| 3. Use multiple works of art. Combining multiple works of art by the same artist or that have a very similar style creates greater impact. Here the art above the fireplace and the red painting on the wall work together to contrast their strong horizontal and vertical lines, balancing each other and drawing your eye first to one, then the other, and back again. Together they create a stronger look than each would have by itself. Private Comment
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| 4. Use furniture placement. Placement of your art is important, but so is the placement of your other furnishings around the art. This painting would have looked great on the wall all by itself. But the wavy bench underlines the painting and gives it emphasis, the same as underlining a word in a sentence. Private Comment
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| 5. Use reflection. Through the placement of mirrors on the wall and ceiling, walking down the hall you get this painting repeated in reverse and upside down. It's a pretty dramatic way to get you noticing the reflections then studying the painting to see how it looks when it isn't turned upside down and backwards. Private Comment
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| The green slash of color in the painting is only repeated in the wall of the dining room visible through the arch ... and nowhere else. It has more impact than it would if accessories all over the room picked up the color. Private Comment
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| 7. Use the color palette. Going beyond just picking up a single color from a painting, this room has used all of the colors in the art for the room's entire color palette. This artwork is by the homeowner, so she was able to surround herself with colors that she loves. The rug seems to pick up all of the colors of the painting on the left. I wonder if it is custom or just a very lucky find? Private Comment
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| 8. Use style. The art above the stairs is contemporary, with clear and bright colors. The yellow open stair treads feel just as fresh as the artwork and complements it beautifully.
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| The style of the artwork is soft and serene. The style of the decor complements it beautifully with the same muted color palette and soft velvety textures. Private Comment
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| 10. Use lighting. Most people realize that putting a spotlight on your art will highlight it and make it stand out. But in this room the lighting increases the impact of the art by the shadows cast. Using lighting to enhance your art is another big subject, so I'll have to go into that in another Ideabook. Private Comment
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| Combine techniques. Using a combination of the above techniques creates a very strong design. This room is so expertly done and supports the art so uniquely. The large black rectangle of the art is found in the shape of the pillows and again in the pattern in the rug. Notice how the art is not centered behind the sofa. That staggering of rectangles is picked up in the pattern of the rug — in the placement of the pillows to one end of the sofa — and again in the off-center placement of the coffee table. It combines repetition of color, repetition of shape, and furniture placement to add emphasis. Private Comment
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