In this article, I’m giving you a little tour of different ways my mom and I display artwork in our respective homes. From using music stands to creating frame groupings, we utilize several techniques to incorporate our favorite pieces into our décor!
I love all of the display-worthy art tutorials on TPK, but all of those tutorials beg an important question: how do you display the artwork you’ve made? In this article, I’ll show you photos of my house here in Colorado and my mom’s house in Kansas to show you creative ways to display artwork.
To make this framed artwork collection, I raided the thrift store for frames. Then, I painted half the frames a yellow tone and half the frames a gray tone. Next, I DIY’d mats. I put the artwork and mats in the frames, and I laid everything out on the floor until it looked just right. I took a photo of my layout and used that photo as a reference to hang everything up on the wall!
To make this collage, my mom used a combination of floating frames and tasteful black and white frames. The floating frames in the center have a clear, light look to them, which keeps the display from feeling too busy.
My mom has displayed this simple piece of calligraphy — a remnant of my beginner days — on a pant hanger for years! The hanger has a permanent location on the knob of a linen closet. The calligraphy may not have a polished look, but there’s a charm to it. I suspect that my mom likes seeing the quote every day, which is a good reminder to keep your cool.
As long as you’re using a fairly heavy paper (110 lbs+), it will stay rigid if you prop it up in a plate stand! This lily illustration — created on handmade paper — holds its own beautifully on this stand. It lives in a china cabinet with overhead lights at my mom’s house.
If you’ve got a cookbook stand handy, consider displaying a framed piece on it. My mom uses this vintage cookbook stand to showcase a pencil sketch of my great-grandmother.
I keep a bulletin board in my office where I display items for their sentiment and beauty. Bulletin boards are great because there’s no commitment: you can change its look whenever the mood strikes!
Washi tape probably isn’t an artwork display decision I’d make for my kitchen or living room, where I’m shooting for a refined vibe. However, I like to keep things pretty playful in my office, where washi tape is welcome on the walls!
My grandmother used to rely on this music stand while she played the flute. My mother also could play the flute at one point, but she hasn’t in years. As a result, she has repurposed the music stand to display an art piece. This is a display technique that takes up a fair amount of space, but it makes for an eye-catching statement!
When I see standard picture frames, I immediately think about using them for photos. Over the years, I’ve learned to challenge that traditional inclination and use them to display artwork. In that way, you can display the work on a shelf or among photos of your family to accent your décor.
My mom has this fabulous built-in shelf in her house, and she uses it to display a variety of significant items. From favorite books to my grandmother’s candle snuffer, everything has a story. All of the artwork on the shelf is propped up, including the illuminated letter “D”, which has no frame. The letter was created on heavy handmade paper, so it holds its own quite well on this shelf!
My mom found this industrial metal file cabinet at an auction and immediately saw its value as an organizational tool for her kitchen. The only problem? She didn’t have any labels. I set out to create pretty Janet Style labels with Bleed Proof White ink and black cardstock. Now, the furniture is both a piece of art and a highly functional piece!
If you’ve got a fairly large art piece that you want to shine a literal spot light on, consider getting an art lamp! My mom uses hers to illuminate a vintage ink painting of a stallion. You can have an electrician wire the lamp into your wall, or you can do what my mom did and let the cord hang discreetly down the wall.
No matter what your personal style may be, I hope that seeing these examples gets your creativity flowing! To me, there’s nothing more interesting than a home that features plenty of art and photography. Display that art and photography creatively, and your home will tell a story that delights both occupants and visitors.
Thanks very much for reading, and enjoy the rest of your week!
Warmly,
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