7 UNDER-THE-RADAR TECHNIQUES DESIGNERS SWEAR BY TO CHOOSE THE PERFECT LIVING ROOM WALL ART | Lars Gesing Fine Art

Here’s a truth that even many interior designers too often disregard in the name of coherence: The best living room art doesn’t have to perfectly match your existing decor. It doesn’t. Period.

How good does it feel to have THAT monkey off your back???

Here’s what the right wall art for living room spaces DOES have to do: It has to make you feel the way you want to feel. 

So as you scour the internet for wall art ideas for living room spaces, start by asking yourself this: “What do I want to feel when I walk into my living room?”

For most collectors of my fine art landscape photography, the answer’s usually some variation of: I work hard. I want a zen space that feels calm and peaceful, where my mind gets to wander.

I'm not gonna lie… That sounds like a pretty great living room to me. Call it a retreat, call it your haven — I make the art for it.

Once you’ve painted the emotional picture of your future space, you can use it as a measuring stick for all living room wall art ideas you come across: Does this artwork make me feel calm and at peace? Does my mind begin to wander when I look at it?

No? Keep looking. (Or take my free ART EXPLORER Quiz here.)

Yes? Great! Ask the artist to create a digital preview of how the art would actually look on your wall. Better to be safe than sorry.

And if you are still worried about the art matching your decor, here’s what I’ve found…

Chances are, once you have that vision for your living room that I just talked about, all elements you choose for the space will magically start to match anyway — because they’re all chosen from the same place in your heart: a longing for beauty, stillness and connection. (read on below)

Ask any interior designer what’s most important when choosing art for living room walls (or any space, for that matter), and they will answer with one word: Proportion. 

Trust me, I’ve asked a lot of them. A LOT.

The biggest mistake I see prospective collectors of my modern landscape art make over and over again is choosing a piece that is too small for their space — especially when they are looking for art for large living room walls. 

I know… shocking — an artist tells you to buy bigger pieces of art. What a revelation.

But that’s not why I’m saying this. Really.

The real reason is this: Large walls tend to “swallow” art that’s too small, making it seem out of place and lost. That’s especially true for art like my bestselling frameless “Window Effect” acrylic floats.

Here’s what choosing the right size for your large wall art for living rooms spaces comes down to: 

If you want your artwork to make a statement, you have to give it the chance to do so. 

Read that again: If you want your artwork to make a statement, you have to give it the chance to do so.

Now… How do you find the right proportion for your unique living room wall? There are a couple of useful pointers I’ve picked up over the years.

If, for example, you’re looking for above the couch wall decor, the general rule of thumb goes like this: The artwork you choose should be about 2/3 the width of the furniture.

And if you have tall walls or narrow spaces (as is often the case when you look for art for above your fireplace), consider long narrow vertical wall art that ties your high ceilings together with the rest of the space.

And just because it’s so important, I’ll repeat what I said in the previous section: Make sure you ask the artist to create a digital preview of how your favorite piece would look on your actual wall. 

You don’t want to spend your money first and get surprised later. 

A quick heads up: I usually charge $297 for that mockup service, as I always spend quite a bit of time to make sure we get the proportions just right. But right now, I’m waiving that fee for a limited time only — which means there’s no commitment at all on your end until you’re totally sure you love how the art will look on your living room wall. Want to see how your favorite photograph of mine would look on your wall? Click here.

Before you look any further for art for living room wall ideas, I’m going to ask you to do something else: Make sure you observe the light in your space throughout the day. The amount and availability of natural and artificial light doesn’t just change how your space feels. It will also determine the impact of the wall art for living room spaces you ultimately choose.

Do you have a space with lots of natural light? That opens up your search to consider living room wall art ideas with slightly darker colors that will create a welcome contrast in your space. 

Just be aware that if you hang art in spaces with lots of windows, UV light fading your artwork’s colors over time and glare will become an issue — unless you choose living room art like my TruLife acrylic fine art photography prints, which are treated to prevent nasty glare and protect and preserve the art’s stunning colors for decades.

If, on the other hand, your living room does not have a lot of natural light, or you live in a place like Seattle (as I do), where for large parts of the year sunshine is, umm… not exactly an abundant occurrence, you can use brighter inspirational wall art to compensate for that lack of natural light. Bring some warmth and glow into your home with modern wall art for living room spaces that features vibrant colors and coastal themes for some seriously soothing Forever Summer vibes.

Of course, you can also always choose to install art lighting to illuminate your favorite piece and make sure it draws the attention it deserves.

If you are trying to create a living room that feels like a leave-the-noise-outside-the-door retreat, one of those hard-to-nail-down qualities of a space like that is finding harmony between your design elements. And suffice to say: Your art for living room walls is a key ingredient.

But: How on earth do you achieve a sense of harmony with art? 

Well… Instead of trying to match the art to your living room wall colors, try to use it as an element of contrast and texture.

Think about it this way: If everything was the same color, things would look flat and boring — the visual equivalent of, “I’ll deal with it later.” If, on the other hand, you can create an additional layer with your living room wall art and choose a subject matter that adds contrast and texture, such as ripples on water or the recurring patterns of colorful leaves in these pieces of fall tree art, you start to create lots of visual interest that still has a distinctly relaxing feel — the kind of room that makes you forget (or care) what time it is.

Once you choose nature-inspired wall art that complements other natural materials in your space, like wood furniture, stone finishes and linen, your living room starts to become one cohesive space — and, tadaaaa, you are well on your way to that dream space that feels like a retreat.

