A person's home reflects their individuality, much like their personal style. According to a study by Lee, FMJ (2006), styling homes showcases one's uniqueness to the outside world. A key element of decor that expresses personal identity is the display of artwork on walls, transforming the space into a gallery-like experience, as noted by Ana Parejo Vadillo.
However, styling a home like an art gallery requires a more intentional approach, making it essential to consider every space element. It is more than just displaying art based on personal taste; it is about curating a cohesive aesthetic, creating focal points, and balancing visual interest.
This article explores home and styling, offering a step-by-step guide on curating personal space. From selecting pieces to arranging artwork with intention, this article will help transform a house into a gallery-inspired setting.
- Select Your Art Piece
- Set the Tone with the Right Colours
- Organise Art Collection in Groups
- Create a Gallery Wall
- Apply Composition when Decorating
- Install Gallery Lighting
Why Style Your Home?
According to an interior designer, Brilliant Staging, home styling is a reflection of one’s style, involving a careful selection of home furnishings, colour schemes, and decorative elements that align with an individual’s aesthetic.
This practice is particularly relevant, as homeowners often aspire to impress guests by presenting a well-curated space that embodies their personality.
Additionally, interior design plays a role in shaping a room’s atmosphere. The furniture maker Gracie’s House, notes that cool colours evoke a sense of calm, while warm tones create energising effects. Through styling, one can create the desired mood for a space.
Furthermore, styling space also influences property value and marketability. Visually appealing interiors can leave a strong impression on potential buyers, encouraging them to imagine themselves in the space, which may increase demand and elevate the selling price, as referenced in the World Business Outlook.
Thus, if one intends to sell a property, it is essential to invest in effective styling to showcase its best features and highlight its potential.
Key Characteristics of Styling Spaces
Styling spaces encompass a variety of elements, from decorations and furniture to colour schemes and lighting. This section highlights the essential characteristics that every space should include.
Art and Furnishing
Fancy House Design notes that furniture and artwork are two of the most relevant decorative elements that communicate and engage with their surroundings.
These elements enhance visual appeal while reflecting the homeowner's personality and style through the choice of art and furniture pieces.
Lighting
Light positioning is the method of intentionally placing different light sources in designated areas to manage the light's direction, as noted by an audio-visual supplier, Illuminated Integration.
Colour Scheme
The colour scheme is a vital part of interior design that involves selecting and arranging colours throughout a space. Study.com shares that these colours and their combinations can significantly impact an individual's experience of a room.
Ways to Transform Rooms into Galleries
Transforming a home into a gallery-like space requires careful selection, thoughtful arrangement, and strategic planning to showcase each element effectively. This section provides practical steps to guide the process.
1. Select Your Art Pieces
According to Eden Gallery, selecting art pieces is significant in terms of influencing a room’s entire look and feel. It is the beginning of curating an art collection where different art styles are explored and discovered.
Visiting local galleries or art exhibits helps individuals uncover artwork that resonates with them. However, one must note that while they might appreciate certain pieces in galleries, those artworks may not necessarily suit their own spaces.
For example, a vibrant, dynamic painting may stand out against a white gallery wall but could clash with busy floral wallpaper. In this matter, how artwork harmonises with a room’s interior style must be considered when selecting home decor aesthetics.
2. Set the Tone with the Right Colours
Building on the previous step, colours are a crucial factor in home styling as they influence the mood, energy, and overall feel of the space, according to TheDesigneur.
In this sense, one must determine the desired mood and atmosphere for their space –whether warm, vibrant, or tranquil.
Listed below are colours defining the mood and atmosphere of the space:
Calm Atmosphere
Cool colours like blue, green, and purple create a calming effect, helping to reduce stress and anxiety. Alternately, shades like beige, grey, or white offer a soothing colour scheme.
Bright and Energetic
Red, orange, and yellow are bright colours bringing a sense of energy and excitement. Pairing them with neutral tones and other bright colours creates a vibrant, lively feel.
Adding patterns like stripes or polka dots enhances the playful atmosphere while combining these patterns with bright colours can provide a harmonious look.
3. Organise Art Collection in Groups
A common display method in art galleries involves presenting artworks in a cohesive narrative, creating a visual flow that guides viewers through the collection.
Art Business News suggests grouping artworks based on common themes, colour palettes or artistic styles. This can help make a statement or create a focal point to capture viewers' attention.
Categorising art allows each piece to connect with the next, enhancing the viewing experience and conveying a curated story.
Below are a few categories that can be used to group art collection:
- Artist
- Art medium
- Conceptual elements
- Personal connection
- Repeating art or frames
- Size
- Subject matter
- Time period
4. Create a Gallery Wall
Creating a gallery wall is the best way to transform any space into a personalised showcase of their selected pieces. Below are the different ways to display artwork, drawing inspiration from gallery and exhibition displays:
White Cube
According to an art institution, Tate, a white cube is characterised by a square or rectangular space with white walls and ceiling-mounted lighting.
