Author: Imogen Aldridge

16 Art Ideas to Spice up Your Living Room

From serving as a relaxing haven to being a welcoming space for entertaining guests, your living room is arguably one of the most important spaces in your home. Nevertheless, these two vastly different functions can make choosing the right interior décor tricky – especially when it comes to artwork.

Have a large feature wall to fill or maybe you want to use art in a more subtle way? If you’re craving a little creative inspiration, let’s take a look at a few of our favourite paintings for living room ideas.

1. Bring the outside in - See our Nature collection

Nature is a truly wonderful source of inspiration, and it can easily be used to create a calming environment indoors too. For this very reason, paintings inspired by the natural world are a particularly great option for a living room. Why not evoke the tropics with Hannah Woodhouse’s bold tropical-inspired giclée prints? Alternatively, Keekopie’s photo-realist works of forests overlaid with colourful neon shades are a great match for more contemporary homes.

 

Jungle Blooms 1 by Hannah Woodhouse

 

2.  Tell a story

One great way to get both yourself and your house guests interacting with a space is to select artwork that tells a story. This might be a visual journey told through a series of travel-related prints. Or it could be an intensely detailed collage with multiple layers of meaning, such as those found in pop art aficionado, Peter Blake’s, Paris series.

Paris - Aquarium by Peter Blake

3. Reflect your personality

The living room is a space that you spend a lot of time in, so you’ll want to factor your own interests and tastes into your artwork selection. Have a passion for music? Love to travel? Or maybe you’re fond of a particular colour like bright orange or electric blue? Incorporate whatever makes you tick into your interior décor and you’ll never get tired of looking at it.

Tape Collection 'Ferric 60' (Tinted Red) by Heidler & Heeps

4. Tie in the rest of your décor

Already decorated the rest of your living room? It can be a good idea to bear in mind the colours, styles and themes that already exist in the space. If you’ve gone for fairly minimalist décor, you can pretty much have free reign with what artwork you put up. However, if you’ve chosen a bold paint palette or some striking wallpaper, you may want to coordinate your paintings, prints and sculptures to avoid creating a space that’s too busy and, therefore not relaxing.

 

5. Stick with stand-out portraits - See our Portrait collection

Do you count celebrities, musicians or pop culture icons among your favourite people? Why not invite them into your living room through the medium of art? David Studwell is the king of creating prints of cult celebrities, especially those who rose to fame during the ‘70s and ‘80s.

Marilyn Monroe - Magenta Pink by David Studwell

6. Create your own gallery wall - Read our tips

If you have a love of multiple artists and artistic genres, there’s no need to choose just one. Instead, try creating a bold, central gallery wall. David Studwell's Marilyn Monroe artwork is one of our top paintings for living room ideas for those with a stretch of blank wall that’s in desperate need of being filled. Creating a gallery wall that’s cohesive and personal to you couldn’t be easier either – simply follow our inspiring tips on how to create a gallery wall.

7. Layer art over wallpaper

Just because the walls in your living room feature wallpaper, that doesn’t mean you can’t put up some beautiful artwork too. Sometimes, placing a print over a brightly patterned wallpaper can add depth to a room or give it an extra dose of style. Stick to more minimalist prints in a single bold colour or experiment with eye-catching typography.  

8. Integrate your art into your furnishings

Paintings don’t solely have to sit on a blank wall. If you’ve not got a whole lot of wall space or you want to create a unique feature in your living room, why not incorporate your art into your furnishings? Smaller framed prints can easily be placed on floating shelves, while a large canvas makes a fantastic focal point when framed by a large square bookcase. Need help on where to place your artwork? Read our blog on how to pick the right artwork for your space.

9. Light it up

Already selected some artwork for your living room and want to work out how best to display it? Flaunt your pieces as if they were on display in a gallery using clever LED backlighting around the frames. This will not only make your paintings stand out, but the additional light will help create a warm, comforting glow that’s ideal for relaxation.

10. Keep it monotone - shop art by colour

Few interior trends have withstood the test of time quite like monochrome. Black and white will always be a classic combination, whether you integrate it into your living room furnishings or your wall décor. Monochrome artwork is ideal for adding some drama to an otherwise plain space. It additionally works well in rooms that have a lot of colours in them already or if you’re keen to create a vintage-inspired aesthetic.

11. Create a statement

Echoing your personal opinions on certain issues – whether that’s politics or pop culture – can be another great inspirational tool for your living room décor. There are so many other ways to create a statement too, whether that’s by choosing bold colours, arranging a dozen different paintings on one wall or simply selecting a piece of art that makes anyone entering your home stop and think.

