That is when you enter your bedroom, and you feel like everything is off. It could be those empty walls that are looking back at you, or the graffiti poster that you pasted on three years ago, although it no longer suits you. I know, I have experienced it too. I found myself in my bedroom and thought why it could not be my personal retreat when it looks more like a hotel room.
The point is that, despite the common belief that the whole process of picking wall art in your bedroom should not be compared with rocket science, it is still a more complicated process than visiting the nearest Target and taking what is on sale. Your bedroom is your personal room and the decor you put on must show this. During the last few years, I have been through trial and error (and yes, some epics), and I have come to realize what can be done and what works.
Understanding Your Bedroom’s Personality
Art: There is nothing worse than thinking you are interested in an art piece until you find out the feel you have in mind. Do you belong to the minimalist category, the person who feels rest without straight lines and natural shades? Or are you more a maximalist towards vibrant color and eclectic?
This I discovered in the most painful way, when I purchased a giant abstract painting with neon colors, assuming that it would bring energy in my area. Watch out, it contributed to stress instead. Your bedroom should be your place of relaxation and not somewhere you feel that you are sleeping in a night club.
Before you renovate, consider the current decor. Which colors prevail in your environment? Which kind of style do you have when it comes to your furniture, modern, traditional, rustic or in between? The wall art you use must go along with these, and not against them.
Size Matters More Than You Think
it is a miniature on a big wall? It is as silly as trying to wear a children hat when you are a grown up person; it technically fits but it is absurd. Your wall art size acts as a determinant factor of your total bedroom style.
Here’s my go-to sizing guide:
| Wall Size | Recommended Art Size |
|---|---|
| Above bed (king) | 60-72 inches wide |
| Above bed (queen) | 50-60 inches wide |
With walls not over your bed, you want to aim at covering about 60-75% of the wall area with art. When it comes to galleries, you measure the whole thing as a unit, unless you base your measurements on the total surrounding wall (which is another way to go).
Here is a secret. I do not purchase anything before marking possible artwork size on my wall using painter tape. It may be an obsessive thing to say, but it has put me out of many a sizing mishap.
Color Psychology in the Bedroom
Color has a greater impact on your mood than you may think so, and this is more critical in your bedroom. The cooler colors, such as blues and greens, are known to bring a sense of calm and sleep, whereas the warmer tones (reds and oranges) are known to be invigorating, which is what you may not be aiming at when you are supposed to relax.
It does not imply that you must limit to dull beige (after all there is absolutely nothing wrong with a decent neutral palette). It is definitely possible to introduce vivid colors; you just have to be tactical. One of my biggest favorite things is to use something bold like a major statement piece, but the rest is more abated.
Creating Color Harmony
Your wall decoration must either suit your current color scheme or supply a well selected contrast. Most bedrooms are neutral, and adding a splash of color in the form of art can make your bedroom personality filled, but not make it feel crowded. In case you already own colorful bedding or furniture, use paintings or other neutrals that will not attract eye in the same color range and will not take attention away.
Theme and Style Consistency
There is nothing more of a cry of “I have no idea what I am doing” namely when there are various kinds of art styles plastered all around the bedroom. It does not imply that everything should be the same, but there must be something that ties your pieces together.
The Art of Placement
Perhaps, it is a coherent color scheme, parallel patterns of framing, or an analogous theme. I have witnessed bedrooms in which abstract, old photography and inspirational quotations combine as a magic, because they are all painted in similar colors and frames.
Consider the story that your bedroom should have. Do you want modern sophistication, bohemian creativity or warm farmhouse style? The art you use should be able to substantiate that story.
You have discovered the right one and now you realize that you do not have any idea how to hang it. Art is embedded in equal measure to placement. The most frequent error that I tend to spot is placing the art at an elevated location or positioning the art too high that your eye viewpoint must be at least 57- 60 inches straight up to the center focus of the work of art that is what we call eye level.
When it is a painting or any other art above your bed, space the headboard will be about 6-8 inches. This will form an aesthetic association of the furniture and the artwork without crowding everything there.
Gallery Wall Magic
Gallery walls can so visually do it in bedrooms, but they gotta be a lot more planned out than one centerpiece. Begin with the biggest piece and build other around it. Maintain a consistent space between works e.g. on average 2-3 inches will probably suit most.
Hack: Before taping up your frames, make templates by tracing them in paper and stick the paper to the wall to roughly indicate where they will be. That way you do not have to make a bunch of unnecessary holes in your wall playing around with the set up.
