Using Paintings to Decorate Your House

Put up paintings to decorate your house and fill your walls with art, without them losing their decorative function.

Throughout history, people have used art as a decoration, especially in the homes of the rich. Today, we’re going to show you how to do the same, and use paintings to decorate your own house.

Painting is an art form that shows off a refined taste in concrete things. It uses oils, acrylics, watercolors, encaustic painting, etc.

Why use paintings to decorate your house?

Exhibitions have paintings hung up all over their walls. The main goal is for people to look at them and enjoy the art.

Does that mean these have a decorative function? The simple answer is yes, and they also help focus people’s attention.

In a home, paintings have a decorative function too, along with the furniture and other elements.

Some objects are on top of counters, tables, or shelves, whereas paintings go up on the walls. They are right at people’s eye level. So, what they do is add beauty to a room and attract people’s attention.

Where should you hang the paintings?

Any part of your house can be a good place to hang one. But, there are some things worth considering first, especially when it comes to the size of the painting.

• Entrance hall: large oil and/or acrylic paintings to gain more attention.
• Living room: the perfect space to have several paintings. Oils, acrylics, and watercolors are the most appropriate here.
• Hallway: oils, acrylics, and watercolors are also good here, though the painting should be smaller.
• Bedrooms: the same as the living room.
• Kitchen: oils and acrylics.
• Bathroom: oils and acrylics, though embroidery can also be quite nice here.

Painting styles

You should try to avoid making any rooms into exhibition spaces. The paintings should be complements. You don’t want them to draw so much attention that no one looks at the other decorations in your house.

So, how do you balance the painting’s beauty with how well it fits into the room? The key is style.

So, what are the most common styles for a home? Here are our recommendations:

• Impressionism: this style is very pleasant to look at. It fits in with most decorative schemes and generally has a light, positive tone based on its subject matter.
• Contemporary: this is for more modern homes, with minimalist or urban style. Contemporary paintings give a more alternative, bold look.
• Landscapes: these are great, though you should avoid those that are too realist in favor of something blurrier, closer to impressionism.
• Still life: these were very common in 20th-century homes, and give your house a timeless, rustic feel.

Choosing frames

Aside from the painting itself, you also need to choose a good frame. You don’t want to pick something at random, this is another element that needs to blend in with the whole. 

The most common is a thin wooden frame, as long as it’s made of darker wood. This goes well with just about any style. 

Of course, it depends on the interior design scheme. If you have an older style with rococo decorations, golden frames with flowers or stones could be perfect.

For a minimalist home, thin, straight, dark-colored frames can help the paintings stand out. In general, though, people use frames like this for contemporary paintings.

Is it worth considering silver frames? People often use them for photos, but its best to avoid them when it comes to paintings.

Leaving the painting without a frame is also becoming very popular. It gives the art a calm, modest look,  and can keep the space from feeling overloaded.

Themes

If you want to use paintings to decorate your house, here are the best themes:

• Landscapes: especially for the living room.
• Sunsets: these bring light, warmth, and visual stimulation into a room. They’re perfect for bedrooms.
• Still life: for living rooms and kitchens.
• Abstract: for modern or minimalist houses. They go quite nicely in living rooms, bedrooms, and hallways.
• Contemporary: these are great for all kinds of houses, especially modern ones. They generally look great in living rooms and bedrooms.

Conclusion

Throughout history, we have used art for visual stimulation. So, why not use paintings to decorate your house and fill your rooms with color? 

In the end, the decoration should never be limited to furniture–walls are a perfect place for it too.