What art is best for a bedroom?
Updated: Jul 5
Bedroom Art Moods and words
Your bedroom wall art should suit what your bedroom is for, and what mood you want to be in when you're there.
Now, this seems like a very personal topic to be getting into, and everyone has a different boat to float here: bedrooms can be used in a range of ways. But some of the mood words we might associate with bedrooms are:
- warm, cozy, cuddly, intimate, private, sensual
- restful, spacious, relaxed, wide, slow, sleepy,
- dreamy, drifty,
- drifty, smooth,
- connected, cared for,
- cheerful, cute
- sexy +
bold, a bit provocative.
Which of these moods is most important to you? Or is there more than one (for different parts of the room, or times of the day)? Knowing your "theme", you can learn what to look for. All the elements in a wall art work contribute to creating a feeling or a mood.
The Elements At Work
What makes a calm, warm, intimate, sleepy artwork? Aspect, Shape, Form, Line, Pattern, Colour, Texture and Tone are all basic elements of art, and each one (or a combination) can help.
Below I'll explore these, using examples from my own abstract (but you already know that I think you should only buy abstract, don't you? :-) )
Picture shape (aspect):
Vertical pieces tend to be "in suspension" and to add gravity to the scene.
Your eyes (if not your head) have to move to take it in. It's not very stable.
But panoramic, wide works feel stable, and allow the sense of
everything" being at rest".
Line: - horizontal, long lines do the same (like sea waves; banks of clouds). Gently curving, soft-edged, separated lines can be even better, by taking away any sense of hardness (whereas
straight, intersecting lines, or diagonal lines, create energy and movement, and grab the eye's attention).
Shape and Form: -
positive, curved forms are related to organic, living things, that are well fed and perhaps even cuddly. If the texture can gently suggest some depth, we tend to feel the form as if it were physical.
Edge: -
indistinct edges let the eye drift, and don't grab the attention too much. They're reminiscent of clouds, and other soft things.
Colour: -
colours in the red end of the rainbow are connected with heat, warmth, life, emotion, sensuality.
On the other hand, cool colours recede and give a spacious feeling, which is relaxing.
Pattern:
- Patterns are mostly a repetition of shape, so at that level, the same things apply. The movement of the pattern adds another dimension: flowing, naturally varying shapes remind us of leaves and other organic things, whereas rigid, rectangular shapes and lines are not part of nature's backgrounds, and draw our attention suddenly.
Texture: -
The main effect texture has on the senses, is by means of suggesting materials. In a bedroom we want to be reminded of materials which are sleek, soft, fluffy, smooth, warm to touch; or at least, naturally warm. Or we can simply be reminded of warm situations (e.g. a picture of a mug of coffee; clouds in a bright tropical sky; palm trees; a big yellow disc).
Abstract can express anything (see previous).
Fitting the Location
Above the bed is usually a wide wall (whether or not it's tall). Which is another reason to use a wide, panoramic aspect in your art: it will fill that space; it will make the wall seem wider; and it will match the wideness of a bed. (It's lucky for me, since that's what I specialize in!).
Or you can create the same shape by using a set of pieces, arranged appropriately:
Depending on your taste and needs, that could even mean creating a gallery wall.
Of course, there are other walls in a bedroom!
You might want something to look after you've been to bed (e.g. on the opposite wall); while you relax with that morning tea or coffee.
Then you might have a different space to fill, and a slightly more lively mood to provoke. Something for the mind to explore quietly.
What are your thoughts on art for bedrooms? I'd love to see your comments.