A is for Artwork

Back to the Basics of Home Decor

After much delay, I am so excited to finally be diving into this series. If you follow me on Instagram, you know I lost my grandmother quite suddenly in April. Though it’s been two months, it feels fresh and new and still so hard to grasp at times. If you are also going through grief of any kind, bless you. It is not easy. One thing I am finding helpful is filling my days with things that bring me joy. It can be simple joy or complex. And one of my biggest joys is all things related to home. So, let’s do this!

When you think of artwork, you may think of large, expensive, hard to interpret pieces that hang gracefully over a mantel. Maybe you think of pieces painstakingly executed by your children, grandchildren, or friends. Can it be those things? Absolutely! But does it have to be? Not at all. As a matter of fact, in my opinion, the best type of art to have in one’s haven is a mix of all kinds. Today, I am going to show you different options and how to display them.

Singular Statement Art This is likely what mostly people think of when they hear the term “artwork.” Many times people have a statement piece of art over their mantles, a buffet in the dining room, or an entryway. These large singular pieces can be great in a small space, such as our half bath shown below. I have also used these type of pieces to flank an armoire, to anchor a small display table or above a sofa.

A statement piece anchoring our small half bath.

Groupings Probably the most popular type of artwork in the home right now is groupings. They may be sets of 2 or 20 in a nice streamlined grid, or a more organic collection of mixed and matched pieces. Groupings can be a lot of fun, but can also cause some people stress. I think the type of grouping you decide to do it totally dependent on your personality. We actually have several groupings in our current home, but none of them are really organic. I think that is probably due to someone (cough, cough, my husband) feeling more comfortable with order. I can’t say I blame him. That is why I typically like to do more haphazard gallery walls in the kids’ rooms.

A small grouping in our bedroom.

Functional Personally, I absolutely love any type of home decor that can also be functional. This can even be applied to artwork in the home! One of my favorite things to do is have a pretty calendar on display in a nice frame. I usually just have the current month or perhaps the month or two prior. Ha! Other types of functional art can include a pretty chalkboard with important events coming up or your week’s menu.

My favorite fall recipe on display.

Sentimental Okay, so this one can be a bit… controversial. Seems weird, right? This is the category that family photos fall under. People are either strongly for having family photos displayed or strongly against it. I guess you can be somewhere in the middle. That’s precisely where I land. It does seem a bit strange to me to have family photos on display in areas of your home where visitors would regularly be. I.e. foyers, bathrooms, kitchen, or living areas. To me, family photos feel private and sacred and that’s just not something I want on display. However, there are definitely exceptions to this rule. For instance, we have a gallery wall in the main entrance of our home full of family photos. I think this works because they are all in black and white and they are all candids. There aren’t any posed photos here. It’s just some of our favorite memories.

Favorite family memories.

Seasonal Are you ready for this?? I saved the best for last because this includes all the fun holiday stuff. Of course it doesn’t just have to be holidays. This past year, I have really enjoyed adding large photographs of scenes from nature during the different seasons. In the fall, I had lovely wheat fields; in the winter it was snow covered barns among the pines; and currently I have beautiful bluebonnets scattered amongst the highways of my beloved Texas. Whatever your preference may be, changing the artwork throughout the year is a fun and inexpensive way to bring the seasons into your home.

Lovely autumnal fields.

Now that you know some types of artwork, I am sure you have questions. Like, “Where do you find your artwork?” or “How do you decide what to display?” or even “How do you hang art?” Don’t worry, I got you covered. Next week I will be doing a deep dive on my favorite sources for art, my thought process when it comes to art, and even how to hang it. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment, message or dm on Ig. I would love to help!

Have a wonderful day. xo