Photos to Wall Art Guide | Framing Pictures and Hanging Wall Decorations
The Ultimate Guide to Wall Art, Tips on Framing Pictures and Hanging Wall Decorations.
When it comes to decorating our homes we often fall into the mistake of over-decorating our rooms with figures, plants and souvenirs that take up a lot of space on our furniture, but we tend to forget to decorate our walls. Adding our preferred art to our bare walls can help to out a personal touch to a bland surface, balancing the room whilst creating a unique display and telling a story at the same time.
The best thing about using paintings and photographs to decorate is that they hardly take up any space, are very easy to maintain and can be combined in many different ways to capture your own personality in them.
They say a picture paints a thousand words, but I believe it does far more, it can tell a story from our past, maybe a place we grow up, holidayed at or had a special moment at. It helps to show of our personality, desires and wants and it helps to make us unique.
For those looking to turn that bland wall into a vibrant display check out our articles below on the perfect guides for everything photography and wall art related.
A History of Wall Art - The Mural
Murals date back to 30,000 BC, The oldest Murals were found in a cave in France call the Chauvet Cave. In general though the largest numbers of wall paintings are found in the Egyptian tombs dating from 3150BC, Many examples where also found in Minoan places and Pompeii which ranged from around 1650BC to 70AD.
The 14th century was a great time for mural production. This is when we started to see Fresco Secco style paintings. The use of dry plaster made it possible for murals to be easily created on walls, giving them a level of quality that hadn't been seen before.
The Fresco Secco style is probably the most notable and best known style of murals, the technique uses water based paints and lime to apply a coloured lime wash mixture to the wall, when the mixture dries the colours take hold on the wall and you gain a wonderful wall painting.
As time went on newer materials such as oils where used to provide better longevity and stronger colours. From the humble mural people have been telling stories with pictures for thousands of years.
Why we love wall art so much?
Empty walls in our home are a wasted expression of our self, we love to decorate our homes with ornaments and things we have collected over the years from places we have visited to memories shared with friends.
Regardless of the strength of the paint job on your home's walls, they will always be a source of boredom without the some way of showing of your life.
Wall art decorations have an essential role in expressing the beauty and decorum of both your house and you as the homeowner. A person without creativity is like a home without wall decorations; it’s just not right!
The most challenging part about decorating your walls is choosing the wall art for it. It’s important to keep in mind that some types of art go better with certain wallpaper than others and sometimes that may require you to replace your current décor if you want them both to fit together.
Because of our mental connection to wall art there are essentially two reasons to buy it.
Buying wall art for decoration vs emotional attachments
People will buy framed prints or artwork in general for two reasons and whilst they are both aesthetically linked, they have rather different setups.
Buying artwork for decoration
People often buy artwork whether poster prints, film art or photographic prints to fit a theme or style in their home. This approach can be a little more complicated to achieve your desired look.
You may have to think about things like colour themes, material theme, art style and even room style, art work of boats and harbours for instance might work well in the bathroom but not so will in the bedroom.
When purchasing art for decoration you will often need to undertake a lot more planning to achieved your desired look.
Buying artwork based on emotional attachments
People who buy artwork for emotional attachments often buy them as more of a impulse buy, this doesn't mean the artwork they choose is any less important, it simply means they have a much stronger attachment to the image.
People will tend to by images of places they might have visited with friends of family, places they might have been married or engaged at or places that remind them of a certain time in their life.
Its for this reason wall art bought for emotional reasons tent to stand on their own merits by passing the need to match the look or feel of a room.
That being said when decorating your home of office we can see the benefits if provides and some general rules to follow to get the best results
Photographic artwork can create a Focal Point in your Home
A focal point is important in designing interiors and exteriors. Every room requires a focal point to capture the attention of your visitor.
The most outstanding element in any design is a channel that brings harmony and balance between other elements, elements like furniture, lighting and wall coverings for instance.
A focal point that offers beauty and creativity at the same time is essential to your overall design. A focal point should be chosen very carefully because the result could mean success or it could lead to failure.
Adding wall art decoration that arrange pictures in a certain way helps to create focal points that can help influence guests to be much more active and interested in the theme and layout of the room. It’s a key factor for successful art galleries.
Adding Artwork to your Walls can give them a bunch of Soul
Wall décor helps to brighten up an otherwise dull space. It brings life and character to the room, helps you feel more inspired and adds a touch of originality.
You might think it’s not that important but white walls and blank spaces have a lot of negative energy that can be draining as they create a feeling of depression or emptiness in the air.
As much as wall art decor may not be considered at first for your living space, you will soon find that there is no place on Earth more rejuvenating than your personal sanctuary where you feel completely at ease.
That’s why we encourage everyone to make use of hanging pictures whenever possible!
Wall art Creates a Texture among the bland wall Space
Wall art creates depth and texture in your home, even a flat photographic print draws the eye and helps to add a more 3D effect especially when paired with a good picture frame.
It challenges the natural shapes and angles of your walls and adds that dramatic effect almost looking through a window the shapes on the artwork become part of your home and great looking framed pictures can make your home feel bigger than it is.