One more thought on this whole harmony thing: Art also has the unique ability to introduce visual depth to otherwise two-dimensional spaces. If you choose nature wall art for living room spaces like my acrylic prints, you’ll experience THE WINDOW EFFECT — your room expands, and the art on your wall comes alive as it adds a three-dimensional feeling to your space. It’s the secret sauce that makes almost everyone who walks into my West Seattle art gallery say, It feels like I’m right there! anytime they look at one of my museum-quality nature photography prints.

Let’s face it: Your living room — maybe more so than any other room in the house — is where your family’s stories come to life. And so, as you go through the living room art ideas you’ll find during your search, please, please, please choose pieces that make you feel like you are looking at you favorite memories… the places you traveled… the most cherished moments of your life.

I will never stop stressing this point: You. Are. Not. Just. Filling. An. Empty. Wall.

Art is the single most powerful tool you have to quickly change how your entire space feels. 

(And, side note, it’s a lot more affordable than doing a full-on remodel to achieve the same.)

Approach your art for living room walls that way, and it becomes a way to tell your unique story, rather than just another piece of random, run-off-the-mill stuff that makes the room feel cluttered rather than intentional (I’m looking at you, $19.99 Ikea canvas that felt like a total steal at the time!).

Let me give you an example: I want you to meet my collector Eric. Some of his favorite memories are of hiking in the Olympic Mountains with his son. And so, when he came into my gallery looking for fine art pacific northwest photography ideas for his living room, I started showing him pieces with the Olympic Mountains. He quickly fell in love with OLYMPIC DREAMS.

Now, every time he looks at the art on his living room wall, it all comes back to Eric. The laughs. The moments of awe. The stories shared trailside, with hands sticky from a mix of sweat, bug spray, and trail mix. The view at the top that became so infinitely more memorable because he shared it with his son. 

Those memories are some of Eric’s most prized possessions.

And that’s what I’m talking about when you hear me say my art opens a window to your Happy Place.

My art is a shared memory come to life, a beautiful moment captured forever.

Okay… So far, you’ve heard me talk about keeping proportion, balance and harmony in mind when you consider various living room wall art ideas. 

Honestly — the easiest-to-implement way to achieve all three is by choosing a piece of large wall art for living room spaces that creates an instant focal point in your home. 

Suddenly, your art becomes what the health & wellness researcher Esther Sternberg calls “landmarks” in her eye-opening book, Healing Spaces. A landmark… a place for the eye to travel toward, a visual anchor that brings order to chaos.

Use art as a focal point, and it WILL grab your attention when you enter the room. You’ll feel your mind shift — from frantic to-do-listing to taking a deep breath. 

Keep in mind: A focal point sets the tone and mood for the entire space. So if you want your living room to feel like a relaxing retreat, make sure your focal point is a piece of zen wall art in calming colors — like green wall art or blue wall art for living room spaces. 

And, oh, by the way: Choosing one statement wall art piece instead of a bunch of smaller pieces also reduces visual clutter — one of the most common culprits in our homes that prevent them from feeling calming. I’m not saying you need to go full-on minimalist, but I’m gonna go out an a limb and suggest that your walls could probably use a little cleanse, right?

(For a full guide on how to use calming nature art to create a zen space in your home, click here.)

Follow the less-is-more focal point philosophy, and it’ll become easier for your eyes to figure out where to look when you walk into the room. And less stress for your already exhausted mind means more of a relaxed feeling in your space. 

Which is what you wanted, right?

It’s why my collectors Scott and Karen decided to hang a large print of my piece FOREST FLOWER above the fireplace — it became the focal point they longed for and set a peaceful atmosphere for the space they come to relax in.

Let’s be real — choosing art is an investment. The problem is: Once you start looking for living room wall decor ideas, you’ll get tons of suggestions that reflect the latest flashy trends. Here’s the issue: Most trends are short-lived, rarely ever making them a good investment. 

Instead, I’ll challenge you to choose timeless artwork that grows with your home and your lifestyle. After all, investing in a piece of fine art for living room walls is an investment in your daily well-being.

And there is no more timeless genre than nature-inspired art. After all, the ideas that inform Biophilic Interior Design — the art of designing nature-inspired spaces — are literally as old as time and date back to the days when cavemen created rock paintings of what they saw outside.

(Don’t know where to start? Click here to take my free ART EXPLORER Quiz to get your imagination going and to get free, personalized art suggestions for your unique space, taste, and budget.)

There’s also plenty of scientific research that proves nature wall art for living room spaces is uniquely able to soothe that sinking feeling of constant anxiety that accompanies most of us most of the time as we hurry through our day with 67 tabs open in our brains.

So... If you’re longing for a living room that feels like a calming retreat from the busyness of life, award-winning nature photography prints like my beach wall art for living room spaces, floral wall art for living room spaces, western wall decor for living room spaces and rustic wall art for living room spaces all will be a great fit since they all lean heavily on nature-inspired imagery.

The Truth: Choosing from your Living Room Decor Ideas Comes Down To This

You’ve made it this far, so here’s the bottom line: 

The best art for living room spaces doesn’t just fill a wall — it fills your home with presence. So if you only take one thing from this handy little guide, it’s this: Choosing living room art is about more than style — it’s about creating a space that feels like home, every single day.

And to do that, always start with meaning: Figure out how you want to feel in your living room when you come home after a long day in the office, and then find art that makes you feel that way.

Once you did that, you’re 90 percent there. At that point, you can work with an experienced artist like myself to make sure your living room art ideas seamlessly integrate with the rest of your existing decor and creates the living room of your dreams.

This post may contain affiliate links to Amazon. What does that mean? If you end up buying something through those links, I may earn a small commission — at no additional cost to you. It’s just one more way to keep my small biz running. Please know though that I only link out to books I would or have read myself and gear I have used or would use.