Pictures for the living room: modern wall decoration ideas
The living room is where you spend most of your free time – between the sofa and bookshelves, the TV and coffee table, you sit with friends, relax in the sun or enjoy a glass of wine. That makes it all the more important to have attractive walls in your living room. Here are some practical tips and ideas!
How to create a successful wall design in the living room
Your living room has bare walls and you don’t know where to start? Or you need a breath of fresh air, new pictures and simply something different? We show you what is important when it comes to wall design in the living room. Let yourself be inspired by our ideas for hanging, colour and motif selection.
Hanging ideas and tips
The perfect place for a picture depends on many factors, not least your personal taste. You can significantly influence the effect with height and arrangement. We present you with various options when it comes to finding the right place for a picture in the living room.
Paintings above the sofa
Large paintings, canvases and frames need sufficient space to unfold their effect. They function as a central element and should therefore be hung as prominently as possible. It is best to hang the painting centrally above a piece of furniture that is also central. Classically, this is above the sofa, but a large painting also develops its radiance above a sideboard or the fireplace.
By the way: multi-part pictures together practically make a large picture and also look good above the sofa or sideboard.
Picture galleries
Smaller pictures can be wonderfully combined to form a picture gallery. If you do not have a perfectly coordinated composition, it is a good idea to work with contrasts in both the motifs and the frames. Different eras, photos, posters, word art, decorative objects – anything goes here. Choose pictures that you like and go with your gut feeling. The arrangement will then emerge in the course of the collection.
You can also mix and match the frames. Above all, you should mix size and horizontal or vertical orientation to create a coherent overall picture. If you prefer to bring more calm into your picture gallery, choose material and colour in the same style. Narrow black frames, passepartouts, frames in white and gold or plain wooden frames bring the content into focus.
Tip: Lay your chosen framed artworks on the floor in advance and slide them into position as they will hang on the wall afterwards. This way you can assess in advance whether you like the result. Different hanging methods offer you inspiration:
- Swarm-Hanging: Arrange several smaller pictures around one larger picture.
- Petersburg Hanging: Place many pictures at close intervals above and next to each other to create a total work of art.
- Gallery-Hanging: Align (different sized) pictures on an axis so that the bottom edge or the middle of the pictures hang on one level.
Pictures on the wall shelf
A practical and at the same time elegant option for staging pictures is to arrange them on a floating shelf or picture rail. The advantages are obvious: you don’t need to drill any holes – at least not once the shelf is hanging. And you can exchange and rearrange the pictures at will.
Tip: Do not simply place the pictures next to each other, but use frames of different sizes that you can place in front of and behind each other in an offset manner. This creates a “skyline” that you can combine with flowers, candles or other decorative objects to create an overall picture.
Individual design with murals
What would rules be if you couldn’t break them? Defy all expectations and invent your own wall design. Get experimental and hang your pictures contrary to all tips and advice. Surprise your guests with pictures in unexpected places.
Where does it say that pictures have to be hung? Put pictures on the floor and just lean them against the wall. Why should picture galleries hang in the middle of a wall when you can have them run across corners? And does a picture have to be seen in its entirety or isn’t it much more interesting if it blends in with the hanging plant? Or if there is no picture hanging in the frame at all? Try out unusual placements and follow your artistic instinct.
Suitable colours for the pictures in the living room
You already know which hanging you want in the living room, but haven’t chosen any pictures yet? Then the question of colour helps as a first consideration. Do you prefer colourful pictures or do you need rather plain and discreet tones? We have suggestions for every taste.
Black and white images
Elegant and concise, yet restrained – with black-and-white pictures you draw the focus to shapes and structures. The play of light and shadow lets the viewer literally feel the object. Play with patterns and bring stylish aesthetics into your living room with monochrome pictures. Black and white pictures go well with minimalist furnishings and can be combined with wood or grey tones.
At KunstLoft you will find monochrome art photographs with impressive close-ups:
Colourful splashes and gentle colour gradients
Colourful pictures manage to lighten up a modern interior and radiate lightness and warmth between straight lines and angular furniture. Neutral colours lend themselves to sofas, curtains and carpet as they can be easily combined and carry a touch of luxury. Use pictures to set colourful accents and conjure up a friendly atmosphere in your living room.
Pick up on existing colours from your furnishings. Just as you coordinate your clothes and accessories, you can also colour-coordinate the wall design in your living room with the furnishings. Do your decorative cushions have a striking colour? Is there a colourful lamp in your living room? You can also integrate flower pots, bowls, vases and decorative objects into your colour concept with wall pictures.
If you already have a colour concept, you can find matching paintings in all shades at KunstLoft, for example with Fluid Painting.
Bright colours and pure life
Why go for pastels and creams when you can go for really bright colours? Bright colours exude energy and infect you with their cheerfulness. If you are looking for a real eye-catcher and want to bring pizzazz into a room, splendid colours are your choice.
But be careful: Colours need space to work. Neutral wall colour and minimalist furniture allow bright colours to come to the fore without making the room look cluttered.
