Choosing Art for Your Living Room

Chosen carefully, the art in your living room can be the highlight of your personal collection.
If you are like most, your living room is a quiet comfortable haven where you read, watch TV, converse, and generally relax in the evening after the kids are in bed and you have a precious hour or so to kick back after a long, busy day.

But your living room is also likely the hub of your entertaining family and friends.

It follows then that the art you choose for this important personal and social space should add to the fresh, creative, welcoming ambience of your living room. The ideal artwork will be pieces that speak to you, but also are soothing and interesting for those who will from time to time share this space.

Art in your living room should be neither too loud nor too soft. As cosmetics expert Mary Kay said, “Less is more.” Your living room should not contain so many paintings and artwork that it distracts the viewer. Your focus should be quality not quantity.

The artwork you choose could be governed by any of these:

• Adding a splash of color or a center of interest.
• Blending with a room motif such as American colonial or nautical.
• Preference for an art style like realism, impressionism or abstract.
• Collecting art of up-and-coming new artists.

If you are a person who likes to change art seasonally or frequently, you may wish to purchase less expensive pieces. You may wish to become part of an art-lending program at your local art gallery. These pieces are changed regularly or as often as you wish. You may choose pieces that match or contrast with the room décor. You might decide to feature one time of art—like abstracts, black and white photographs, or family pictures— on one way and another type of art on another wall.

Make sure that the art pieces are neither too small nor too imposing for the room or the walls.
The art you choose should give the room the atmosphere you are looking for. Moreover, it should reflect your personality and your taste in art. When it comes to choosing the art for your living room do not let the taste of interior designers or art experts dictate what you put on your walls. Art is what speaks to you!