Art really sets a home apart and showcases the owner’s personality and style. A neutral sofa, while super functional, can only say so much about you, but the colors, themes, and styles of art and wall decor you choose for your space give it a personal touch. Art transform a room into special havens for you and your family. Petite and unexpected places offer the perfect opportunity for small wall design ideas, so we’re sharing our favorite ways to hang art on a sliver of wall.
1. Add a Sconce and a Petite Painting
Turn a small wall into a stylish moment by pairing a quirky wall sconce with a painting. We designed our Edwin Hand Wall Sconce after seeing an antique in a boutique hotel, and we love the way it echos the antique feel of this small painting. The sconce also casts a beautiful glow on the art, setting the mood and creating a focal point.
2. Prop Up Some Plants
Hang a couple of wall brackets and rotate your favorite house plants, sculptures, or vases seasonally to inject fresh color and personality into a hardworking room like a mudroom.
Keep Reading: How to Add a Decorative Wall Bracket into Your Room
3. Add a Small Shelf
One of our favorite small wall design ideas is to take a narrow wall and make it useful by adding small shelves. Display your favorite trinkets, store art supplies in a home office, or elevate jewelry in a bedroom.
4. Hang Family Photos in an Unexpected Way
Looking for foolproof small wall ideas? Take your favorite family photos and hang them in an unconventional frame. Our Brass & Acrylic Wall Easels take your family portraits up a notch by placing them between acrylic sheets and mounting them with chic brass hardware. We love how the absence of a frame emphasizes the subject matter.
5. Mix Frames of Small Wall Design Ideas
Don’t get hung up on perfectly coordinating every finish amongst your wall decor. In fact, we prefer wall design ideas to have a little variety in each frame. Take the little art arrangement above. We used three traditional landscape pieces, each in different frames. Two hang together on the wall, and a third is displayed in a Gallery Easel on the secretary.
Keep Reading: Hanging Wall Art – The Complete Guide
6. Add a Graphic Wall Sculpture
Wall decor doesn’t have to mean art. Add a sculpture or other small wall design ideas to your wall to create a focal point. The overlapping squares in our Square Link Wall Décor contrast the oversized round Thomas Mirror, balancing one another out. Plus, the vibrant brass finish of the sculpture pops against a black wall.
Keep Reading: 10 Ways to Fill a Blank Wall
7. Two is Better than One
When you’re choosing the size of your art pieces, apply the same rules to small wall design ideas that you would for other spaces. In our Hanging Wall Art Guide, we suggest choosing art that is 50-75% the size of the piece of furniture it hangs over. The same rule applies to any art you’re hanging on a narrow wall. Your art pieces should fill about 50-75% of the wall, so consider adding more than one piece. Here, we chose a matching pair to tuck into a sliver of wall next to a secretary.
8. Don’t Forget Drapery
While it’s not considered wall decor exactly, drapery panels often serve the same purpose. We recommend hanging drapery hardware at least 6-8 inches out from the edge of your window moulding. This allows you to pull your drapery panel back from the window to let in as much light as possible, plus the panel will fill any blank wall space you have next to your window.
9. Tables and Small Wall Design Ideas
Just about any small sliver of wall can become useful if you add a small table and some art. Choose a demilune table in a tight space. The lack of corners will make it easy to navigate around, and it won’t feel as heavy visually. Top the table with a pair of art prints to create a pretty, functional moment in an otherwise unused space.
Looking for more color inspiration? Check out these posts below:
- Hanging Wall Art – The Complete Guide
- 10 Ways to Fill the Blank Space Over Your Sofa
- How to Use Decorative Wall Brackets
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Joquim
Thank you for sharing these inspiring ideas for living room wall decor. I particularly resonate with the suggestion of creating a gallery wall. It’s a fantastic way to showcase a mix of personal photographs, artwork and decorative pieces, adding a unique and personalized touch to the space. I also appreciate the emphasis on statement art. A striking piece of art can truly become the focal point of a room, setting the tone for the entire space.
In my own experience, I’ve found that incorporating textured wall hangings, such as woven tapestries or macramé pieces, can add warmth and depth to a room, creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere. Overall, these ideas offer a great starting point for anyone looking to refresh their living room decor. I look forward to implementing some of these ideas in my own space!
Kelley Bostian
Hi Joquim,
Thanks for supporting the How to Decorate blog–We’re glad to hear you found this article both helpful and inspiring for your own home! Please let us know if you ever have decorating or design questions we could help you with, or feel free to share a picture of your updated space with us at podcast@ballarddesigns.net
Happy Decorating,
Kelley
Debbie
Do my lamps have to match? Can they be different shapes, finishes? And do the shades have to be the same color and shape?
Thank you
Abbey Nolte
Hi Debbie,
It’s ok if they don’t always match. You can mix and match different shapes and finishes, just try to keep them the same height as each other so they have the same visual impact. You don’t want one to take away from the other.
Hope that helps,
Abbey
Linda
Would love to get the paint colors that are in the Alana fabric!