Motif-Ideas for modern pictures in the living room
The question of the right motif is the most difficult one when it comes to wall design in the living room. Every now and then, we discover a painting that appeals to us at first sight and where it is immediately clear: it belongs on our wall. In most cases, however, it comes down to careful composition. Read our tips on how to find a suitable motif.
Abstract murals for modern flair
Abstract paintings have the ability to bathe a room in energy. Shapes and gradients, brushstrokes and geometric forms radiate an effect that serves the entire spectrum from stimulating to calming-meditative. The great thing about abstract paintings – they can be easily integrated into different interior design styles. Whether country house and vintage or modern furnishing, abstract motifs are flexible and fit into your home and your individual style.
By the way: The paintings at KunstLoft are just as individual as your living room. All our painted works of art are unique, can only be purchased once and bear the signature of their artist. Secure your favourite piece!
Abstract paintings blend into their surroundings and leave room for interpretation – KunstLoft provides you with modern picture ideas for your living room.
Tip: For each painting at KunstLoft you will find a description that puts into words what mood the painting conveys. Let the image take effect on you and visualise how the painting would look in your living room. With the help of our “virtual test hanging” function, you can easily project your desired painting onto your wall and try out where it will look best.
Street art in the living room
You can make a clear statement with concrete motifs. Street art is particularly suitable for this. Bring the message from the street into your living room and make a statement about love, life or a political issue that is close to your heart. Street art loosens up modern interiors and makes you think. Motifs by Banksy are particularly popular, with their certain something that makes a smile cross the viewer’s lips. Learn more about famous street artists whose spray art on house walls has long since become historic works of art.
Cheeky and stylish at the same time: pictures by Banksy in the living room.
The classic: landscape paintings
Whether photography or painting, landscape pictures are timeless motifs that capture the elegance and majesty of nature and bring their calming effect into your home. Landscape pictures come in countless styles and variations. That’s why there are suitable landscape motifs for every interior style: lavender and country house, sea and modern, mountains and boho, lakes and skandi. Choose between more abstract and more realistic depictions and also pay attention to the colour combinations that this creates in your living room.
What you should look out for in living room murals
Do you still have questions about hanging pictures in the living room? We have collected the most important answers for you. Read practical tips about wall design in the living room.
How high should pictures be hung in the living room?
Typically, you hang pictures so that they can be viewed easily – i.e. at eye level. Assuming an average size of 170 centimetres, about one third of the picture is above eye level, two thirds of the picture hang lower. This way you have an optimal view of the entire work of art. Of course, this is only a guideline. You can also hang the pictures in your living room at seat height, for example. Experiment with the height and find the right hanging for your picture.
By the way: At KunstLoft you will not only find the centimetre measurements for the pictures, but also the proportional size comparison to a person. This way you can get a feel for how big the painting is and where it fits best.
How big should pictures be in the living room?
The size of the paintings in relation to the size of the room and the size of the furniture is decisive for whether a composition looks stylish, cluttered or lost. Roughly speaking, in a large room with high ceilings, more bulky furniture and correspondingly larger paintings belong, whereas in smaller rooms with low ceilings, smaller paintings work better.
If you are planning to hang a painting or a series of paintings over a central piece of furniture, for example over the sofa, a rule of thumb is that the length of the painting should be about two-thirds of the length of the sofa. This creates a harmonious overall concept.
To find the right size of picture for a wall in general, you can make the following calculation: Wall length x 0.57. The so-called four-sevenths method ensures the right proportion on an empty wall surface – mind you: the wall should be completely free for the effect to be right.
Horizontal or vertical murals in the living room?
The question of the orientation of the pictures also depends on the relation to the furniture and the size of the room. Vertical pictures emphasise the height of a wall and make it look narrower. It is therefore advisable to opt for wider arrangements and either choose a horizontal painting or place several paintings next to each other. On a narrow wall, on the other hand, for example between two windows, vertically aligned paintings fit well.
How do I find the right place for pictures in the living room?
The right place for a picture in the living room depends on various factors. On the one hand, the picture must fit proportionally to the size of the room and the furniture, and on the other hand, the picture should be shown off to its best advantage and be able to develop its full effect. Therefore, consider: Where does it look bare in your living room? Where would you like a picture? Where should there be space so that the living room does not look too cluttered?
Hang your favourite pictures in such a way that you can see them well, i.e. not in the back, but where they are visible even when you are sitting. Combine pictures that are too small with other pictures to achieve a pleasant proportional size. Hang large pictures so that they are surrounded by enough open space to show to advantage. Other factors can include light and shade conditions, lighting, proximity to other furniture or decorative items, and colour combinations.
Not only for the living room: Modern pictures and ideas from KunstLoft
What works in the living room doesn’t just apply to the living room. You can also use our picture tips in the bedroom, office or dining area to create an atmospheric ambience entirely to your own taste. You can find more interior design ideas in our magazine:
Photo credits: Article image: Photographee.eu / Adobe Stock; Image 1: Photographee.eu / Adobe Stock; Image 2: Photographee.eu / Adobe Stock; Image 3: New Africa / Adobe Stock; Image 4: Photographee.eu / Adobe Stock; Image 5: © KunstLoft; Image 6: © KunstLoft; Image 7: © KunstLoft; Image 8: © KunstLoft; Image 9: © KunstLoft