Interior Series with Jack Thompson & Co. | 5 Ways to Enhance your Home with Art & Mirrors

No. 1. Vary and mix shapes and sizes

Small artworks tend to be lost on large walls, grouping artwork of similar tone of colour, or style or theme will enhance each piece.
In addition to varying sizes, ensure you have a mix of portrait and landscape orientation within a room to establish a sense of balance and add interest.
Leaving a picture propped up on a console or mantelpiece is another option to create variation in displaying artwork in relaxed and casual way.

No. 2. Choose pieces in proportion with the room

The larger the room, the bigger the mirrors and artwork need to be for a balanced and calming effect.
Grouping artwork with small gaps between them will create the appearance of one large unit.
Counterintuitively, choosing oversize mirror and artworks with oversize furniture pieces can make a small room feel bigger and more interesting.
I tend to avoid a landscape format above a sofa and favour a large round mirror or portrait artwork to counterbalance horizontal furniture or landscape rectangular shapes.

No. 3. Create a collection

A cluster of pieces is a great way to make an impact on a large wall. Art displayed in even numbers, such as a pair or in multiples of two, looks best when it’s hung in a symmetrical arrangement and part of a larger geometrical shape, such as a square or a rectangle.
Use identical frames and mounts to achieve a unified gallery wall and keep the spacing in between pictures narrow so that they appear as part of a group rather than in isolation.
A cost-effective way to achieve this is to buy an art coffee table book and frame a selection of pages.

No. 4. Carefully consider the hanging position and height

We often notice during our home consultations that art and mirrors are hung too high, typically around 20 centimetres (7/8 inches) above the optimum level.
When hung too high, this creates the illusion that the ceiling is lower and the overall feel of the room is compressed.
I plan to leave a gap of approximately 20 cm when hanging artwork or a mirror above a sofa or console table (same applies to a wall mounted TV depending on the set up).
Consider the entire wall to hang artwork in stairs and corridors, as placing some pictures on the lower part of the walls will have a much better visual impact overall.

No. 5.  Make it personal

Display family photos printed in black and white or with the same filter, this will create a pleasing sense of unity, perfect in a study or going up the stairs as a gallery.
Elevate the look by displaying them in different complementary frames.
Mix new and vintage frames for further interest and use mounts for perfect fit.
Mounts and frames are as important as the art itself and can be focal points on their own.