier to install and offer future flexibility. Whereas, ambient lights can be used to position the artwork beside or above a console or side-table where an existing light can provide added depth and ambience to the framed art. Move a floor lamp or table lamp so that it sheds light not only on the framed art but also on the space around it. Avoid natural light when placing art. Art should be placed on a wall that doesn’t get direct natural light. Make sure art is placed where it’s visible enough, do not place art behind your seating where you can’t admire it. It should be kept out of direct sunlight to ensure longevity and avoid prints fading.”
How to place it right?
One thumb rule to displaying paintings is hanging art on a centre line of the wall. Whereas, a display of sculptures and installations can get a little tricky, especially if it is a three-dimensional work. In order to choose the right place for a sculpture or installation, know the functionality of the room it needs to be placed in. Placing a sculpture at the centre of a room is a great idea, but if the family is constantly walking through the room then you could consider placing it at one of the empty corners. A window sill is a great alternative to display a collection of small sculptures. Vineeta Dassani, co-founder of Etasaa Home & Lifestyle, points out the basics, “A living room is the place where one generally prefers relaxing, and it is also the place where you entertain all the guests. The ambience in the living room should be subtle and welcoming. Hence, the living room should never be overdone, and can probably be enhanced with a specific colour palette to make it beautiful in its own way. Hallways or staircases can be the most attractive portions, which can be enhanced by adding pieces of arts. They might not stand out differently, and can be placed in a continuous manner, or in a very subtle way, which does not seek attention, but looks a part of the area. Balancing artwork with other home decor items like, clocks, mirrors, wall hangings, lamps, shelfs, etc is always a great idea, to make the wall area authentic, with a mix of contemporary looks. To create a serene, calm, peaceful and relaxed look in a bathroom, adding a piece of art complemented by other accessories like towels and toiletry holders is not a bad idea. Also, word art, quotations, paintings of your favourite destinations, can be hung. The key to make the artwork look good, is to hang art that is the correct scale and dimensions for the available wall area. The golden ratio of design is the evergreen and the best way to design the arrangement.”