The civic association Tranzit describes the white cube as a minimal and unobtrusive space highlighting the art, stripping away context and distractions.
Salon Style
Salon style involves large groupings of art arranged to extend above and below the standard eye level, moving beyond the traditional single-row or the white cube hanging.
Gallery System says the salon style is an ideal art display for those wanting to showcase multiple artworks on walls. However, this style can appear chaotic, disconnected, or overwhelming if executed poorly. Careful curation is essential to maintain balance and harmony within the display.
5. Apply Composition when Decorating
The technical side of styling a home involves the composition of decorations, where elements like shapes, patterns, colours and sizes interact within a space as highlighted by the publishing platform Medium.
Below are the design principles that influence composition which guide the arrangement of elements to create a cohesive space.
Balance
Balance describes the distribution of visual weight in a room –whether symmetrical, asymmetrical, or radial.
- Asymmetrical balance: The use of diverse elements to create a more dynamic ambience
- Symmetrical balance: Mirroring elements on either side of a central point to achieve an orderly and formal look
- Radial balance: Organises items around a central focal point to draw attention to the centre of a design
The concepts can be applied to the placement of furniture, decor, and architectural features as demonstrated in the photo above.
Rhythm
According to Hatch Interior Design, rhythm creates a sense of movement within a space. It can be achieved by repeating the same element or gradually changing size or colour for progression. Rhythm seeks to create a visually harmonious design.
Emphasis
The principle of emphasis focuses on a particular area of the room, drawing attention and creating a visual impact that serves as a foundation for the overall design, as highlighted by furniture company Minotti London.
Here’s a list of items that can help create a focal point:
- Artwork (paintings, photographs, or sculptures)
- Furniture (a bold chair or unique table)
- Lighting fixtures (chandeliers or pendant lights)
- Mirror (large or uniquely shaped)
6. Install Gallery Lighting
Architectural Digest highlights that gallery lighting enhances the inherent beauty of artworks. However, lighting involves more than simple installation; the way an artwork is illuminated can impact how it is perceived and appreciated, making the process more intricate than it may appear.
Examine the different types of lighting below:
Track Lights
The architectural platform ArchiPro mentioned that track lights are a flexible lighting solution that can swivel and pivot to emphasise multiple focal points. This lighting is popular due to its changeable nature, allowing users to modify the direction and intensity of light to suit different spaces at times.
Recommended for: Regularly changing display
Picture Lights
Picture lights are another option to highlight artwork, with its light fixture mounted above or beside the piece. This lighting creates a feeling of intimacy with the artwork and encourages viewers to approach closely for a better look, as noted by Architectural Digest.
Recommended for: Intimate display
Wall Light
While the lighting options mentioned above focus on the artwork, the wall light is a versatile solution that highlights the art and brightens the surrounding space, says Astro Lighting.
Recommended for: Versatile layout
Mastering Home Property Styling
Home styling is a complex process where various elements are arranged to create harmony and balance. When aiming for a specific aesthetic, such as a gallery-like ambience, additional considerations come into play.
Creating one’s home style requires careful planning, from selecting art pieces and setting the tone with colours to organising the collection. It also involves creating a gallery wall, applying composition techniques, and installing gallery lighting.
Whether the goal is to recreate a gallery-like setting or transform the space into a reflection of personal style and identity, home styling requires planning and attention to detail. By following the process, it can help create a space that feels purposeful and inspiring.
Your Home Styling: Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why is layout important?
Flux Academy states that a well-designed layout is not only visually appealing but also enhances the viewer's comprehension of the message the design intends to communicate.
2. Why is lighting important?
Lighting is important because it influences both the physical environment and human well-being. 4Nature System notes that it affects mood, comfort, and safety, contributing to the overall atmosphere of a space.
3. How can you take advantage of simple home decor items?
Home decor items like throw pillows, table runners, lamps, mirrors, and natural elements can enhance the look of a room. These items can add colour, texture, and personality to one’s space.
Find Your Home Decor Style with MyAssets
Showcasing one’s contemporary or modern art collection in a curated wall gallery becomes simpler by cataloguing artworks using digital tools like MyAssets.
MyAssets is a complete asset management platform that allows art enthusiasts and decorators alike to digitise their collections and digitally store information about each piece such artwork name, artist name, art style, art type and more.
With MyAssets, users can organise their artworks by grouping them together or creating a custom group of their choice, offering a handy reference that simplifies the decorating process.
Interested? Take control of your collection today with MyAssets' 14-day free trial and sign up for a free trial to learn more about how MyAssets can help you organise, monitor, and catalogue art collections.
