The Art of Adding Wall Decor to Your Home

A house isn’t a home without the presence of art. Prints, paintings, framed photographs, and more are so key to achieving a curated, welcoming space that is full of personality. Many homeowners put off installing art for quite some time—putting nail holes into one’s walls can be daunting after all. But the reward of unwinding in a beautiful, art-filled home is certainly worth some risk!

Yet even after tackling art in their main rooms—the living room, primary bedroom, and dining room, for example—homeowners are often left with additional pieces that they wish to display; it’s just unclear where these items should go. Truthfully, there are so many places where art can shine throughout the home, and below are a few of our off-the-beaten path favorites!

The bathroom: Don’t forget to jazz up both your powder room and your everyday primary bath with the addition of some art. Since bathrooms can easily be concealed by shutting the door and you don’t have to worry about choosing pieces that coordinate with specific fabrics and furnishings, this is your time to have a little fun. Think out of the box with a quirky photograph or a sassy portrait. Black and white figure drawings also look beautiful displayed in the bathroom. If you’re not feeling quite so bold and crave a loo that feels nice and spa-like, consider printing out a photo that you took on your travels or choosing an abstract piece rooted in neutrals.

Photo courtesy of Asha Maía Design

The kitchen: The kitchen is a utilitarian space, but it’s unfortunately one that you spent a whole lot of time in throughout the course of the day. And you deserve to be surrounded by aesthetically pleasing artwork as you cook! Rather than leaning into food-themed pieces, which can be a bit overdone, focus on highlighting certain colors that are already at play in this room. Look to your tile backsplash, for example, and hang pieces that complement these hues. Landscape scenes, black and white charcoal drawings, and botanical prints are also having a major moment in kitchens these days.

The home office: The concept of the at-home workspace isn’t going away any time soon! Make yours a place in which you’ll actually want to spend time by jazzing it up with prints that will provide you with inspiration and a sense of calm as you complete your day to day duties. Family photographs are fine, of course, but consider displaying these on your desktop or built-ins so that they do not overwhelm the space. Because Zoom backgrounds are still important, you’ll want to think about what your coworkers will be seeing when you log onto a video call. We suggest choosing an oversized abstract canvas or nature scene to hang behind your desk area; this is a great way to fill an empty wall while remaining office-appropriate. The walls that won’t be shown on camera can definitely have a little more personality, but you won’t want to create a setup that’s too distracting or overstimulating, given that work is your main priority in this room.

Purchasing art online is nice and simple these days, but sometimes, it’s preferable to view a piece in person before inviting it into your home. When it comes to local retailers that offer incredible art pieces, we’re proponents of looking at traditional shops as well as vintage stores. Our favorites include:

Traditional:

Anthropologie (many locations in DC, VA, and MD)

CB2 Tysons Galleria in McLean, VA

Crate & Barrel & CB2 Outlet in Alexandria, VA

Random Harvest (locations in Alexandria, VA, Washington, DC, and Bethesda, MD)

Vintage:

Christ Child Opportunity Shop in Washington, DC

GoodWood in Washington, DC

Miss Pixie’s in Washington, DC

Our local partners at The Scout Guide Alexandria and The Scout Guide Hunt Country are also experts at design. For more inspiration check out their websites and social media accounts:

Asha Maía Design

Home in the Plains

Patina: Polished Living

Ronni Logan Interiors & Collections

Sarah Lyon is a New York City-based freelance writer, originally from Bethesda, MD. She contributes to a number of national design and lifestyle publications like Architectural Digest, Apartment Therapy, MyDomaine, the Washington Post, and more. Sarah also works with designers to help them style spaces for photo shoots. Find more shelfies on her Instagram page, @sarahlyon9