5 Design Rules I Love to Break

My design and artistic personality is all about taking risks and breaking the rules. I tend to find the most jaw-dropping, statement-making spaces often come from going against tried and true design tips. Here are some of my daring rules to break when purchasing and hanging artwork for your home:

THE 75% RULE

This is the guidance that piece(s) of art should be 75% of the width of the piece of furniture they hang above. While I definitely do use the 75% rule from time to time - I find that breaking this rule can lead to unexpected and powerful results. An overscale piece of artwork in a Master bedroom above a bed frame that extends beyond the width of the bed, or a piece of art that is the exact width of a console table in an entryway... these are some of my favorite ways to play breaking this rule. 

Skip the Nails

Another one to break, that art must hang on a wall. Leaning a large piece of artwork on a floor against a wall, almost like a floor mirror, adds an interesting element and invites you to walk up to a piece and really experience it. Or a work of art leaning on a counter in the kitchen or on a nightstand can add a pop of color in a casual way.

Don't be afraid to go big

I feel like there's this myth out there that oversized art is only for an oversized space. My collectors are constantly blown away by the results when I encourage them to go bigger than they instinctively feel they should. An oversized piece of art that fills almost the entire expanse of a wall makes such a dramatic statement. Granted you don't want to do this on every wall of your home, but picking one space to be bold is such a killer way to incorporate art and color into your home.

Push The Color Boundaries

The color palette of an artwork does not need to match your decor...in fact it's so much better if it doesn't! You definitely want to make sure there is harmony and this takes a little more effort and involves a little trial and error but the results are so worth it. A warm colored piece placed on a deep dark hued-wall is so much more unexpected and really pops. Still worried about the art working well in a space, if the artwork has a color or two that is in the palette of your space, go with that piece that makes your heart sing and you can't go wrong!

Variation is Key

Pairings don't need to be too matchy-matchy. While you could choose multiple pieces from the same series of an artist's work, pairing works from two different collections leads to a more interesting placement. Or even better, hanging two pieces from two different artists side by side will add so much more interest.

Ready to Start Breaking Some Rules?

Let us help! Text us at (773) 658-9356 for a FREE art consult, and we'll show you how these pairings or any other of your faves would look in your space. 💫