They Provide a Finished Look to your Walls
Reflect on the spaces that you have previously lived at that seemed to not have much inspiration in them. That could be your first place once you graduated from University or your first apartment that you had when you left home. There is a strong likelihood that those places had a sense of being somewhat unfinished. In many cases, such spaces also have predominantly white walls.
This can actually create the perfect white canvas and for such spaces that seem unfinished, wall art and photography are great options to make a space have a more polished and finished look.
Thus, when you place art and photography in your space, this makes the space seem more welcoming instead of just being a space that is cold and functional.
You will sense that your space has an elevated sense of appeal and design when you choose to include artwork that is unique to you and shares your artistic merits and memories, so bring out your interior designer and let your beautiful paintings take centre stage.
Home Decor and wall art Reflects Your Personality
Plain walls can add to your boredom and don't show of your personality and flair, your home is an extension of yourself and the more it reflects you the happier you surely will be.
walls covered in art prints are a great way to show of our personality to friends and family and to define the way we are and to share that little bit of your life in the visual way, even the frame style you choose shows your individuality to the world.
One easy way to liven up a room is to stick things onto the wall- any kind of thing, just go crazy and make it interesting! For example if you like sporting activities then why not decorate with sports related posters or notable athletes or if you love nature why not hang some photographic prints of your local landscapes
Wall Art Pieces Create a Talking Point in your Home
It's extremely likely the print or canvas art you have in your room will be a great talking point, either from admiration of the piece or from telling the story behind it.
Wall art can be totally unique to you and its a great way of starting a conversion about the the place or time you bought it, or to tell the tales associated with the piece.
It Helps Create a Colour Palette for your Home
Wall art can make the painting process easier, especially when it comes to choosing paint colours.
Rather than painstakingly trying to decide what might work together, many people choose framed pictures
and put their focus towards what kind of piece will look best on the particular wall in question instead.
With so many fantastic choices for display art available today, it's easy to forget about what kind of colour schemes you need to create in order to bring everything together and really help your space come alive.
But by choosing your photographic art as a central point and working around that, it can be easy to create and choose your perfect colour scheme.
Why choose Wall Art for your Home Decor or as a Perfect Gift!
If you’re looking to complement your home decor and create that perfect home space, wall art is a great place to start. You can use it to complement a room’s style and colour scheme, add a statement piece, create a more welcoming atmosphere, get your friends and family talking and allow for personality stamping on your interior space.
Display art is also easy and quick to install or change, so it’s perfect for making a difference without spending too much money or embarking on an extensive project or makeover.
Wall art whether photographic prints of paintings can be easily sourced either through your local gallery or from many artists online.
We believe photographic prints make a great piece to compliment your home.
See why in our following articles.
Find out why wall art & photographic prints are essential in your home
Why It's Best to include framed prints in your home decor! | Framed prints are a decorative element that gives a lot of personality to the different spaces of a house | FIND OUT WHY they make such a POSITIVE IMPACT on your Home and Why you Should Consider having them.
Find out about display art and framed prints in our Wall Art and Home Decor Guide
Top Tips for Creating Perfect Wall Art and Framed Prints
Framing photos is one of the easiest ways to take a good gallery wall or white space in your home from great to grand! However, it's not an easy undertaking, especially if you've never framed something before.
You'll have to plan things out and have the right tools on hand, to create your perfect featured wall. But don't despair! We have created several articles to help you, from framing tips to picking the correct photos. Then you will just need to complete the easy task of hanging your wall art which might require picture wire.
Our guides will help you from hanging your wall art to framing and composing.
Have a look at the following guide to get you started
See our Tips & Tricks for creating the perfect wall art for your home
How to Frame Prints and Wall Art - The Ultimate Guide to Framing Photos at Home. I often get asked about how to best frame the prints I sell and how hanging wall art with picture wire can make a difference.
If your thinking of purchasing some photographic wall art: Sebastien Coell Photography offers a range photographic prints
Why Choose our European prints?
Photographs of Europe are a perfect option if you like colourful landscapes full of vitality and the romanticism of the most classic cities. Travel between the cities of Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Switzerland and Austria and enjoy their wonderful views and the unique monuments that they house.
Stroll between fairytale castle walls, visit iconic cities like Hallstatt, and climb the continent's most impressive peaks. Among the European landscapes you will find everything you are looking for: nature, tradition, colour, city and night photographs.
Why Choose our prints of Britain?
If you prefer the British area, there is also a good repertoire of photographs that can meet your needs including: Snowdonia Prints, Scotland Prints and Prints of England, travel all over the United Kingdom and decorate your walls with its impressive landscapes.
From the sandy beaches to the lighthouses on the coast. From the rivers running to the fauna that inhabit them. Discover all the secrets of the region and immerse yourself in it every day. Its pictures will not leave you indifferent.
Why Choose our Scandinavian prints?
For lovers of snow or minimalism, Scandinavian framed prints are the best option.
The vibrant colours of homes, cabins and nature in stark contrast to the snow and gray skies provide elegant and stylish images.
