Art is the key to pulling together a pretty room and can also be the inspiration for your decorating colour palette. So, we’re sharing the biggest wall art trends we discovered at this year’s High Point Market.
This post is written by Tricia Firmaniuk our Senior Colour Designer. Terreeia and I have been in Maui for the past 1 1/2 weeks and since I couldn’t be in both places at once I sent Tricia and Kristy Robb (our new social media manager):
Tricia will be writing the next two posts about upcoming 2020 trends, because she was there!
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If you followed our weekend takeover on Maria’s Instagram, you know that Kristy and I had a BLAST doing our whirlwind tour of High Point Market. We were on a trend spotting mission, visiting as many of the most beautiful showrooms we could.
I will be posting a full report on what we found very soon, so stay tuned for that!
Here’s Kristy capturing styling ideas at Dana Gibson Art
As many of you know, I’m an artist. I ALWAYS take note of the art. And, I may be biased, but art is KEY to pulling together a pretty room. Rooms are naked and unfinished without good art.
So today, I’m bringing you a mini report on what I saw adorning the walls of the showrooms this fall while we work on putting together our full colour trends report coming soon!
Please note, if you would like to learn more about the artists, we did not have access to those details, but please feel free to click through to the brand or showroom website and inquire, they should have the details on the art and artists.
The biggest wall art trends from High Point 2019
The biggest wall art trends from High Point included lots of animal motifs, bold abstract pieces, antique pictures in ornate frames and of course botanicals. The Dana Gibson Art showroom pulled all of these trends together in her design space (below).
Botanicals
Naturalist prints of flora and fauna are still going strong. How can you go wrong with plants and flowers? The are always fresh. And the good news is they are accessible. You will often pay more for framing than the print.
Botanical Prints on display Ornis Gallery as shared on Instagram Stories.
Dramatic vignette with botanical and fish at Thibaut
It’s always a good idea to bring life into a room, whether it’s with a vase of fresh flowers, or art that features botanicals, portraits, or animals. Ballard Designs has lots of great botanicals too.
Animal Motifs
And there were SO MANY animals. Showroom walls and vignettes had no shortage of cute beasties. Especially dogs.
Dog motif gallery wall at Vanguard
Regal Egyptian Dogs at Vanguard
Moody dog and antique portrait vignette by Chad James Group at the Aspire Showhouse
Dog painting at CR Laine
Vintage equestrian art at Woodbridge
Antique and Flea Market Pictures
A related theme we spotted all over the place was the use of antique and vintage pictures, often in somewhat “stuffy” wood or gilded frames, in other words OLD looking. This estate-style art helped add a little patina to fresh rooms. You can find vintage art on ETSY here.
Equestrian lodge theme in this dining room by Scot Meacham Wood at the Aspire Showhouse
Vintage sepia pictures in a fresh blue and white room at Thibaut
Bold, Colourful and Abstract Art
On the other hand, many rooms were pulled together with bold, colourful abstract art. Since this is one of my favourite styles to work in, I approved of course. The bigger and bolder, the better.
Graphic abstract art pulls together this sophisticated room at Chaddock
A vibrant pink abstract painting creates a strong focal point in this room (above) by Lillian August at Hickory White
West Elm Minted has lots of Abstract art like this one here.
Mod graphic shapes and abstract art pulls these sofas together at Kravet
Oversized abstract painting at Hickory Chair
I hope this post provides you with lots of inspiration and fresh ideas for adorning your walls. A room is never complete without good art, it’s one of the best ways to show off your personality.
But don’t worry, while original art is a great investment if it’s in reach for you, you don’t need to break the bank to get it if it’s not. Framed prints and reproductions always look good, even if you need to splurge a bit on the frames. Anti-glare glass is a worthwhile investment for framed prints.
For vintage paintings, you can explore flea markets and antique shops. There are lots of steals to be had. Don’t shy away from the quirky pictures, they bring lots of personality to a room.
And for bold paintings, emerging and student art is a great way to get original art on a budget. And artists that are just starting out always appreciate the support. Check with your local art school for upcoming student exhibitions.
So, which of these motifs is your favorite? Did you follow along on Instagram Stories this past weekend?
Don’t forget to be on the lookout for our 2019 High Point Market Fall colour trends coming soon!
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How to Get the Perfect Piece of Art for Your Home; Before & After
Your post is very insightful! Thank you. It is nice to know what the trends are. I wish I can attend High Point Market!
Loving all of the blue, green and other bold colors and I love the various styles of authentic art featured but I seriously NEED that gorgeous planter / vase that Thibaut featured as their centerpiece!!
PS – That green featured in the Dana Gibson room looks like a Maria green! 🙂
I really LOVE colorful abstract art. Looking forward to hearing more of your Market report!
Thank you love the abstract art work !!
Have it in my home and it’s defiantly where my comfort zone is ..,
Can’t wait to see the rest of your post …
In the oversized abstract painting at Hickory Chair can you tell me what kind of carpet that is in the photo and whether there is a US dealer or manufacturer. Thank you for your help.
Hi Christine, I don’t have that information but if you contact the showroom, they can help you. Maria
I love abstract art too Tricia, but how do you use Maria’s new colour wheel to help pick the room colours from an abstract piece? Can you or is this not a way the wheel can be used? I’ve been trying to figure that out with one of our boldly coloured abstract pieces since I received the new colour wheel.
Hi Lorraine, it totally depends on the colours in the art and whether a colour you’d pull from the art also pulls the room together so there’s more to consider than simply the colours in the artwork. If it was super colourful you’d choose a greige perhaps and if you did that my colour wheel would not help you there. The colour wheel is simply a guide for what works with neutrals and what doesn’t and doesn’t cover EVERY single situation. Hope that helps, Maria
Great post! It is always fun to see how the showrooms decorate each season. I see a lot of blue coming back and also returning to the glam era! Personally I love the abstract art and all of the bright colors. I appreciate vintage art and it certainly has its place but not for me! Looking forward to more posts! Good job!
My favorite is definitely the botanicals.
you need a puppy for Teeria to take care of 🙂
Hi Maria,
I noticed tons of wallpaper in these rooms – the ultimate version of wall art. Would love to read your thoughts about combining wallpaper with wall art, carpets, upholstery, textures…
Hi Maria, I purchased two of your e-books on paint colors, and they were so helpful in choosing the perfect wall color…thank you! Now I would like to start planning wall art and I have a question regarding size. I’ve read that art over a sofa should be 60-75% of the length, but in reading your many posts I see some artwork is the same size as the sofa, and some extends beyond the sofa. I find large scale art to be very appealing, so when do you “break the rules”?! Also, is there guide as to height? The room has 8’ ceilings and the sofa (indigo, not gray!) is 77” long. My daughter is an artist so I can buy a blank canvas in any size. Thank you for all the great advice on your blog! You are a blessing to us non-pro homeowners!