Can I just be the first one to say, sometimes interior design feels a bit too stuffy. I went to 4 years of schooling and got a degree in Interior Design and I get it, there are reasons we have a certain way of doing things, most of the time, those tried and true practices work better than others. But let’s try to take into consideration the fact that design can be just as fun, weird, unique, funky, and gutsy as fashion. Maybe not in every space or in every aspect of a room, but I urge you to think outside the box in your space. There are certain areas that allow for a little more creativity than others, based on the fact that the function of them won’t be hindered by the design. Function over form, am I right. A few of my favorite spaces to get a little creative with are a powder bath, work space / studio space, music room, and accessorizing. Especially accessorizing with ART!! I’ll elaborate in another post about how to spruce up the other spaces mentioned but in this post I’m going to show you every way I‘ve seen and used to display art in an unexpected, exciting way!
1 // Corner Art
Take advantage of those blank or awkward corners to create a rad focal point with art
2 // Art Behind Furniture
Placing large scale art behind a sofa or piece of furniture creates a background/wallcovering type of effect. It adds a layer of dimension and a focal point, which you wouldn’t get as much of with a wallcovering. Bonus - layer a piece of art in front of wallpaper and a piece of furniture in front of that.
3 // Art Resting on a Surface
Place a piece of art on a shelf or even just sitting on the floor, resting against a wall. Although this may seem simple, there are a couple of perks which you may not have considered. It allows art to be placed in tempoaray locations, which works great when renting or only in a space for a time. It can also bring the focal point to a lower perspective than if hung traditionally. This is exemplified in the photo below of the art placed on the bench of the San Francisco Villon at the Proper hotel designed by Kelly Wearstler. Notice how your eye is drawn toward the bench by the art rather than brought upward on the wall.
4 // Art Mounted to the Backside of Architectural Features
Okay this one is a little more of a rare occurrence but it is definitely useful in a space as the one shown below. The designer created an open bedroom feel by incorporating a mirror into the space as a feature rather than after thought. This left the backside in need of something just as interesting, and art was the perfect fit! This same concept can be used when you find a wall, post, or the exposed back side of anything bare.
5 // Art Niche
This one will take a little more planning, unless you happen to get lucky enough to have a perfectly sized niche. This is a fun way to give a piece of art a more purposeful setting.
6 // Mount on a Bookcase
In my book (no pun intended lol) this is one of the best ways to incorporate art in a unique way. Bookshelves are such a great opportunity for accessorizing, adding art as a layer on top elevates it that much more.
1 // Artist: Macazlyn Harris, Photo: Material Illusion
2 // Designer: Ellen Dixdotter
3 // Designer: Kelly Wearstler, Photo: San Francisco Proper Hotel
4 // Designer: Marta De La Rica
5 // Designer: Child Studio, Photo: Felix Speller
6 // Designer: Marie Flanigan Interiors
Comment below any other unexpected ways to display art that you love!!
XO, Macazlyn
As an exhausted art student I like these fresh ideas! Im starting to feel that spark of inspiration that I really need.