Got a beautiful picture that makes you so happy, but once you hang it up it just seems out of place? Decorating with pictures is a little science in itself – but with our tips you can quickly get an overview of the basics. Whether you want to decorate your walls completely with pictures or create a corner with very personal photos – with this article you will succeed in creating a harmonious composition. To see unique decoration accessories for every room, please check bestcraftblog.
Before hanging: look at the room
The main reason why we sometimes get frustrated when decorating with pictures is that we have neglected the room as a whole. Because of course the overall concept works in the end. Consider the following questions:
- How big is the room? A few individual small pictures get lost in a large room, while an oversized picture has an overwhelming effect in a small room.
- Is the room light or dark? A dark image absorbs too much light in an otherwise bright room, while happy, bright images appear inharmonious in dark rooms. So the following applies here: Like attracts like.
- What is the mood in the room? Of course, contrasts can also have an exciting effect, but in most cases cheerful pictures also belong in cheerful rooms and vice versa.
- What style concept does the room have? If you have furnished it clearly and brightly in the White Living style, neutral-colored pictures in white frames fit well into the concept. For the shabby chic style, on the other hand, colorful or old-fashioned landscape pictures in worn wooden frames are suitable.
The frame colors also play a major role when decorating with pictures. They should fit the overall room concept, with color harmonies and contrasts being a nice addition thanks to complementary colors.
Decorate walls with pictures: the right arrangement
There are numerous inspirational arrangements to choose from, each with a different effect. If you don’t just want to hang up individual photos, but want to decorate entire walls with pictures, it’s definitely worth taking a look at. Here is a small selection:
- Geometric shapes: Several pictures are hung in such a way that they form a geometric shape – for example a rectangle – as a whole. Rectangular shapes appear much stricter than circles or rhombuses.
- One picture per wall: Did you discover a special work of art? Then you can stage it as a highlight of an entire wall. As an icing on the cake, you can choose a dark color from the image and use it to paint a “frame” behind or around the image to emphasize it even more.
- Petersburg hanging: With this special hanging, numerous different pictures are hung up in a very small space. The chaotic effect is put into perspective by the fact that all the frames are the same size and colour. This creates a “wild harmony” that can be very aesthetic.
- Collage: The collage is perfect for decorating with photos. Cinema tickets, the receipt from the restaurant on the first date with your partner, postcards, pictures of children and small love letters can also be incorporated into the collage. It doesn’t get any more personal than that!
More tips and ideas for decorating with pictures
Do you have several pictures of a similar nature that together form a color harmony (e.g. darker and lighter green or blue tones)? If you hang these in a gradient, beautiful overall impressions are created that affect the whole room. Complementary colors also create interesting contrasts. For example, orange and blue or red and green make each other shine even more – a good basis for effectively decorating with pictures. By the way: Other splashes of color such as cushions on the sofa or pretty decorative pieces in the showcase can also be matched to the pictures.
The right lighting really makes your pictures shine. If your pictures are placed on shelves , you can use indirect lighting (e.g. LEDs or fairy lights) to emphasize them. This also works for pictures on the walls. But floor and table lamps can also be designed for pictures. It is important that the images are not exposed to very intense lighting over a long period of time, otherwise they will fade over time.
If you want to swap out your pictures over and over again, picture ledges are a good choice for you. You can place these, for example, on sideboards or on the bedside table – you can replace the pictures in seconds. This idea can also be implemented with a rope to which the pictures are pinned with clothespins. This method makes decorating with photos particularly easy.
Do you prefer something more noble? Then present your pictures in narrow metal frames, combine them with copper decorations or create a joint decoration of mirrors and pictures. Have fun trying it out!
