How to Choose a Painting for Your Home

People often ask me how to know a painting will work in their home. My honest answer is to start with how it makes you feel, and only then measure. Here is what I've learned from the homes my paintings have found.

1. Start with the feeling, not the sofa

Matching a painting to the cushions is the most common mistake. A painting will stay with you longer than your furniture. Stand in front of it and notice: do you want to keep looking? Does it calm you, or wake you up? If you keep coming back to it, that's the one.

2. Think about the room's rhythm

• Living room: a place to gather. A larger work can be the anchor of the room.
• Bedroom: the first and last thing you see each day. Softer, quieter works tend to feel right here.
• Hallway or entrance: a short moment in passing. A strong small or medium piece works well.

3. Size: a few simple rules

• Above a sofa or sideboard: the painting (or a group of paintings) should be about two-thirds of the furniture's width.
• Height: hang the centre of the painting about 145–150 cm from the floor, roughly eye level. Above furniture, leave 15–25 cm between the furniture and the bottom of the frame.
• Not sure? Cut a sheet of paper or cardboard to the painting's size and tape it to the wall for a few days. You'll know quickly.

4. Light changes everything

Oil paint has depth. The layers catch light differently through the day. Look at the wall in the morning and in the evening. Soft side light brings out the texture. Avoid direct sun on the canvas, and avoid damp places like above a stove or in a bathroom.

5. Colour: echo, don't copy

The painting doesn't need to match your colours. One shared tone is enough to connect it to the room: a wall colour, wood, a textile. Sometimes the best choice is the painting that brings in a colour the room was missing.

6. One original changes a room

An original painting brings in the hand, the texture and the time behind it. A room with one real work feels different from a room with many prints. My advice is to start with a single piece you love and let the room grow around it.

Still not sure?

Send me a photo of your wall and its measurements, and I'll gladly help you think it through.

See the works · Contact