12. The bigger the better

Subscribe to the ‘go big or go home’ philosophy? That can also be transferred to your choice of living room art. Sometimes, a plain backdrop is screaming out for a single large canvas or print to give it some personality. You might want to go for something abstract like the grand, graffiti-style canvases of Dragomir Misina or keep it cool and classic with a giant Andy Warhol print.

Take Care 11 by Dragomir Misina

13. Clever framing

One major consideration when choosing paintings for a living room is what frames to pair with them. Will you go for something white to blend in with a pale background wall or do you want the frame to contrast with the colours in the art itself? You could even select a more ornate hard-wood frame or go for one without a border if you prefer to keep your art the centre of attention.

14. Consider bold typography

Art doesn’t just have to reflect landscapes, people and objects. Typography is a brilliant idea for a living room as it allows you to be playful or even influence its ambiance. Babak Ganjei’s dark humour and clever cultural references make his typography perfect for more contemporary homes. Or why not browse the neon slogans and provocative musings of Dominic Bradnum?

Everything You Need Is Right Here by Dominic Bradnum

15. Keep it photo-realistic

Prefer artwork that makes you stop and think? Few styles have this ability more than photo-realism. These sorts of paintings are often more casual and creative than actual photos, making them a good pick for living rooms. Ian Robinson’s exquisite oil paintings of objects from decades gone by are perfect for creating an aura of comforting nostalgia. Similarly, Horace Panter’s pop art-inspired cassette prints are a sublime choice for music lovers.

THINK! (Black) by Horace Panter

16. Evoke wanderlust

Want to feel inspired every time you enter your living room? This couldn’t be simpler than with art that creates a sense of wanderlust. The word describes ‘a strong desire to travel’ and that’s exactly how you’ll feel looking at Frances Featherstone’s works. Her unique series of giclée prints allow you to recreate the sensation of staring out of an aeroplane window at new and exciting terrains. Why not position a few in a row to create a bold statement wall? If you need a few tips, here's out advice on hoe to create the perfect gallery wall.

Remains of the Day by Frances Featherstone

 

Now you have a few ideas, why not start planning your dream living room art makeover? Browse our full collection of living room artworks and spice up your living room today.

living room artwork

ID Magazine £900

Mark Vessey

70 x 70cm

Limited edition of 25

New Beginnings (Yellow) by Damien Hirst
Rare
New Beginnings (Yellow) £9,610

Damien Hirst

48 x 66cm

Limited edition of 55

AOMORI-KEN, 2016 by Yoshitomo Nara
Rare
AOMORI-KEN, 2016 £650

Yoshitomo Nara

20.3 x 10.2 x 15.2 cm

Hurt Hill by Stanley Donwood
Rare
Hurt Hill £800

Stanley Donwood

63.5 x 66.5cm

Limited edition of 100

Bothways - David Mccracken £95

Jealous Inc.

50 x 70cm

Limited edition of 36

Hate's Outta Date - Blue 2022 by Harland Miller
Rare
Hate's Outta Date - Blue 2022 £14,650

Harland Miller

70 x 100cm

Limited edition of 125

PEACE OF MIND £105

Lene Bladbjerg

50 x 40cm

Limited edition of 100

Happy £300

Dave Towers

100 x 70cm

Astral Arcade 03 by Darren John
Exclusive
Astral Arcade 03 £220 £187

Darren John

29.7 x 42cm

Limited edition of 10

Astral Arcade 01 by Darren John
Exclusive
Astral Arcade 01 £220 £187

Darren John

29.7 x 42cm

Limited edition of 10

Languishing £195

William Kingett

40 x 50cm

Limited edition of 25

Let's Go £395

William Kingett

76 x 102.5cm

Limited edition of 25 + 5 APs

Kodak £350

Dave Buonaguidi

68 x 68cm

Limited edition of 25

Tastes Like Good Times (Green) £295

Dave Buonaguidi

70 x 90cm

Limited edition of 18

I Fucking Love This Place (Shoreditch) £50

Dave Buonaguidi

50 x 70cm

Limited edition of 125

Sunday Morning is a Feeling by Phoebe Boddy
Exclusive
Sunday Morning is a Feeling £130

Phoebe Boddy

50 x 50cm

Limited edition of 25

House plants by Phoebe Boddy
Exclusive
House plants £160

Phoebe Boddy

50 x 50cm

Limited edition of 25

Beach Shores £90

Maxine Gregson

30 x 30cm

Limited edition of 50

Party for One by Louise Nordh
Exclusive
Party for One £95

Louise Nordh

35 x 35cm

Limited edition of 30

Las Vegas Sign £200

Horace Panter

30 x 33 cm

Limited edition of 25

Big Cat Power £85

Charlotte Farmer

17.5 x 12.5 cm

Limited edition of 175

Sweet Tooth £450

Bonnie and Clyde

70 x 50 cm

Limited edition of 50