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How to choose art for a small room

Small rooms can take more art than you think. How to choose the size, colour and layout.

By 4 minute read

The Bathroom Trio: 3 prints in a bathroom

It is tempting to keep art small in a small room. Usually the opposite works: fewer, bigger pieces make a room feel calmer and more spacious than lots of tiny frames.

1. Go vertical

In bathrooms, hallways and box rooms, wall space is often tall rather than wide. The Bathroom Trio, shown at the top of this page, stacks three prints to use the height of the wall and draw the eye upwards.

The Bathroom Trio: three prints making use of a tall wall.

2. Two bigger prints beat five small ones

Above a bed or chest of drawers in a small bedroom, a pair of larger prints feels calmer than a crowded group. The Plum Shapes Pair uses two bold prints in one colour to give the room a clear focal point.

The Plum Shapes Pair: 2 prints in a bedroom

The Plum Shapes Pair: two larger prints, one colour.

Studio tip

Choose prints with lots of light background. Pale paper and open space in the artwork make a small room feel brighter.

3. Work with awkward walls

Sloping ceilings and alcoves can still take art. The Attic Kids Wall arranges four prints to follow the slope of an attic room, turning an awkward corner into the best wall in the room.

The Attic Kids Wall: 4 prints in a nursery & kids

The Attic Kids Wall: four prints following a sloping ceiling.

Keep the palette tight

In a small space, too many colours feel busy. Pick prints that share two or three colours with the room. Read matching art to your palette for how to do it.

See how big a print looks in your room with the Gallery Wall Builder.

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