6 Ways to Make Your Art Look Amazing.

Artwork. They are the earrings of the home! Today I'm going to share with you some tips and tricks of the trade for creating dynamic and eye catching arrangements to really enhance they style of your home. Whether they are originals, prints, kids drawings, they can all be hung to look great.

1. Hang low for high impact.

One of the biggest problems I see in peoples homes is they hang their artwork too high. For the biggest impact, hang larger pieces low. Around 20cm from the bottom of the frame to the top of the sofa, buffet or other piece of furniture it hangs behind. This grounds the artwork to furniture, smaller works look better grouped for a better sense of balance.

2. Go big!

Another common mistake is choosing artworks to small for the space. Some galleries will let you take home artworks `on approval' to see if the scale, colours and shapes work in the intended room. I personally love a really large artwork, even in a small room. It can look super impressive.

Tip: Leave some other walls bare, this puts a greater emphasis on your statement piece.

3. Mix it up.

Don't be afraid to mix together different types of styles of artwork, it creates a far more interesting collection. A combination of photography, drawings, portraits, mixed media and other interesting things you may have found and had framed will look fantastic grouped and hung in galley wall style. Using a similar but not exactly the same type of frame will give it a sense of cohesiveness. Or choose pieces that have a similar colour theme running through them.

To get the right balance, start by laying all the artworks on the floor, start with one key impressive bigger piece and work outwards from there, moving them around until visually they look balanced, then hang with the same distance between them.

4. Consider your framing

Sometimes I work with clients who have had particular artworks for years and years and they are looking a bit tired. Picture framing is a real art form and also follows trends. If you have a artwork that is looking dated, consider having it re-framed to give it a new look. You'll be suprised how modern an artwork can look in a brand new modern oak frame. Also the technology in glass has come a long way recently, non reflective museum grade glass is so clear you can't see it's there. So if you have photos you love consider re-framing and upgrading the glass.

5. Use your imagination

There is no reason why you can't hang that stunning rug you bought in Morocco that is now too small for your living room on the wall. They create a cosy feeling and help with the acoustics in the room too.

Tapestries, timber wall tiles and ceramics are all things you can hang on the wall. The same rules apply, just make sure they fit in with the style of the room and are in proportion. I love an antique painting in the kitchen, powder room or laundry...why not!

6. Take it off the wall

A vignette is a grouping of objects, books, vases or anything else that is a collectible or of interest. An artwork propped up on the back of a hallway console, for example, just adds a backdrop and height to a collection. A pot with a tallish plant or a lamp to light up the artwork on the other end will balance the look.