Whether you’re trying to decorate an apartment, dorm or house, or want to dress up a long-bare wall in your home with art that pulls the room together, picking the perfect piece that will fit into your interior can be difficult. You want something that won’t clash with what you have or the vision you have in your mind for your home while making you feel happy when you see it — where to start? We have a few tips for getting started.

Determine What the Purpose of the Art is:

This may seem strange, but the first thing is to determine why you want the artwork in the first place.

Are you looking for a focal point for the room that will start a discussion with anyone who sees it?
Do you want to pull the details of the room together to make it feel more cohesive?
Or is there a spot on the wall that just feels empty?
For an empty spot on the wall, go for more low-key art styles that will add to the space without becoming a focal point to a less centralized spot in the home. Art styles like still life or portraits that use darker tones will add to the space without taking over. If you want to go the opposite route and find a piece that will be the focal point of the room, go for something larger and more dynamic, like abstract art.

Measure the Space:

One aspect that can often be forgotten: knowing exactly how much space you have to work with! Measure the width and height of the space where the art will hang so you know the maximum space available.

Once you’ve measured the space, determine how much room the art should actually take.

Width: Even if you have, say, 6 feet width to work with, that doesn’t mean you should use the entire 6 feet. The art (with frame) should fit — at maximum — between 3 inches on either side of the width, or 2/3rds of the width of the space minimum. What that means: if you have a 6 foot width, the width of the art and frame should be a minimum of 4 feet across with 1 foot space on either side.

If you want to put multiple pieces of art together in a space, combine the measurements of each and add 3 to 6 inches between them.

Height: The ideal height of a piece of artwork is 57 inches from the center of the artwork to the floor. This will allow you and your guests to view it straight-on. However, if this seems low to you, you can raise it to 60 inches.

Pro tip: keep the height and width measurements with you on a slip of paper or in your phone so you will know whether a piece of art works in your space whenever you come across it.

Understand Your Color Pallet:

Finding the perfect piece of artwork means making sure it will mesh with your current interior. Even if you’re looking for artwork that will stand out, understanding what common colors can be found in the room where it will be displayed will ensure it doesn’t clash, which can cause the room to feel more uncomfortable or off-putting.

First, determine what the main colors in the room are — typically the color of the wall, large furniture, upholstery, etc.

Next, take a look at the more bold pieces of décor in the room that may catch the eye.

You’ll want to find a piece of artwork that pulls in shades of those main colors, like light blue if your walls are navy.

You don’t need to match the artwork to the colors exactly, and sometimes it won’t be possible — like if you’re interested in black-and-white photography — but you want to find colors that will complement each other.

Be on the Lookout for Artwork That Makes You Smile!:

The most important thing: find something that you love looking at every day! Even if it’s not the right size or color, if it makes you happy, it’s perfect in its own way, even if it doesn’t fit in the space. Your home should make you feel peaceful and content, and artwork that makes you smile will only add to that.

Get Started at Turn Style:

Don’t know where to start in looking for the perfect piece of art? Stop by your local Turn Style to see the latest artwork, decor and home goods we have on sale. We get new inventory every day, so you never know when you’ll find what you’ve been looking for.