The Right Painting for Your Interior Decor

Have you ever picked something for your home only to bring it back to realize that it completely clashes with the rest of your room? Maybe it's a little console table, a small chair, or some decorative trinket that you though would look just amazing by the window there. Then when you had it all set up and arranged you took a step back and just shook your head. It looked awful. You couldn't exactly pinpoint what it is, but it just didn't look good. Maybe it was the colors? Maybe it was the finish? Who knows? Well if you ever had that happen to you with small furniture, you probably already know that it goes double for paintings. A painting that doesn't match the decor draws attention to itself in all the wrong ways. It's like a symbolic flag of the fact that you haven't completely grasped this whole interior design thing. As you're reading this I'm sure you're picking up the tone that we've had this happen to us too. Many times. Oh so many times. What we didn't understand back then is that there are rules to interior decor. Especially when it comes to paintings. But lucky for us (and you), we figured it out. And it turns out there are only a few. In this brief article, we would like to share them with you. So here it is: the short guide to picking the right painting for your interior decor.

Scandinavian Interior Decor

Let's start with Scandinavian decor since it's arguably one of the more popular home decor styles. If you have multiple pieces of IKEA in one room, there is a good chance that your home decor is Scandinavian.

Scandinavian decor is known for its simplicity, minimalism, and functionality. This style was inspired by the Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. You can easily spot Scandinavian interior decor because of neutral color palettes, cozy textiles, wood floors, simple accents, and striking modern furniture. The ideal paintings styles are ones that meld with the decor. For this decor abstract art with light pastel colors is definitely one of the go-to choices. Why? Because pastel colors meld with their surroundings and in part that's what Scandinavian interior decor is all about. Unlike say, Art-Deco where each piece in the room screams "look at me", Scandinavian decor goes the other way where each piece when combined together creates the clean and tidy look for which Scandinavian home decor is known for. Having a painting that jumps out at you here will break all that. So stay away from high contrast and bright colors. You're looking for soft edges, and pastel colors instead.

Rustic

Rustic interior decor embraces organic warmth, simple and earthy colors, and nature-inspired textures. You know you’re in a Rustic home when you see a lot of raw wood, stone, and leather, with unexpected touches of rustic metal. The emphasis here is really on natural materials that are fairly raw or unrefined. Generally speaking, every major furniture piece should be nature inspired. With this much natural materials it's easy to go too far and have something that looks more like a tree fort than a cozy home (no worries if that's what you're going for). So it's important to incorporate paintings and accessories to balance and lightening things up. How do you lighten up Rustic decor? With opposing and light colors. Think about it, rustic decor is shades of brown, yellow, red, and with some blacks thrown in. To balance that we need blue, green, and some white. What does that sound like? Watercolors of course. Watercolor paintings will introduce lightness to the room to balance out the boldness of rustic decor. Choose paintings that aren't heavy handed with the colors. Which of course is why watercolors is a great choice. Somethings that worked well for us before include water color vintage landscape paintings, watercolor wildlife wall art, and watercolor animal inspired paintings.

Modern

Modern is uncluttered, with clean lines, functional, and simple. To achieve that, there are three key ideas behind modern decor: Simplicity, functionality, and technology. The most defining features of modern decor are open floor concepts, emphasis on lines and avoiding curves, natural color palette, natural materials, and reflective surfaces ( glass, chrome, or steel). If you want to stay true to Modern decor you must have a painting or accent decor that stands out because you will need a focal point. The rest of the decor is simple and uncluttered so you need something that will draw in the eye. The best art styles to make your modern decor stand out are, colorful art, bold geometric art, pop art, and abstract art.

Coastal

Coastal, (or also referred to as nautical by some) home decor derives its name from its color palette which constitutes colors that you would find along a beach. Shades of blue and greens along with an array of creams and naturals. You can check out coastal color palettes to see all the diverse colors this decor can offer. Coastal decor is highly versatile. For the most part stripes, wall art, pops of color, metallic tones, inspiration by the ocean. You know it’s right when it has a beach house feel. To complete the coastal look wall art is a must. Luckily many art styles go supremely well with coastal decor. In particular black and white art, abstract art ocean art, sea life paintings, and of course paintings of ships and beaches.

Boho

Bohemian decor is easily the most forgiving home decor there is. New mixes fabulously with old. Warm earthy colors are contrasted with metallic, mixing patterns and textures, and jewel tones are a go to. You don't have to worry about using styles that would not necessarily go together in a conventional way. This is a care and fuss-free home. There should be a balance of exotic finds and vintage and antique furnishings. This eclectic style also touches on hints of everyday glamour commonly with crystal extras, beaded fabrications, and jewel tones. Best described as an overall relaxed mood. When it comes to the right art styles for bohemian decor anything goes.

Art Deco

The Art Deco style is all about making a big statement. Bold geometric patterns with hard angles and a clear preference for symmetry. What really characterizes Art Deco interior decor is a strong bold look, with vertical lines and angular details, the generous use of gold, steel and a variety of expensive materials. No fussiness or romance anywhere in sight. The perfect wall art ideas for this interior decor include stylized animal prints, nude art, paintings of leaves, branches and feathers, black and white abstract art, and jagged, pointed edges inspired by skyscrapers.

Country

This is an interesting interior decor because it acts as an umbrella for many styles such as French country, American country, contemporary country, classic country, modern country, and more. What all of these styles share in common is a casual vibe with a welcoming appearance that feels cozy and warm. When you think country think distressed timbers, light hues, patterned linens against a modern backdrop. No matter which version of country style you choose, simplicity is the key. Seeing as Country decor encompasses so many sub categories it hard to define the features they all have in common. As for wall art ideas for Country decor, it will depend highly on which exact style you have. Generally floral art, colorful art, paintings of birds, and black and white art are good choices.

The Final Choice

This is a broad guide to help you narrow down the right painting and style for your home. While referring to this guide you should always keep in mind of your personal preferences and taste. Getting an original work of art is a great way to express yourself creatively in your home. Personal art gives your home meaning and it should reflect what you love most. Whether you want a custom animal art or abstract art you can work your way to find the right spot in your home to accommodate your favorite piece.