Walls shape the narrative of a space in many ways, adding personality and depth. They are usually the first thing your eyes rest on when you enter a room. Many homeowners turn to accent walls, whether through textured finishes like stucco, traditional wooden panelling or exposed brick walls.
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But beyond these structural changes, art can also transform the way your walls look. With this approach, you don’t need to resort to big alterations or renovations. Instead, keeping your walls as they are and placing artworks mindfully can help shape the space impressively, creating a very strong visual effect with minimal effort.
But it is also important not to place your art haphazardly. Suumit Arora, founder and CEO, ARITURE, shared some tips, encouraging homeowners to leverage the philosophy of ‘less is more,’ and explained it through the concept of the 3-wall rule.
Common mistakes while decorating walls with artworks
“Today, a good number of living rooms are filled with decorative pieces that clutter the walls and shelves in the room. The problem here is that each of the pieces can stand alone aesthetically, but when grouped, they become visual ‘noise’,” he revealed what common mistakes homeowners make. It is where most of the confusion happens, where individual art pieces are not appealing enough, but when grouped, they may create a chaotic look.
“In addition, most surfaces are completely covered with decorative pieces, and thus, the room cannot take a full, deep breath,” Suumit continued, suggesting how filling every surface removes the sense of openness and balance in a room.
Traditionally, homes are filled with multiple decorative items too, on cabinets and shelves, which, Suumit cautioned, lead to a sense of visual incoherence, and a lack of focal point. But if a well-chosen art piece can hang on a wall, it can define the mood without overwhelming the space.
3-wall rule
Suumit revealed a principle called the 3-wall rule that makes space beautiful and well-organised. Here are the three simple rules:
- Anchor wall: The first wall one sees on entering. Place the largest, most visually impactful artwork here.
- Second wall: Enhances the anchor without competing. For example, a minimalist piece complements textured artwork. (Rhythm.)
- Third wall: Features a smaller, lighter piece, allowing the eye to rest. Overall composition gets balanced.
While the fourth wall is empty, for the purpose of letting the room breathe, and the artworks to stand out.
Then Suumit mentioned that textured artworks work best in soft, indirect light, and when you maintain the proportion, it looks better. Go for artworks that are about two-thirds the width of the furniture below it.
Applying the rule
Now, how do you apply the rule? Here are the practical tips:
- Living room: Focal point art piece above the couch, with supporting pieces near the window or entrance.
- Bedroom: Place the primary piece above the headboard, with the secondary piece facing the opposite wall to the bed.
Art pieces carry an inherent sense of sophistication. Don’t ruin it with poor placement that turns that into a source of visual overstimulation. Let your place breathe!
