Summer will be here before we know it. And with that comes sundresses, flip flops, aloe vera (for me at least!) and a personal favorite, art fairs! Call it what you want – stimulating the local economy, funding starving artists, or just plain shopping! At the end of a long day of gazing and hunting, hopefully you will be the proud owner of a one-of-a -kind art piece. So, how do you take your street purchase and give it a home of distinction in the room of your choice?

If you have purchased a large painting, for instance, make sure you have a wall substantial enough to frame the piece. A good rule of thumb is to make sure the wall is three times the length of the painting. In other words, you should be able to hang three identical painting side by side on the wall. That way when you center the single painting on the wall it will have room to “breathe.” If you have purchased a set of two brother and sister prints, be sure to space them apart. A good measure on this is to take half of the width of one painting and make that the distance between the two. Be sure that you are measuring the piece as a whole, so include the frame, if applicable.

Let’s talk color. If you are planning on hanging the new painting or art piece on an accent wall in your home, make sure the wall color intensity is comparable to the colors in the art piece. So, if you have purchased a landscape portrait that encompasses a scene at sunset, there are most likely bright intense tones of orange, red or pink… so your wall of choice (if a color) should be of a similar intensity. In other words, the saturation of the tones should complement each other.

If your walls are neutral, great! Just be aware that an intense piece, like the one I described above, on a stark white wall could look out of place or wash the piece out. I have noticed that art museums have recently gotten away from all white walls – the warmer the space, the more inviting. So they have moved to warm beiges or even dark jewel tones like navy or crimson. You can take this same approach with your home.

Lastly, when placing a new art piece in your home, be aware of the lighting. Natural and artificial light will need to be considered. If you place an original painted piece in an area that gets flooded with direct sunlight, this will not allow for a longer lifespan of the piece. So be sure to shield the piece from windows and/or skylights. A good way to highlight the piece is to use track lighting to focus safe, neutral light on the wall. A nice soft but direct light works best.

With these tips in mind, Happy Hunting!