There’s a moment, usually a few weeks after moving into a new place, when you realize the walls are still bare. The furniture is in; the rug pulls things together, and yet something feels off. That something is almost always the art. Choosing wall art can feel like a high-stakes decision, but it really shouldn’t. The right piece isn’t the most expensive one or the one that matches your sofa most precisely; it's the one you’d happily look at every day for years. This guide is here to help you find it.
First, what counts as wall art?
Pretty much anything you’d hang up with the intention of making a space feel more like yours. A painting, a print, a photograph, a tapestry, a framed concert ticket from a night you don't want to forget – it all qualifies. The category is generous, which is part of the fun.
Framed vs. Unframed: which is right for you?
This is usually the first real decision people get stuck on, so let’s break it down.
Framed prints
Framed prints give you a polished, gallery-ready finish straight out of the box. The frame itself becomes part of the design – it adds weight, structure and a little extra impact to whatever’s inside it. They’re also the more durable option, since the glass protects the print from dust, fingerprints, and the occasional wayward splash.
Choose framed prints when you’re going for something tailored, sophisticated and built to last. If your style leans towards consistent and considered rather than ever-changing, framing is your friend.
Unframed prints
Unframed prints are for the rearrangers – the people who like to switch things up every season, layer pieces over each other, or experiment before they commit. They’re more affordable, easier to swap, and they let you do things framed pieces simply can’t, like collaging or leaning multiples prints against a shelf.
Our take: framed prints are the easier choice. Unframed prints are the more personal ones. Neither is wrong; it just depends on how much control you want over the final look.
The many forms wall art can take
- Paintings
- Framed prints
- Posters
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Photographs
Decorative wall pieces:
- Decorative mirrors
- Floating shelves
- Metal wall sculptures
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Wooden wall sculptures
Textile wall art:
- Tapestries
- Woven textiles
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Fabric hangings
Personal and creative displays:
- Ticket collages
- Travel memorabilia
- Decorative plates
- Handmade art
How to actually choose what goes on your walls
From there, it helps to think about your overall aesthetic. Some pieces sing in certain spaces and fall flat in others, not because they’re bad, just because they’re not the right fit. Here’s a rough guide to what tends to work where:
Modern and minimalist rooms tend to come alive with abstract prints, line art, black and white photography and geometric pieces. The goal is to add subtle movement and just enough color to make the room feel inhabited, without crowding the clean lines.
Warm, organic rooms ask for art that feels grounded in nature – earthy abstracts, botanical pieces, landscapes, and organic shapes. Think of it as bringing the outside in; tranquil, lived-in, and genuinely homey.
Eclectic and maximalist rooms are where you get to have fun. Glitchy, futuristic prints, colorful statement pieces, contemporary figurative art, and unexpected photography all bring the kind of personality the spaces are built for.
Traditional and classic rooms call for art with a bit of history behind it. Historical pieces, famous artworks, classic landscapes and architectural prints have been quietly anchoring rooms like these for centuries; and they still do.
Getting the size right
Once you've found pieces you love, sizing is the next thing to think about. The general rule of thumb: aim to cover roughly two-thirds of your available wall space. Less than that, and the wall starts to look bare. More than that, the room starts to feel cramped.
If you’re going for a statement piece, go bigger than feels comfortable – it’s almost always the right call.
If you’re building a gallery wall, mix two or three sizes, so the eye has somewhere to travel. We’ll get into the actual hanging in a separate guide, but those two principles will save you a lot of second-guessing.
Ready to start browsing?
The right piece doesn’t need a long debate, when you see it, you’ll know. Browse the art collections and trust your gut.
