People are afraid of art. I’m not really sure why, maybe because history class taught you that art is fragile and expensive or something like that. And Yes, while that can be true, artwork was also meant to be seen and loved. I love hanging art in a home (I’m an artist, this makes sense) but I also love giving people permission to break the rules and showcase art in new ways. While some art is an investment piece (Like purchasing originals or limited edition pieces) art prints are an affordable way to have fun with your art, and I’m all about having fun in our homes!

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Let’s style some art

So, you just purchased a new Modern Magic art print (because, hello! why wouldn’t you?) and now you have to decide where to put it.

First, I suggest putting it in a frame. I list out my favorite frames (affordable and less affordable) on this page here. A frame is meant to protect the art. While Leanne Ford would tell you, you can tape it to a wall (and I have done that, shown here), if you want this piece to last, you’ll want it in a frame. Now what kind of frame is totally up to you and I’m not talking about that here, but I do talk about it here.

Okay, so you’ve chosen a frame. Now, where do you put your art?

Where To Put Your Art

I’ve said it before (It’s the name of this substack) and I’ll say it again… There are no rules in art! So if you can put a nail in it or it’s a surface that the painting can prop up on, it’s fair game!

The most common place to put an art print is on the wall. This could be by it’s self or in a gallery wall format. This first picture of the Blue Kitchen Memories painting (this is actually the original…isn’t it tiny and cute? It’s a painting of my grandparents kitchen from memory and I’m obsessed with it!) is in a gallery wall in my bathroom. (These frames are listed in the favorite frames post linked above).

When creating a gallery wall you can think of having some similars–a color that moves through the scenes, frames that match identically or are made of the same material. OR you go in the exact opposite direction and aim to have nothing match. Both work because…There are no rules!

Okay, on to the next options.

The rest of these options all showcase this painting leaning against a wall in different rooms. I personally love this look and while not photographed here, it also works wonderfully on bookshelves. This painting happens to be too big for my bookshelves so it doesn’t work, but a smaller frame would have made that a possibility.

So first we have it in our bedroom on a bedside table.

I also have photographs framed on the wall but you could easily have no other art besides the paintings leaning agains the wall next to the bed. In this case, there is a lot of blue happening and therefore the painting blends in a little more. Which isn’t good or bad, just a fact. You get to decide if that’s what you’re going for.

This one is the option nobody would think of because it’s very much different, and maybe not as function focused. This chair sits in the entry of our home and is often when extra coats get thrown, purses are dropped, or maybe you sit down to put your shoes on. Honestly, this painting here would stop anyone from off loading all their junk to this chair which would be a dream. And you also won’t be able to sit there to put your shoes on. Although, you could add a hook/nail to the back of the chair and actually have the painting hang and then you could sit on the edge to put your shoes on. Okay, I really love that idea… great brainstorming everyone!

Finally, we have the painting in our kitchen where I LOVE ALL THINGS BLUE AND WHITE! (I’m an old soul, what can I say?) So next to these sweet blue canisters (that are often empty because I don’t know what to put in them and when I do I forget its there ha!) with the blue and white Italian tile behind them adding lots of layers to this kitchen counter. (And for anyone who follows anything Interior Design, we know that “layers” are a good thing and also a favorite word for people to throw around.)

And that’s that. One painting styled 4 different ways.