How to Choose Art for a Living Room

Alain de Boton maintains that we are drawn to artworks which provide what is missing in our lives, hence city dwellers are often drawn to coastal scenes or landscapes; they give a sense of space and freedom which are impossible to find in a city. People feeling stressed are drawn to tranquil colours while people lacking stimulation will be attracted to vibrant colours and complex shapes and patterns. So, when choosing art for your main living room it’s important to think about what atmosphere you want your home to provide: what’s missing in your life? You will probably be drawn to the right kind of art straight away. Art is best bought with the heart. But if you like to combine head and heart here are a few pointers:

If you lead a busy stressful life outside the home, it would be good to balance that with calm and serenity in your home. Look for tranquil paintings: calm scenes of water depicting gentle morning light; muted landscapes where there is not much going on; sculptures with simple forms; ceramics in pastel glazes.

If you work at home you will want to contrast your work area with your main living space, if at all possible. If your work is dull, you will want to add colour and stimulation to the living room. Making a room buzz with life and interest means looking for art with bold shapes and colours; it means busy scenes, complex patterns and shapes, paintings that take you somewhere – down a path, for instance.

If you live alone or in an isolated location, you might consider scenes with people, animals or buildings; give yourself some company, some mysteries to solve as you think about the lives of others and the places they build to work, rest or play in.

Always look for paintings that you can look at over and over without tiring. Find paintings you can lose yourself in. To do this, you might instantly know which artwork you want. If you are not quite sure, go back to see the art on another day. If you still feel the same about it, buy it. Art is always a good investment.