Homes-Tips: Ideas

Tips on Balancing Walls With Wall Art Decor. Spice up a boring room with some decorative artwork. Learn how to balance the pieces hanging on the wall with the furniture in the room to create a finished and well-accessorized look. Balance space and different sizes of artwork to get the most from a bare wall. Turn a naked wall into a decorative wall by hanging artwork into symmetrical or asymmetrical groupings.

Test Out Groupings

Before hanging photos, paintings or other artwork on the walls, test the artwork in the room to see if it goes. Martha Stewart, in her article "Arranging Pictures," says that most groupings will have a common thread that ties the pieces together. Color, a particular style of frame or a type of art may bring a sense of cohesiveness to a room. Look for pieces that help define the message or the room, whether it is casual or stimulating.

Balance Artwork Evenly on Walls

Help a viewer make sense of a room with artwork by balancing the pieces on the wall. Distribute the visual weight evenly to bring structure to the wall. A symmetrical arrangement will mirror each half of a grouping. Complete a sense of balance in a room by placing several art pieces spaced evenly on a wall. Keep pieces of the same size in groups of two or four; flank two wider pieces beside a long, narrow piece for even balance.

Consider the Negative Space

Look at the rest of the wall you are decorating to balance artwork in a room. "Arranging Art Groupings" in Rental Decorating Digest recommends placing your hand with fingers together between each piece of art for easy spacing measurements. Normal spacing between pieces ranges from 4 to 6 inches. A tightly spaced grouping will have less than 2 inches between prints. Keep the space of the wall in mind when working with multiple pictures.

Choose Unusual Groupings

An asymmetrical arrangement can be just as aesthetically pleasing as a symmetrical one. Play with different picture sizes, frame colors and spacing to give a room a vibrant feel. Remember to follow a common theme such as a particular style or color to keep the arrangement looking purposeful. Create simple shapes such as a triangle or circle on a wall with various sized mirrors or prints. Choose a circular piece of art and balance it with several smaller square-framed pieces and hang them in a straight line. Mix it up with hanging arrangements and get a feel for what you like by testing out unusual groups to see what makes a room pop.

Paint

Paint your lake house interior with muted neutral tones or pastel shades. Various hues of white, beige and taupe will give your house a light, airy, relaxing feel and will open up the interior space.

Decor

Keep the lake house clutter-free. The more simplistic your decor, the better. The goal is to give your home the feeling of the outdoors. Decorate using wooden, hand-carved sea gulls and sailboats for a nautical theme, or consider an animal theme using prints of animals such as deer.

Furnishings

Lake house furniture should be comfortable and functional. Living room couches often double as a guest room, so purchase a good-quality sofa bed for your guests' comfort. Purchase practical furniture pieces such as end tables and coffee tables that have drawers for storage and can keep hidden extra bedding.

Floors

Think practical when it comes to floor space. Linoleum and easy-care tile and wood floors work well in lake houses. If you want to carry your decor theme to the flooring, but don't want to use throw rugs, consider stenciling a design on your floors or painting floors for a rustic, aged look.

Light Fixtures

Lake houses often utilize vintage-look decor, so extend this look to your light fixtures, wall sconces and lamps. Use wicker, rattan and weathered-looking pieces to create a casual, warm ambiance.

Walls

Walls should not be "busy," with lots of floral wallpaper or too many pictures. Add wallpaper borders with a cozy pattern that matches your decorating theme, or add wainscoting or bead board to enhance your painted walls. Use framed pictures or photos of lake and forest scenes to bring the outdoors indoors.