How to Choose Original Art for Your Living Room

The living room is often the emotional centre of a home. It is where we welcome friends, slow down after a busy day and spend time with the people we love. The artwork we choose for this space can quietly influence how the whole room feels.

Choosing original art for your living room does not need to be intimidating. You do not need to understand art-world terminology or follow every interior-design trend. The most important question is simple: how does the artwork make you feel?

As an abstract landscape artist, I believe the best paintings do more than fill an empty wall. They bring a sense of memory, movement and connection into a room. Here are some practical ways to choose a piece that feels right for both your space and your story.

1. Begin with the feeling you want to create

Before thinking about size, framing or colour, consider how you want your living room to feel.

Would you like it to feel calm and restorative? Warm and welcoming? Joyful and energetic? Or perhaps open, fresh and connected to nature?

Soft colours, flowing forms and gentle landscapes can introduce stillness into a room. Stronger contrasts, expressive marks and vibrant colours can create energy and become a natural conversation point.

Abstract landscape art works particularly well in living rooms because it offers a connection to nature without defining exactly what the viewer must see. One person may recognise a river, another a remembered journey, while someone else simply responds to the colours and movement.

Allow your emotional response to guide you before worrying about whether the painting perfectly matches the furniture.

2. Choose the right artwork size

Scale is one of the most important considerations when choosing living room wall art.

A painting that is too small can appear lost on a large wall, while a piece that is too large may overwhelm the furniture around it. Start by measuring both the wall and any furniture positioned beneath it.

When placing art above a sofa or sideboard, an artwork measuring approximately two-thirds to three-quarters of the furniture’s width can provide a balanced starting point. This is a useful guide rather than a strict rule—your room and personal taste should always come first.

A large original painting can create one confident focal point. Alternatively, several smaller works can form an intimate gallery wall. Smaller paintings are also beautiful on narrow walls, shelves, reading corners or beside larger pieces.

If you are beginning your collection or decorating a compact space, explore my collection of small original abstract landscape paintings.

Before purchasing, remember to check whether the stated dimensions refer to the canvas or the final framed size.

3. Think about orientation and wall shape

The shape of your available wall can help determine the best artwork orientation.

A horizontal painting usually works beautifully above a sofa, fireplace or long sideboard. A vertical painting can add height between windows, beside a doorway or on a narrower wall. Square artworks are particularly flexible and can be displayed individually, in pairs or as part of a larger arrangement.

Take a photograph of your wall and use simple paper templates or painter’s tape to mark the proposed dimensions. This will help you visualise the scale before committing.

If you love a particular painting but are unsure whether it will suit your wall, contact the artist and ask for help. A photograph of your room and the wall measurements can make choosing much easier.

4. Let colour connect—not control—the room

Your artwork does not need to match every cushion, rug or decorative object in your living room.

Instead, look for one or two colours in the painting that connect naturally with your existing space. A small echo of blue, ochre, green or blush can be enough to make the room feel considered.

In a neutral interior, a vibrant painting can become the hero of the room. If your space already contains strong patterns and colour, an artwork with quieter tones may provide balance.

Also consider how the painting appears throughout the day. Natural light can reveal colours and textures differently in the morning, afternoon and evening. This changing relationship with light is one of the beautiful qualities of living with original art.

Browse my collection of original abstract landscape paintings to explore different colour palettes, sizes and moods.

5. Decide between original art and a fine art print

An original painting offers something entirely unique. Its brushstrokes, textures, layers and small imperfections reveal the artist’s hand and cannot be precisely repeated.

For many collectors, that sense of connection is what makes owning original art so meaningful. The painting becomes part of the home’s story and may eventually be passed from one generation to another.

A fine art print can be a wonderful choice when you love an image but require a different size or a more accessible price. Prints can also work well in homes where you want to repeat a visual style across several rooms.

There is no incorrect choice. Select the option that suits your space, budget and emotional connection.

You can compare my original Australian landscape paintings with my collection of abstract landscape fine art prints

6. Consider how the frame changes the artwork

Framing can subtly transform how a painting feels within a living room.

A natural oak floating frame adds warmth and works beautifully with timber furniture, earthy textiles and relaxed contemporary interiors. A black frame creates definition and can make vibrant colours feel even stronger. An unframed canvas with finished or painted sides offers a clean, modern appearance.

The frame does not need to match every other frame in your home. It should first complement the artwork and then sit comfortably within the surrounding space.

If you prefer artwork that arrives finished and ready to display, browse the collection of framed abstract landscape paintings.

7. Place the painting where it can be enjoyed

Art is usually most comfortable to view when its centre sits close to eye level. When hanging it above furniture, however, consider the relationship between the painting, sofa or sideboard as one complete arrangement.

Avoid placing original art in prolonged direct sunlight or immediately beside strong heat and moisture sources. This will help preserve its colour and materials.

Most importantly, position the artwork somewhere you will regularly experience it—not simply on the wall visitors see first.

A painting beside your favourite chair may bring more daily joy than one placed in a formal area you rarely use.

8. Trust your personal response

It is easy to become distracted by trends, popular colours and other people’s opinions. But you will be the person living with the artwork.

Spend time looking at the painting and ask yourself:

• Does it continue to hold my attention?
• Does it create a feeling I want in my home?
• Does it remind me of a place, season or experience?
• Can I imagine enjoying it for many years?
• Would I miss it if somebody else purchased it?

The right artwork often creates a response before we can fully explain why. Trusting that response is part of the experience of collecting art.

9. Check the practical details before buying

Before purchasing original art online, check the following information:

• The canvas and framed dimensions
• The materials and medium used
• Whether the artwork is framed
• Whether it arrives ready to hang
• Whether it is signed by the artist
• Whether a Certificate of Authenticity is included
• Shipping costs and expected delivery time
• The shop’s returns or exchange policy

If anything is unclear, ask. Artists understand that buying an original painting is a considered decision and should be happy to provide additional photographs, measurements or advice.

Choose art that makes your space feel like home

The most successful living rooms are not necessarily the most perfectly styled. They are the spaces that reveal something about the people who live there.

Original art can bring warmth, individuality and emotional depth into your home. It can remind you of a landscape you once travelled through, a quiet moment in nature or simply a feeling you want to return to.

Every landscape remembers something. Every painting invites you to remember too.

Explore available original paintings, discover small original artworks, or contact me for help choosing a painting or discussing a commissioned work for your living room.

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