They manage to bring seriousness and simplicity to your home, the calm of nature enters directly through that frame and invades your interior. They are a perfect option for Nordic-style homes or for those who seek calm and tranquillity.
WHERE IS IT BEST TO HANG FRAMED PRINTS?
In recent times we have learned that our house is much more than a house. We have learned to turn our living room into a meeting room, with videoconferences, and convert that little space into our office. We have learned to turn our bedroom into a gym and so on.
So it's time to give your home a facelift. Reconvert the spaces, give them a new personality and make them tell a new story: your story. So get busy with hanging pictures to make your home more unique.
The new office
You know that corner with a small table, a chair and maybe a plant? Redecorate it and make it your office. You do not even need walls, and you don't need to buy new curtains. Use the simplest and most minimalist designs for that place: it is important that the space helps you to be focused and motivated at the same time. That being said images that show power and wonder like mountain artwork can do well in a office.
In the hallway
The hallway? No, now it will be your personal gallery. Cover the hallway wall with your favorite photos of the places you've been. Choose the most spectacular and give them an order to tell your story: where you met, where you got married, the honeymoon and your first trip with the children. Or you can choose a color gamma and go with it. You can also choose a single trip and combine the photos with prints of the map of the area or some posters. Get hanging pictures and Make it unique.
At the Bedroom
One of the best options is to place the photo frames resting directly on a shelf. Place it between a few books and a plant to give that much-sought homely touch. Portraits, family photos, or less formal ones tend to work best in those spaces. Small and framed to stand upright, they are the best option for any bedroom.
At the living room
Being the main family room art on the wall can have a big impact in the living room, try and arrange pictures so everyone can enjoy them, a gallery wall can work well for this.
One of the classics among the classics and great if you have a large wall is to frame a huge photograph and hang pictures above the sofa. Find a large, empty wall space that you can fill with that and place it well centered and in harmony with the rest of the furniture.
Another option is to support it directly on the ground, nestled between a flowerpot and a decorative figure.
The living room style can apply to many of the other main parts of your house including the laundry room or dining room, or even dining area where multiple pictures can work well by mixing larger pieces and several small pieces together to create varying sizes of hanging art.
The largest frames are incredibly stylish. Coastal images such as one of our Cornish Seascape Prints can work in a light and airy living room.
A mix that never disappoints
If you are not sure which one to choose, you can always go for the mix. Choose different photos, different places, different sizes and hang pictures in the form of a messy collage. If you can put together a uniform color palette, it will be first class. And if not, it will be as familiar and unique as it is your home. It is one of the most used options because it never fails.
The best thing about framed prints is that they work for everyone. Whatever home you have, you will always have a small space in a wall. Whatever personality you have, you will always find a photograph that will take your breath away.
Whatever your favourite colour, you will always find the perfect color palette to decorate your living room or bedroom, and as Thomas Merton once said. “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time" https://www.brainyquote.com/
HOW TO HANG WALL ART AND FRAMED PICTURES ON YOUR WALL?
Hanging your own photographic art on your wall doesn't have to be daunting all your need are a few tools and a little know how and you will soon be admiring your handy work
In general your going to need
- Hanging hardware
- A Drill or Hammer
- A Screw Driver
- A Pen or Pencil
- Eye shields and a Dust mask are a good idea.
- A friend comes in handy as well.
Hanging your artwork on Plasterboard or Drywall!
Plasterboard (Drywall) is a great building material but it does have it limitations, for most artwork, canvas prints or framed photos under a certain size it can be relatively easy to hang them on Plasterboard using a variety of fixings.
For small artwork under 12"x16" (A3) you should be OK with a picture hook
For medium artwork that is heavier or for sizes up to 24"x36" (A1) your going to want to fix an anchor or strong raw plug into the wall these are more damaging to your drywall but they ensure a strong anchor.
A basic raw plug and screw option gives a decent strength fixing
A plasterboard anchor gives a slightly improved strength fixing
For a good strong anchor consider using a drywall anchor or Molly bolt or Toggle bolt to create a superior anchor
For large and heavy artwork your drywall may not be strong enough in this case you need to try and locate the stud work behind your plasterboard (drywall) and screw directly into that, if your stud isn't in the correct place horizontally you may need to fit screws into two studs and hang the artwork using picture wire.
Hanging your artwork on Concrete Walls
Your in luck if your working with concrete walls as they provide a very strong fixing for hanging pictures, your going to need a drill to secure to concrete walls. you essentially have two options, both solutions provide a strong and secure connection and in theory can support large artwork.
Raw plugs are a cheap hanging hardware solution and give a very strong anchor point on concrete walls, for a stronger anchor use bigger screws and raw plugs.
Using raw plugs and picture brackets you can create a secure connection utilising multiple fixing points.
Hanging your artwork on Wooden Panels
Wood is a strong material and you can screw directly into wood without any issues, the main concern here is to ensure the wood is secure on the wall if it is simply use more brackets and screw the larger the framed print or wall art becomes.
Learn more about or range of Photographic Art for Sale
