How to make a statement with art

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Designer and design blogger Erin Gates offered her expert advice on statement art pieces in our recent Home Front online chat. Here are some of our favorite tips.

1. Consider nearby furniture’s scale: Have a blank wall above your sofa or table? “Typically, we like the art to not be larger than the sofa or a dining table for scale purposes, but there are spaces that defy that rule, such as in large, open lofts.” Overall, you’re looking for balance. For a reader with an 86-inch-long, low-profile couch (the Evie sofabed from Crate & Barrel), Gates suggested a piece that is 60-by-40-inches or 50-by-30-inches.

2. The bigger the piece of art, the thicker the canvas should be:This prevents warping if the piece is unframed, Gates said. “If you are buying a canvas that is 60-by-40-inches (which is a good size for over an 84-inch sofa, for example) it should be pretty thick, like two inches or even more.”

3. If you want to save money but have wall space to fill, think small: A series of smaller pieces, such as a triptych or even a group of six smaller framed works, takes up lots of wall space but usually costs less than a large work of art. “Leave an inch or two between the frames so that they read like one larger piece.”

4. Don’t forget about accessories: If your art isn’t large enough to balance the sofa below it, tall table lamps on either side of the sofa can help fill the space, too.

5. The bigger the piece, the bolder the statement: “There really aren’t any ‘rules’ or ratios, it’s all about what kind of statement you want to make!