Wall Art

Wall Art

Wall decor provides a great opportunity to showcase our creative personalities and exude the essence of what we love and our preferred aesthetic.

There is no single way to decorate a room in New Zealand anymore as there are interior design methods and styles aplenty. Done well, wall decor can make walking into a room feel like you’re walking into a work of art itself. By carefully choosing colours, precisely placing furniture and curating your choices of ornaments, sculptures and wall art, you can achieve exactly that. 

The wall art we choose becomes our centrepieces and holds together our concepts of expression and values. 

Types of wall art for different rooms

Kitchen wall art

Kitchen wall art has long been the kind to blend function and aesthetic in New Zealand. From holiday photos to vivid surrealist paintings, the kitchen can become a mixing pot of diverse and unique pieces of art.

Motivational framed art is popular in kitchens, as are vibrant colours and playful jokes. The kind of art we want in our kitchen are ones that make us feel happy and warm.

It is important to know that the decoration can survive the area. Kitchens are often hot, with steam and grease often in the air. You need to ensure that whatever you buy can withstand this environment.

Bathroom wall art

Bathroom art is often meant to be relaxing and refreshing. For this reason, popular options for bathroom wall art are floral designs and natural landscapes. These choices bring positive vibes with respect to organic life and nature, suitably calming for a bathroom environment. 

That being said, some prefer more classical or avant-garde representations as it conveys a more artisan and luxurious feeling for a bathroom, fantastic for those looking to enhance the feeling of a high-end experience. 

Bedroom wall art

Wall art ideas for your bedroom can offer more eclectic nuanced choices. As this is your private space, you can choose to be selfish in your selections, prioritising your own tastes and preferences.

Large wall art can work well here as a focal point that draws attention to itself through expression and/or vibrancy. Photographic prints can give a room gorgeous clarity, enhancing a place or moment in time.

Cultural wall art is another popular choice in New Zealand for those who want an ever-present link to their own heritage. 

Kids room wall art

Like most bedrooms, this type of wall art often represents the personality of the individual. For children, this usually means prints or posters of their favourite musicians, sports players or fictional characters.

It’s great to let your kids take the lead when it comes to the wall art in their rooms. It’ll spark their interest, get the invigorated and make them think about how they choose and display art on their walls. 

While some options might not initially match your tastes, you’ll find their choices and selections change over time and the development you observe will be fascinating.

Living room wall art

The living room is a shared space so one has to take into account the impression they want to convey with guests as well as other members of the household. It’s still your home and choice by all accounts but most people do factor in the mood and feelings that their guests will likely experience. It is also the best area to showcase a more prestigious piece of work that everyone can appreciate.

Original art from New Zealand is popular because of this as it presents something unique and personal. It's fantastic as a statement piece and is a good conversation starter for first-time guests as a great way to break the ice. Abstract art is also popular as it tends to be tonal or more open to interpretation than other types of art.

Hallway wall art

A hallway is often seen as a thoroughfare and is frequently overlooked as a space for expression the respect to wall art. However, it definitely presents an opportunity, even if a subtle one, to establish, build and lead to a particular feeling as one journeys through the house.

Monochromatic art or black and white photos are a nice choice for hallways as a form that can leave an impression on people as they walk by without being too distracting. Landscapes are another go-to option for many in New Zealand for the same reasons with the addition of a bit of colour in case the monochromatic style isn’t preferred. 

Cleaning wall art

As with any other piece of furniture or ornament, you will want to clean your wall art, especially if it’s been placed in an area close to an open window or with a great deal of foot traffic. 

All that movement and airflow can cause your nearby decorations to become dusty and dirty more quickly than their surroundings. As therapeutic and invigorating as art can be, those feelings won’t last if the paintings or art prints you bought become dulled or damaged. 

However, the chances of this happening can be reduced by some simple steps.

1. Most wall art is meant for indoor use. That means that they aren’t designed to withstand the rain and wind. For this reason, keeping them out of direct sunlight and away from water is important. 
2. For prints and wall paintings, it also helps to use soft artificial light, as that will help to sustain the colours in canvas prints, photos and art for a lot longer. 
3. Art within glass frames should be removed periodically. Also, each component should be cleaned separately, as dust very easily settles into all the nooks and crannies. 

Beyond these steps, it will be important to take note of any specific maintenance requirements for the work of art in question. Old works, for instance, require specific environmental conditions and even specialist care so research is crucial to make sure your pieces continue to stay at their best.