Decorating Guides
How to Curate Kids' Art
Declutter the fridge and winnow down the bulletin board — these attention-getting treatments give kids' artwork the prominence it deserves
As anyone who has kids will tell you, their busy little hands can produce enough crayon sketches and fingerpaint frescoes in a single day to cover your fridge twice over. Instead of running to the store for more magnets or stuffing their creations into a shoebox, why not give children's art the same pride of place as a bona fide masterpiece?
The trick, as with any collection of art, is to arrange it in a way that shows each piece off to best advantage yet adds up to a pleasing, logical whole. Try these eight strategies for curating your little Picasso's best efforts.
The trick, as with any collection of art, is to arrange it in a way that shows each piece off to best advantage yet adds up to a pleasing, logical whole. Try these eight strategies for curating your little Picasso's best efforts.
Framed in identical white mats with ID tags at the base and arranged along a neutral wall, these scribbled sketches attain gallery status. The cohesive frame and hanging treatments, plus the similarity of the works, creates the feel of a triptych.
Sometimes the opposite route makes the most sense: displaying paintings, sketches and photos on a gallery wall, with no common thread except the fact that you love them. This is a great strategy for merging kids' art into a grouping of adult works, which boosts its presence and brings the collection down to earth.
This little trio of bright works elevates a simple bath and infuses it with a warm, comfortable personality. Unframed canvases are relatively inexpensive, so buy a few, choose a selection of paint colors that complement your design scheme and let your children go to town (or join in the fun yourself). When you're finished, you'll have a smattering of artwork that naturally goes together.
Crowned with mini masterpieces, this breakfast nook feels like a cozy corner bistro. Notice the careful attention to detail — the cohesive white frames reflect the room's pale tones, while the colorful art echoes the brightly patterned tabletop. The effect is sophisticated yet not at all stuffy.
Instead of family photos or portraits, try lining a stairwell or a corridor with kids' drawings and paintings. Choose a variety of frame sizes and shapes to add energy and keep the grouping from feeling static.
Leaving aside the all-blue paint treatment (whoa!), leaning kids' art along a ledge such as this shows it off in a casual, graphic way and makes it easy to rotate regularly. In such a bold space, too many vivid artworks might have overpowered each other. Instead, the brighter ones are balanced by more restrained selections — a great tactic with any collection.
In a similar vein, these works are clustered along a dresser. Bright frames add extra punch. Combining them with vibrant works is effective and eye catching in a neutral setting.
The mudroom is the first point of entry for a lot of kids, so mount their prized artwork where they can see it right away. Choosing a variety of frames in a single color, though varying their visual weight, ties the potpourri of pieces together.
Get more ideas for fun and colorful kids' spaces
Get more ideas for fun and colorful kids' spaces