Lighting Considerations
This is one thing most people do not take into consideration, the light can ruin or accentuate your wall art. It may turn out that the beautiful thing that you will have been desperately in love in the shop will be totally different in the light of your bedroom.
Depending on time of the day, there are changes in the natural light which has an influence on the way in which colors look. Warm-toned art may appear washed out in your bedroom that faces a lot of morning sunlight. Evening light is usually warmer and that can bring out some colors and make other duller.
Picture lights or track lights that can be adjusted would be great in service of accentuating your art. It is a decent amount of money, which transforms the way your pieces are viewed.
Budget-Friendly Options That Don’t Look Cheap
Come on, now-a-days original art is hard to get at your budget gallery level. However, budget does not have to be cheap. It can have a lot of beautiful wall art without bankrupting.
Print-on-demand services provide quality reprints of the original items. Affordable works of art made by unknown artists can be found in the local art fairs. Even the online purchases can be made to appear fancy on good paper and correctly framed.
DIY Alternatives
Feeling crafty? Designed by yourself, art can be a very fulfilling experience. Abstract art works are simple to create and can be personalized to your very favorite color. I have done some of my favorite works in the bedroom with nothing but canvas, acrylic paints and some experimentations that took a few hours.
Another terrific DIY is photography. The perfect idea of bedroom art could be that fantastic sunset of your previous vacation when printed appropriately and framed.
Framing Makes All the Difference
Good frame can never be underrated. A $20 print can be presented in the right frame and can make the print appear to be a $200 print. Thing is, the cheap-looking frame will cheapen an otherwise beautiful work of art.
On bedrooms, I usually suggest frames which are compatible with your furniture finish. Warm wood Ideas Warm-colored woods If you have warm color woodworking tones then use the same woods or warm metal for frames. Cold bedrooms go with silver or chrome or painted frame.
Matting should not be ignored as well it makes your art seem more sophisticated and also protects your art. Most pieces can be placed on simple white or cream mat, but colored mats can also serve a nice design feature.
Personal Meaning Over Trends
There is nothing wrong with taking a little bit of inspiration out of a bedroom Instagram-worthy picture found, but you should make sure your bedroom translates to your personality and not current trends. You may not feel that inspirational quote that everyone is hanging up, and that is no problem at all.
Select things that bring a smile to your face when you cast eyes upon them. Perhaps it is a photo of a memorable journey or the drawing of your granny that reminds you about good old times, or a multi-colored abstract picture that just helps you feel serene. Everyone will never go out of style in personal art.
Seasonal Flexibility
Think of how your choice of art will operate during the year. It does not necessarily mean that seasonal decorating involves replacing all the art on your walls, but some wiggle room in your space can help the space to stay fresh.
The first of these is to select more neutral, timeless pieces and then add seasonal layer to them with either smaller decorative accents or through rotating of smaller items. In this way, you are able to renew yourself without any drastic changes.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
I’ll save you from at least a few of the things that I’ve botched over the years:
Purchasing artwork that is too small Too large is always better than too small • Not taking into consideration the height of your ceiling Tall ceilings can carry larger more dramatic art work • Purchasing something based on furniture you intend to change Your art has to last longer than your furniture • Hanging everything at the same level Visual interest is achieved with a variety of height on gallery walls • Disregarding the tastes of your partner All joint living areas need to be compromised on
The worst mistake? Overthinking it. There are occasions when what catches your eye first, can be right even though it does not tick all the boxes on your highly-thought-over list of requirements.
Making It All Work Together
The wall decor in your bedroom must not be something that happens by chance. Choose one thing you really love and go on. This main article will shape the rest of your decisions and keep them unified.
Do keep in mind that you do not need to decorate every wall at once. Fewer choice pieces are more recommended than having a pile of random pieces around. It is always quality rather than quantity.
FYI your bedroom is work in progress. Do not worry about being everything at the first time. Art even can be changed according to the growth of your style and the changes in your life.
IMO, the greatest bedrooms are those that are curated yet they are not over-designed. They resemble the character of a person, who sleeps in it, and at the same time are calm and comfortable. Your wall art must help with that balance and not to throw it off rhythm.
Once you discover something that will cheer you up each time that you go into your room, then you will know that you have achieved it. Bedroom is after all your favorite room at home and the right wall art can make it so 🙂
There is no ideal manner in which to choose wall art for your bedroom, there just has to be some sort of element that makes them truly yours. Use your instinct, take no haste and do not hesitate to experiment. Your walls are ready to be touched by your hand.