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How to Choose Wall Art for Living Rooms

What to Use, Where to Use It, and How to Make It All Work Together

Trio of artwork hanging on a living room wall

The Spruce / Marty Baldwin

You can make a dramatic impact with wall art for your living room. Something as simple as a large modern abstract can give your space an art gallery feel, while an oil painting landscape in a stately gold frame gives your room a traditional look. You can focus on one focal point piece of art or create a gallery of symmetrical or complementary frames.

These works of art, whether they're sourced from favorite artists, DIYed, or even family photographs, are what bring life and vibrance to a living room. They're how you create a contemporary, eclectic, luxurious, or vintage-inspired space, and they're the finishing touches in both large and small living rooms.

Choosing art for your living room doesn't have to be difficult—it can be as simple as figuring out what speaks to you. But, if you are looking for inspiration or trying to find a way to work within a color scheme or style, here are some tips to get you started.

Choose Artwork Location

While artwork can go on any wall in the living room, some walls are more eye-catching than others. If you have a piece that you absolutely love, you want the eye to go directly to it. Think about placing that artwork on the first wall you see when you walk into the room. It will make an immediate statement the moment you enter the space.

Other optimum wall spots include above a sofa or fireplace (as long as you don't have to decorate around your TV). This is where one large work of art can command a presence, so make sure that the art you choose for this space is large enough. You can lean the artwork against a fireplace mantel for a more contemporary, effortless look.

Art can also be used to add color and life to the walls flanking a window. If you have a space between two windows, that's perfect for a smaller piece of art.

You can also incorporate art to create a statement wall that helps define a space within a large living room. A gallery wall can be used to help add delineation between sitting areas.

Determine Wall Art Size

One of the trickiest components of choosing the right wall decor is determining the size for your space whether you have to decorate a large wall or fill a tiny space.

If you're hanging one piece of art above a sofa, make sure it measures about two-thirds of the width (arm-to-arm) of your sofa. The same two-thirds rule should apply to a grouping. Leave six to eight inches between the bottom of the lowest frame and the top of the sofa's back. With the fireplace, follow the two-thirds rule, then make sure there is at least four inches of space between the bottom of a piece of artwork and the top of your mantel.

Between two windows, you can hang two or three small pieces of art. Find the correct size by leaving four to six inches of breathing room between the edge of a frame and the window frame or drapery.

Small art is ideal in a gallery wall grouping. Aim for a minimum of three works of art, and leave two to three inches between each frame. You can create a more minimalist gallery wall with a few medium-sized works of art hung symmetrically in a grid.

Consider Your Style

There are two routes you can choose when considering the style of living room wall art. First, you can choose pieces that complement your style in a more literal way. That means, if you have modern, minimalist decor, choose a large scale abstract or something in a limited color palette with bold brush strokes.

If you have a Scandinavian style, look for simple works of art in warm, neutral tones. For maximalist or eclectic style, shop your local vintage store for quirky paintings in extravagant frames. Traditionalists can look for oil paintings in tailored, antique frames.

The other route you can take is juxtaposing one style of art and another style of decor for something more unexpected. If you have modern decor, try a gilded frame with a dramatic oil painting. If you lean more traditional, hang a vibrant abstract above the fireplace.

Work With a Color Scheme

Wall art that clashes with your home's color scheme can throw the entire look of a space off balance. Typically, you should choose artwork that works within your living room's current color scheme or decorate the room around that one piece of art that you had to have.

However, that doesn't mean you can't play with contrast. If you have a neutral living room, a vibrant work of art could stand out and bring a lively feel to the space. Or, if you have a room that is decorated in bold colors, a more neutral piece could feel like a calming respite.

Choose a Type of Wall Art

If you love having travel photos or family portraits around the house, blow up your own photos and frame them like a beautiful piece of artwork. You can arrange them in a gallery of matching or complementary frames.

You can go with traditional artwork, either sourced from artists or even antique and vintage stores for a budget-friendly approach. Or you can hang items on the wall that may not seem like art at first glance—try an arrangement of baskets or flags.

If you're looking for an affordable option, you can also make your own DIY wall art or decor. To inspire your inner artist, here are some easy ideas for living room artwork:

  • Frame a collection of children's colorful and creative artwork
  • Mount antique keys, jewelry, or silverware in a grouping of shadow boxes
  • Frame coordinating samples of wallpaper or fabrics that tie together the colors of your living room
  • Frame pages from vintage books or group-framed antique maps
  • Create modern art with boldly patterned washi tape from the craft store that you can stick on various- sized canvases
  • Take advantage of free online apps that create printable collages of your existing photos

Creating a Photo Wall or Grid

Grouped artwork creates texture, drama, and visual impact. You might want to arrange a meandering photo wall on a large expanse of space in your living room, such as above a longer sofa, or on an accent wall behind a table and chair, for example. Photo walls are ideal solutions for the empty wall space on staircases and hallways. It may take a few tries and tricks to find the right arrangement for a grouping, but here are four basic and important tips to get started:

  • Create a plan: Place the pieces on the floor in front of the wall and play around with the arrangement until it looks and feels right.
  • Create a focal point: A grouping needs a focal point, which could be a large anchoring piece in the center of the arrangement. Other pieces can be placed as a constellation around this centerpiece.
  • Tape a level line: Use non-stick painter's tape or masking tape and a level (there's a free app for that) to make sure you're photos hang evenly. For example, put a level line of tape a few inches above the back of your sofa, making sure the bottom of each frame touches the tape.
  • Use consistent spacing: A photo wall looks neat and organized if it has a sense of a grid. That means pieces are hung with the same exact distance between each frame. Use an item, such as a pre-cut piece of cardboard, to evenly and consistently space your frames. Slightly uneven grids are noticeable to the eye.

With these simple tricks of the trade-in your toolbox, you're now on your way to bringing more color and warmth into your living room with artwork.

FAQ
  • Which wall is best for art in the living room?

    While any wall in the living room can benefit from wall art, you may get the most impact from the wall that you first see when you walk in the room or the wall above a fireplace or sofa,

  • What is the most popular color for living room walls?

    The most popular colors for living room walls are neutrals like white, gray, greige, and off-white.

  • How do you arrange pictures on a living room wall?

    You can arrange pictures on a living room wall either in a symmetrical grid or a more collected, asymmetrical arrangement. Make sure to leave at least two to three inches between each frame.